Why we measure the hem

We bought fourteen dresses described as "maxi" from eleven brands and measured them all from the shoulder seam to the hem. The shortest was 108cm. The longest was 143cm. Both were sold with the same word.

For most shoppers that is an annoyance. If you dress modestly it is the difference between a piece you wear and a piece that sits in a wardrobe with the tags on, because 108cm on a 5'9" frame is not a maxi dress, it is a long midi with an apology attached.

A word is not a measurement. If we can print a centimetre figure, we should print a centimetre figure.

So every piece on this site carries a hem drop in centimetres, taken from the shoulder seam on dresses and from the waistband on skirts, on the size 10 sample, with a note telling you roughly where it lands on a 5'6" frame. If you are taller or shorter than that, the centimetre figure is the one to trust.

The same logic runs through the rest of the Coverage Spec. Sleeve length in centimetres from the shoulder. Opacity on a one to five scale, judged with the fabric held against a window. Whether it is lined, and in what. None of this is glamorous. All of it is the difference between buying with confidence and buying with hope.