Executive Pleat Trench Dress

From the waist up it is a double-breasted blazer — wide notched lapels, tonal buttons, the shoulders cut properly. From the waist down it is a knife-pleated skirt with real swing in it. The join is the whole idea.

Two ways to wear it: buttoned as a dress, or left open over a knit and trousers, at which point it reads as a trench.

The fabric

A substantial woven that holds the pleats sharp through a day of sitting and drapes rather than standing away from you. Soft taupe-beige, which is a kinder neutral than grey and less stark than black.

How it fits

Cut to a US small. The blazer half is cut close through the shoulder, so try it if your shoulders are broader than your waist suggests.

Looking after it

Dry clean, or a cold delicate wash inside a mesh bag if you are confident, hung by the waistband so the pleats fall straight. Never fold it across the pleats. A cool iron on the reverse if an edge has softened.

If you have ever stood in front of a chic attire dress code on an invitation and had no idea what it meant, this answers it — a korean fashion formal dress that is sharp without being stiff, and the single most useful thing here among petite clothes for work.