Story

When I first received the sampling yardage of our Shantung Check fabric, I fell so much in love with it that I was terrified to cut into it. I had thought up several designs for the fabric, but every time I got close to cutting into the fabric, I had second thoughts. Was this dress design really good enough? Should I do something else instead? Finally I decided to assuage my fears by cutting the fabric into a tried-and-true Margu classic. The Theodora Dress is our classic collared shirtdress design (think the Alice Dress), this time with a princess-seam bodice cut in a way that plays with the grain of the fabric and skirt dotted with inverted box pleats. It's basically the fancy version of the Alice Dress, and I'm not complaining about that.

Design Notes

• Shell: 100% silk
• Lining: 100% Bemberg rayon
• Designed, cut, and sewn in NYC
• Shirtdress with princess-seam bodice and pleated skirt
• Classic two-piece collar, cap sleeves, and full button front
• Hidden inseam pockets
• Fully lined
• Measures 38" long from shoulder
• Hand wash cold, line dry, warm iron as needed (learn more about garment care here)

Fabric

This dress is made of silk shantung milled in India. FW19 was my first season working with shantung, and let me tell you: I am obsessed. It has a glamorous sheen and subtle crispness that make it a joy to work with and an even greater joy to behold. This particular shantung features a check pattern woven out of a multitude of different colors.

The dress is lined with Bemberg cupro rayon woven in Japan. Cuprammonium rayon is so neat: it has all the benefits of being a natural fiber — breathability, biodegradability, durability — in addition to all the benefits of a super silky lining fabric — anti-static, anti-cling, total opacity. Made from the leftover fibers (known as linter) from the cotton plant after the ginning process, cupro is super-sustainable too (a true zero-waste fiber!).

Fit

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

The Theodora Dress is fitted in the bust and waist, so use those measurements when determining your size. Size up if you're in between sizes, especially in the bust.

Aja is wearing a size 4 and is 5'5".