Shirt Gowns and Shirt Dresses

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    Clematis Dress in green, wrinkled organza shirt gown with flared sleeves and an A line skirt, by Baruni
    Clematis Dress in pink, wrinkled organza shirt gown with flared sleeves and an A line skirt, by Baruni
    Clematis Dress: Flared Sleeve Organza Shirt Gown for Weddings
    $450.00

    The shirt gown, and why the house is built on it

    The shirt gown is what Baruni is known for. The structure of a shirt with the presence of a gown: a collar, a placket of buttons down the centre front, and a skirt that falls from the waist.

    It is the most practical formal dress we make, for three reasons. It goes on last, so it does not disturb hair or makeup. The buttons let you set your own coverage, fastened to the throat or open at the collar, so one dress covers several levels of formality. And the collar stands away from the body and frames the face.

    What is in this collection

    Floor length gowns for evening weddings and galas, maxi and midi shirt dresses for daytime occasions, and knee length pieces for every day. Most are cut from jacquards developed with our own mills, which hold their shape through a twelve hour day. Others are satin, organza, chiffon and georgette for warmer occasions.

    Sleeves run from long with a proper cuff, through elbow and three quarter, to sleeveless. The sleeve is named on every product page and its length is published in centimetres and inches.

    Choosing the shape

    Volume at the shoulder balances a fuller hip. A gown that hangs rather than belts, with the tie left off, gives the longest vertical line. A narrower sleeve with a fuller skirt settles broader shoulders. The waist is marked with a tie or a sash rather than a fixed waistband, so you decide whether to shape it at all.

    Before your dress ships

    We write to you before your order leaves us to confirm the size you have chosen. If you are unsure, reply with your measurements and we will confirm before it goes. If you are between sizes, take the larger.

    For the full guide to the shape, how to tell a good one from a bad one, and what to wear it to, read our designer's guide to shirt dresses and shirt gowns.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Take the larger. This is true of every dress we make and especially a sleeved one, because arm width varies far more between women than waist measurement does. A sleeve that is slightly generous drapes. A sleeve that is slightly tight shows every movement. A hem is easy for a local tailor to shorten. A narrow sleeve is not easy to let out.

    Usually only the hem, and only for height. Our dresses are cut to fall at the ankle or the floor on a woman of average height in a heel, so if you are petite or you plan to wear a flat shoe, allow for a hem. Any local tailor can do it in a few days. We would rather tell you now than have you discover it the week of the wedding.

    We try to stop that happening before it ships. Before your dress leaves the atelier we write to check the size you have chosen is right, and if you are unsure you can reply with your measurements and we will confirm. If it still is not right, you have 15 days from receiving it to send it back, unworn and unaltered with its tags and packaging. Full price pieces are refunded to your original card. Outlet pieces are returned for store credit, valid for a year.

    Length and cloth. The gowns run to the floor or the ankle in fabrics with real body, and are built for weddings, galas and formal evenings. The shirt dresses are midi or knee length in lighter fabrics, for daytime events. The construction is the same in both.

    Floor length includes the Farrah Gown, Elham Gown, Zinnia Gown, Dahlia Dress, Mary Dress, Clematis Dress, Zayna Dress, Vida Dress, Allegra Dress and Esme Dress. Midi lengths include the Theresa, Tena, Oprah and Adebola. The Carina and the Love Dress are knee length. Every product page gives the measurement from shoulder to hem.

    Yes, and that is the point of the shape. The buttons run down the centre front, so you can fasten to the throat for a high covered neckline or leave two or three open for an open collar. One dress covers several levels of formality and you decide on the day.

    Every Baruni piece is lined in a breathable fabric, because a synthetic lining is unwearable across a long evening and particularly in heat. Several, including Cosmos, are lined in rayon. The lining is named on the product page.

    The Farrah Gown first. It is buttoned through the front in our own jacquard with a sash at the waist, so it needs no adjusting across a twelve hour day, and it goes on last so it does not disturb hair or makeup. The Elham Gown is the more formal answer for an evening wedding.

    The Emersyn Gown has side pockets, and so does Cosmos. Pockets are listed on the product page where a style has them.