It comes at no surprise that the shirt dress has accelerated in popularity. Since the pandemic and experiencing frequent lockdowns, shoppers have looked for comfortable yet smart options to work from home. WGSN forecast that this trend will exceed 8% share of total dresses in S/S 23, with key growth opportunities for the late-stage trend.

Luckily, you don’t need to wait until S/S 23 to get your hands on a trending shirt dress. Here are some of our favourite brands, who are either clients of ours or feature on the sustainable fashion tour.

Saywood have recently launched their limited edition Rosa shirtdress, which is made from deadstock fabric mainly sourced from Portugal. You can choose from their yellow check in lyocell and pima cotton-blend fabric, of which only 26 metres was available. Lyocell comes from wood pulp from sustainable forestry, and is produced in a closed loop system by Lenzing, a leader in sustainable fabrics. There’s also the blue check made with 100% pima cotton or Japanese cotton, which has been woven by artisans using traditional techniques in Ibara, Japan.

Saywood was founded in 2020 by Harriet Saywood who has been a client of The Mindful Step and now a great friend. Harriet’s collections are small, built on quality pieces with longevity in mind.

Since witnessing Judy Sanderson debut her S/S 22 collection at Porto Fashion Week, we’ve been obsessed! Inspired by an electric moment of solidarity of the women in South Africa (1956) and their bravery and strength in the stride towards freedom from constraints. Get your hands on her classic cotton checked trench or the viscose blend shirt dress, all sourced from leftover fabric in Portugal.

Judy launched her label in 2020 with a base in Portugal where she currently lives. Every piece is made in Portugal with precision, artistry and the compelling dexterity of the handmade in a responsible manner, while honouring traditional skills and combining them with innovative techniques and applications.

One of the biggest issues we see in the fashion industry is the disposable attitude with clothing from consumers. This gives brands the challenge to design with versatility whilst remaining timeless. We believe Aline have absolutely nailed this concept with their their convertible sleeves-detail halter shirtdress.

Proudly made in Portugal, A LINE is accredited by the most influential Certifying Bodies, being recognized by its environmental, quality and social systems, internally implemented. We personally love their circular efforts with The Longevity Program, which aims to reduce garments going to landfills and incineration. If your Aline garment is need of repair, repurposing or recycling, then you can send it back to the brand and be rewarded with 15% off on your next order.

Aline Clothing is available to purchase on The Sustainable Fashion Tour in Porto and Lisbon.

A true slow fashion Portuguese brand who create limited edition designs that are timeless and durable. Founders Alice and Cristina, produce consciously, using production leftovers, taking advantage of quality materials forgotten in warehouses, cutting manually to avoid waste and creating unique, one-size-fits-all pieces.

We love their A-line cut shirt dresses that are available to purchase on The Sustainable Fashion Tour in Porto and Lisbon.