This is a shift dress in 100% handwoven cotton slub, made in India by Mati. It has in-cut sleeves, an inverted pleat running down the centre for flare, and a 45-inch length in every size.

The inverted pleat down the centre is what stops a shift dress from reading as a sack — it releases fabric from the middle rather than from the side seams, so the flare falls where you move.

The details

• 100% handwoven cotton slub
• Made by Mati in India
• Shift silhouette with in-cut sleeves
• Inverted pleat running down the centre front
• Length: 45" in every size
• Mati states the fabric gets softer with each wash
• Dry clean for the first few washes, then hand wash or machine wash at 30°C
• Hang to dry · do not bleach

How to wear it

Hot-weather office day — utility jacket over the top, flat loafers.

Sunday lunch — As is, with the gold fill hoops.

Questions people ask

How long is this dress?
45 inches in every size from XS to XL. Only the chest, shoulder and armhole change with size.

What is cotton slub?
Yarn spun with deliberate variation in thickness, giving the fabric an irregular, textured surface rather than a flat one.

Can I machine wash it?
Mati recommends dry cleaning for the first few washes, then hand or machine washing at 30°C and hanging to dry.

What are in-cut sleeves?
Sleeves cut as part of the body of the dress rather than set in at the shoulder seam, which gives a softer shoulder line.