I've never been one to wear many dresses, though my closet is literally stuffed with slacks and button-down shirts.  There's two things I've learned about fashion over the years.  First, a wardrobe filled with timeless, classic pieces will last you for decades and second, fit is everything.  I've seen the most expensive garment I own look mediocre and a bargain basement item look absolutely stunning, all because of the way the item fit me.

Joe Button also believes in the importance of a well-made, well-fitting piece of clothing and have designed their entire business around helping you create your very own custom, one-of-a-kind fashion masterpiece.  Keep reading to learn more!

As I said earlier, I've always been a fan of the button down shirt, but have never been too big on wearing a lot of dresses.  This is mainly because I like to look put together without appearing overly fussy.  Once I saw the Women's Shirtdresses section of Joe Button, I wondered where these garments had been all my life.

I loved the crisp, tailored look these shirtdresses offered as well as their supreme versatility.  I could dress one of these up with a pair of stilettos and some notice-me-now jewelry for a date night with my husband, or dress it down with a pair of cute sandals and a ponytail for a backyard barbecue.  Add some nice heels and a few classic pieces of jewelry and you're ready for a school field trip or PTA meeting.

Once I decided on the women's shirtdress style from Joe Button, it was time to have some fun!  The next thing that's required in creating your one-of-a-kind garment is to select which pattern of fabric you like best.  For me, I loved the Jenny Cavilleri with its gingham print and solid collar and cuff design.  Next, I had seven different features on the front of the dress, such as the collar and pocket shape, that I could customize along with four different options, such as darts and yoke that I could configure on the back.

In the end, I liked most everything about the default option of the dress and changed very little to the original design.  One thing that certainly gave my shirtdress a nice personalized touch was the ability to add my own embroidered initials to the cuff or lower left panel of the dress for free!  I chose the diamond design in a red thread so that the monogram would really "pop" on my cuff.  Of course, I was also able to give my exact measurements so that the dress would be a perfect fit, right "off the rack!"

If you're hesitant to order a custom garment made exactly to your specifications, don't be.  Joe Button is so confident in their custom sizing system that their purchases are backed by a Perfect Fit promise – if the shirt doesn't fit for whatever reason, Joe Button will either remake the shirt or reimburse you for alterations at your local tailor.

The only two things I would have changed about this particular shirtdress would be the matching cotton cloth belt it came with and the red button at the very bottom of the dress.  Now, I understand that the red button is the signature for Joe Button, much in the same way that the polo man is the signature for Polo.  The only problem with this though is that the red button doesn't always match the pattern of the shirt or shirtdress selected.  Since this is a custom garment, I feel that there should be an option to change the red button, if so desired.

As for the belt, since it's no more than a 2" wide matching piece of fabric, I wasn't quite sure how to wear it with my shirtdress.  In the pictures on the Joe Button site, it appears that the belt is sewn onto the dress or is a part of the dress itself, but this isn't the case.  It's just a long length of matching fabric which always seemed to ruin the sleek and tailored look of the dress when I tried to wear it.  Of course, most people might not wear the fabric belt anyway, since they will want to pair the shirtdress with their favorite belt of choice.

As with any custom garment, you should expect a longer delivery period, but I think the results are well worth it.  My husband has already been drooling over my shirtdress and mentioned many times in passing how he wouldn't mind having a custom men's dress shirt from Joe Button (hint received, dear :wink:).  I love how you have the chance to sit in the fashion designer's seat and construct a quality garment to your exact specifications and measurements.  Cut out the middle man of sending your clothes to the tailor and just start with Joe Button instead!

Disclosure:  I received the Jenny Cavilleri Women's Shirtdress in Navy from Joe Button in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.