Story

The Finch flaps and glides along, whistling as she goes, in want of nothing that is not already among or within her. A classic sleeveless shirtdress with a full pleated skirt, the Finch is a piece for one occasion and all occasions, the kind of dress one might choose if one could only choose a few.

The bodice of this dress is designed with the perfect-fit bodice block I've been using for a few seasons now (most recently on the Greta, the Alice, and the Picnic from past collections), but the Finch breaks away from the mold with a subtle mandarin collar and a front button placket with extra overlap for comfort. The best thing about the Finch, however, (besides all the pleats, of course) is its ingenious method of closure; inspired by a vintage dress of mine, the front of the skirt features a concealed slit that — voila! — snaps into place at the waistline (and with a vintage snap, no less).

Design Details

• Main: 70% cotton / 30% silk voile milled and printed in the USA
• Lining: 100% organic cotton voile milled in India
• Designed, cut, and sewn in Arkansas, USA
• Shirtdress with subtle mandarin collar and full pleated skirt
• Button-front bodice with hidden snap-closed loop at waist for easy on/off
• Included waist tie is detachable
• Hidden pockets in side seams
• Fully lined
• Measures 38" long from shoulder
• Hand wash cold, line dry, warm iron as needed (learn more about garment care here)

Materials

This dress is made of a 9mm cotton/silk blend voile milled in the USA. The fabric is delicate and slightly transparent with an elegant drape and a subtle sheen.

The floral print is a custom Margu print that I designed with inspiration from a turn-of-the-century French pattern I came across last year. In my iteration, I retained the antique feeling of the shapes of the flowers, foliage, and birds, but totally recolored the print to be bright, saturated, and almost otherworldly. The juxtaposition of old and new is what I'm always trying to do with my garment designs, so using the same approach for fabric design felt so natural to me.

The fabric was custom-printed in the USA just for us with reactive dyes. The background is a true white, and the pattern is surprisingly versatile, matching all our SS18 fabrics as well as a lot more colors (black, brown, navy, etc.) not in the collection.

The dress is lined with GOTS-certified organic cotton voile milled in India. Lightweight and airy, this voile is one of the softest fabrics we've used to date and creates a soft, breathable layer against your skin.

In addition to the fabric, this dress uses organic cotton thread, four vintage mother of pearl buttons, one vintage metal snap, and organic cotton garment labels.

Fit

Take a look at our Size Guide to find your size.

The Finch is fitted in both the bust and the waist, so use both of those measurements when determining your size. If you fall in between sizes, I recommend sizing up to avoid any potential button gapping.

Alyssa is wearing a size 4 and is 5'8" with a 35" bust, 27" waist, and 37" hip.