Shirt appeal: fashion designer gives the office shirt a head-turning makeover
A Częstochowa fashion designer has made a splash in the fashion world by giving that humble fashion staple, the office shirt, a stylish and original new twist.
So if you’re a woman looking for the perfect shirt, Karolina Naji might have the answer.
Naji studied design in Łódź, in central Poland, before working as a stylist and designer.
Naji studied design in Łódź, in central Poland, before working as a stylist and designer. Later, she took the plunge and founded her own eponymous brand, which sells limited-edition shirts that she describes as “romantic-retro” in style.
Her brand began with her own search for the perfect shirt. Unable to find one in the shops, she set out to sew one herself, which is when she got the idea for the brand.
For her, a shirt is not just a piece of clothing: it can evoke a trip to an elegant European capital.
Some of her shirts are far removed from the traditional design.
“Old movies, music from vinyl records and walks around the historic streets of the most beautiful cities in Europe – all this inspired me to found a brand and design the first collection of shirts,” she writes on her brand’s website.
Her online shop only sells shirts, but in very different styles, from her take on a crisp white cotton shirt to an oversize, semi-transparent black that the brand says is “perfect for summer evenings and every day”. It also sells longer numbers intended to be worn as shirt dresses. Most of the shirts are either black or white.
Her designs take the shirt and turn it into something else.
According to the designer, her shirts’ advantage is their versatility. Depending on the rest of the outfit and the accessories used, they can be dressed up or down to suit the occasion.
“The ideal shirt is one that you use with any styling, at any time of the year and in every situation. You always feel fashionable, elegant and above all comfortable in it,” her website states.
According to the designer, her shirts’ advantage is their versatility.
Naji’s shirts are made in Poland but can be shipped worldwide (her website has an English version with prices in euros). A label inside the shirt proudly states the country that it was made in, with the words “Designed with passion & love”.
Like her website, Naji’s Instagram page features an elegant, muted palette, with photos of women wearing her shirts around the city.
