Willow Garden

Model’s info: height-161cm, weight-47kg, wear size-S (for reference only)

Willows, Blossom, and the Song Way of Layering

The set is named for the willow — the tree Chinese poetry reads as spring arriving, and the branch you break when you see someone off. It is not drawn here so much as washed in: pale willow and blossom printed in blush, sage and warm grey, sitting at slightly different depths so the eye reads distance rather than pattern. The cut is Song-dynasty casual dress, where the point was never a silhouette but a stack of light layers — a fitted camisole closest to the skin, a long loose shirt over it, a pleated skirt below. Worn open the shirt catches the air and lets the skirt colour show through; worn closed it becomes the whole outfit. The skirt is a baidie (百迭, literally a “hundred-fold”), a Song form built from many narrow knife pleats that stay crisp while you stand still and open out as you walk. This one is cut from 4.5 metres of cloth, which is where the movement comes from.

Fabric & Fit

All three pieces are polyester, and the two fabric names on the label are trade names rather than fibres. The shirt is chiffon (雪纺) and the skirt is sold as glitter thread (闪光丝) — both describe a weave and a finish; neither contains silk. The camisole is polyester too, but it is lined in 100% cotton, and that lining is the part that sits against the skin. The set feels light for two reasons: the chiffon is sheer enough that you read the print from both sides, and the skirt’s 4.5 metres of cloth are pleated down rather than gathered, so the weight sits in the folds instead of on the waist.

The shirt is cut loose and sized by height rather than by body, measuring 105 to 111 cm from shoulder to hem — on a shorter frame that falls near the ankle, on a taller one nearer mid-calf. The camisole is the only fitted piece: an elastic band across the back gives it 78–92 cm at S and 88–108 cm at L, and its length is adjustable. The skirt is a single panel wrapped on and tied with its own band, and the band length — 104 cm at S up to 114 cm at L — is the figure to read if you are between sizes, because that is how much skirt you actually wrap around yourself.

Styling Inspiration

• Everyday wear — the shirt over jeans and a plain tee reads as a light summer outer layer, and the skirt takes a simple white shirt on its own. Split the set and you get three pieces that outlive the costume.
• Photography and outings — the print carries in daylight and the pale palette stays soft on camera. Bring a fan and the picture is ready; the one in the photos is not part of the set.
• Warm weather — sheer chiffon over a camisole lined in cotton is built for summer, and the skirt’s pleats let air move instead of trapping it.
• Autumn layering — wear the camisole and skirt on their own, then put the long shirt over a fine knit; the open front turns it into a light coat.

Buyer Size Reference

Measurements shared by recent buyers, with the size each one chose.

Read it as a spread rather than a rule. At 163 cm the same height bought M at 55 kg and L at 64 kg, so weight separates the two sizes more clearly than height: M held from 55 to 65 kg, and everyone from 64 kg up moved to L. The shirt is cut loose enough that either size will sit on you, so if you are between the two the skirt decides it — its waistband is wrapped on and tied. On length, buyers report the shirt runs generous, with one buyer at 165 cm finding it reached close to the shoe, while a taller buyer at 168 cm found the L skirt a touch short.

Care & Notes

All three pieces are polyester, so they are simple to look after. Wash by hand in cold water below 30°C / 86°F with a mild detergent, or put them in a mesh wash bag on a gentle machine cycle. Do not bleach. Hang to dry in the shade rather than in direct sun, and iron below 110°C / 230°F — press the printed shirt from the reverse, with a cloth between the iron and the fabric, so the print does not take a shine. Routine dry cleaning is fine for the shirt and the skirt.

The camisole is lined in cotton, and that lining is the one part of the set that behaves differently: it holds water longer, so do not leave it to soak, and dry it flat instead of wringing it out. The palette is pale throughout, so wash the set separately from anything dark for the first few washes — a light-ground print picks up loose dye easily. Hang the skirt rather than folding it, so the pleats keep their line, and keep it out of a tumble dryer for the same reason.