The Dandy Dame Shirt

Blouse, Trousers & Tie: Emmy Design Sweden

The Dandy Dame Shirt in cream chambray by Emmy Design Sweden.

Emmy Design Sweden’s Dandy Dame Shirt from their heavily ‘Edwardian thru 1920s menswear’ inspired SS21 collection is a redesign of the AW20 Dandy Dame, with a new rounded collar. The previous season’s crisp cotton has been replaced with a lightweight Italian chambray fabric made of viscose and tencel rayon. Featuring longer Edwardian style cuffs and crisp collar, Emmy describes the shirt as menswear ‘gangster’ style fit for the female shape, and boy oh boy – I am all about this aesthetic!

I missed out on my usual Emmy size 36, so after closely humming and hawing over the shirt’s size chart I decided to give the size 34 a try. It is tight, and while the sleeves are long enough the 36 definitely would have worked better for my shoulder measurements. Given I purchased it to wear under winter layering, it isn’t an issue. Specifically, I wanted the Dandy Dame Shirt to wear underneath my Iona Waistcoats from Walker Slater for a neat, vintage menswear style look. The striking collar and cuff details work beautifully with a vest, waistcoat or knit pullover and high-waisted skirts or trousers. Leave the waistcoat open with the shirt’s collar unbuttoned for an effortless ‘femme fatale is on the case’ feel – circa somewhere between Sarah Howard in The Alienist and Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders.

Since this shirt arrived, I have been having a blast creating unique Autumn looks pairing the Dandy Dame with my existing collection of vintage reproduction knitwear, vests and accessories. It’s amazing how one item of clothing can completely change the look of an ensemble. Switching out a billowy sleeved, point collared blouse like the Poppy Blouse for The Dandy Dame Shirt’s Edwardian influenced design transforms an entire outfit from a 1930s/40s look fit for the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall to the delicate elegance of the early 1900s/10s. It has opened up an entirely new era worth of options in my current wardrobe, so I am stoked with that!

I am loving Emmy Design Sweden’s foray into silhouettes from earlier time periods, and how brilliantly Emmy has created collections that seamlessly blend these style elements with her trademark 1930s/40s inspired designs. I know I’m not alone when I say that sometimes I can start to feel restricted by subconscious ideas of sartorial ‘era correct‘-ness, and Emmy’s recent era-melding collections have definitely helped free my creativity and throw myself back into the deep end focusing on curating me-correct outfits, rather than era-correct outfits. Getting dressed each morning should be a fun exploration of your personality, creativity and interests, setting you up to enter the world confident with a reaffirmed sense of who you are – that’s the whole gosh darn point!

A very big thank you to Valerie of Melbourne vintage boutique Call Me Valerie for sourcing this Emmy shirt for me through a Special Order. If you’re in Australia and surrounds, keep an eye on Call Me Valerie’s Instagram page and Facebook group to hear when she’s taking order requests for Emmy Design Sweden’s AW2021 collection! …Unless you’re a size 36, in which case don’t do that because IT’S ALL MINE *shakes fist*.