Menswear-Inspired Shirting for Channeling Your Inner Miranda Priestly

The Palmer Harding Super Shirt is the answer to power suiting for the creative professional. The structure of the pieces gives the same power vibes as a Hilary Clinton pantsuit, but the full drape of the shirts says “Can we wrap this up? I have lunch with Kehinde Wiley in an hour.”

I’m over the moon for London-based Palmer Harding’s designs- particularly the Super and Spicy shirts. The combination of the traditional oxford shirting with the opulent and unapologetically feminine details in the pattern are just spectacular. The large cuffs. The handkerchief hems. The volume. Ugh! It’s turning me into my mother, who is the only person I know besides Andre Leon Talley to use the word “faaabulous” in everyday conversation. But these shirts are fabulous.

The hi-low hem on the Super Shirt demands that it be worn as a shirt, not a dress. A dress inspired by men’s shirts has been done, and can be a bit plain. But the requisite layering of the Super Shirt automatically takes what could have been a basic dress and punches it up with the added color (and pattern? drama?) of a pant. Would you wear it with a tapered crop pant and let the shirt shine? Or maybe pair it with an equally voluminous wide leg pant and be one of those fabulous women who is always just draped in fabric (and, of course, you’d have to pair that with a pair of statement glasses, because as Big Daddy Kane says, “Ain’t no half steppin’.”)

Here’s The part I love most: The asymmetry. We’ve all seen tent dresses and shirts. And they’re nice. They’re fine. But the bow on the side to contain the extra fullness on the front bodice is just such an unexpected and delightfully feminine touch.

It’s the most fun take I’ve seen on classic workwear and I am here for it.