A ribbed knit midi with a proper collar and a short button placket at the chest, finished in a contrast trim that outlines the collar, the cuffs and the hem. That piping is the whole idea, because it draws a clean line around the edges of a dark dress and stops it reading as plain. The rib runs vertically and lengthens the line of the body. Every edge is finished the same way.

It fits close from the shoulder to the hem and falls to mid-calf, with a fluted lettuce edge at the hem and at the cuffs that keeps the finish soft rather than blunt. The knit stretches with you and recovers, so it holds its shape through a working day instead of going slack. It looks right with ankle boots and a coat, which is most of the year.

• Fabric: stretch ribbed knit that recovers its shape
• Collar: polo collar with a short button placket at the chest
• Trim: contrast piping at the collar cuffs and hem
• Hem: fluted lettuce edge falling to mid-calf
• Fit: close from the shoulder to the hem