Nife Pinstripe A-Line Dress with Pleated 3/4 Sleeves

A pinstripe A-line dress with sleeves worth a second look

This pinstripe A-line dress from Nife borrows its fabric from a suit and its shape from the sixties. It has a round neck, a relaxed cut that widens towards the hem, and 3/4 sleeves that are gathered into pleats along the lower arm.

It comes in navy blue and in grey, both with a fine light stripe, in EU sizes 36 to 42. The maker's table gives a length of 89.5 cm in size 36, and on the model the hem sits above the knee.

At a glance

The piece: models 200392 and 200393 by Nife

Nife is a label sold through a Polish fashion wholesaler. The maker describes this as a relaxed fit dress in an A-line cut, made of fabric with gently contrasting tennis-type stripes. In plain words: a pinstripe.

The neckline is round. The sleeves end below the elbow and carry what the maker calls unconventional pleats. In the photos the fabric is drawn together on the outside of the lower arm, so the sleeve puffs softly and then narrows. A discreet zip closes the dress at the back.

The gallery also shows a plain black version. We sell the navy and the grey.

Who it's for

For you if you want one dress that sorts out the working week. You don't need a belt, a blazer or much thought. The stripe makes it look like business, and the loose cut makes it comfortable at a desk.

The A-line hangs away from the waist and stomach, so it suits you if fitted sheath dresses are not your thing. The sizes run from 36 to 42.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Relaxed A-line cut (maker's data)
• Fine vertical pinstripes (maker's data and photos)
• Round neckline (maker's data)
• 3/4 sleeves with pleats along the lower arm (maker's data and photos)
• Diagonal sleeve seams from neck to armpit (photos)
• Discreet zip in the centre back seam (maker's data and photos)
• Ends before the knee; 89.5 to 92.5 cm long (maker's data and size table)

The maker does not say whether the dress is lined. Ask us before you order if that decides it for you.

Fabric and feel: a suiting blend with a little stretch

The composition is 65% polyester, 32% viscose and 3% spandex. That is a common mix for trousers and blazers. The polyester keeps the shape, the viscose softens the hand, and the spandex gives a little room when you sit.

In the photos the fabric looks smooth and matte, with enough weight to hang in a clean A without clinging. The stripe is fine and light, a pencil line more than a banker's stripe.

Fit and silhouette: narrow shoulders, wide hem

The dress fits at the shoulders and then widens. The maker's table shows it: in size 38 the chest is 103 cm, the waist 101 cm and the hips 108 cm. There is hardly any waist shaping, and that is the idea.

Each size up adds 4 cm in width and 1 cm in length, from 89.5 cm in 36 to 92.5 cm in 42. On the model the hem lands at mid-thigh, so if you are tall it will be a short dress. Tights or the knee-high boots from the photos take care of that. The table does not say whether the numbers are garment or body measurements. They read like a garment measured around.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for both colours. The waist is almost as wide as the chest, which fits a garment measured flat in an A-line cut, but the table does not say so. Compare with a dress you own.

Styling: pumps for Monday, boots for Friday

The navy dress is photographed with nude pumps and nothing else, which is all it needs for a meeting. The grey one is worn with beige knee-high boots, and that changes the mood: less boardroom, more Friday lunch.

Keep jewellery away from the wrists, since the sleeves are the decoration there. Small earrings or a short necklace at the round neck are enough. In winter, a fine roll-neck top underneath in cream or black works well with the sixties shape.

Occasions

The maker calls it suitable for various occasions. We would be more specific. It is an office dress first: meetings, presentations, a day with clients. It also works for a job interview, a graduation or a dinner where you want to look sharp without a suit.

For a summer terrace it is too dressed and too covered. Save it for the months with tights.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no care instructions, so follow the label sewn into the dress.

Two habits help with any suiting fabric: close the zip before washing, and hang the dress on a shaped hanger straight away so the A-line dries without creases. Steam the pleats in the sleeves back into place with your fingers while the fabric is warm.

The wow detail: the sleeves

Without the sleeves this would be a neat, slightly strict dress. The pleats change that. They pull the stripes out of line on the lower arm, so the straight pattern suddenly bends and folds. It is the one playful thing on a serious dress, and it sits where you see it yourself all day.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. You pick it at checkout, from causes that are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the goals the United Nations set for the world.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 5 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the dress is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More dresses for work and daytime are in our day dresses collection.