Ella Hopfeldt claims that they make the best women’s dress shirts in the world but is it actually true? What do you, as a consumer, actually get in terms of fabrics, construction, fit, and details when you buy an Ella Hopfeldt shirt?
Ella Hopfeldt dress shirts for women retail between €89 and €119, which is not outrageously expensive for high-end shirts. However, it is high enough to raise questions about whether they are worth the money.
To understand whether these dress shirts are a worthwhile investment, let’s get to know the brand and take a closer look at the details of these button-ups.
About Ella Hopfeldt Brand
Founded in 2012, Ella Hopfeldt is a relatively new dress shirt brand. The brand was founded in Estonia by Marion Paavel and Merit Lookene. Their first creation was the white shirt with French cuffs that they produced in Estonia and marketed locally. The brand grew in popularity and was able to expand.
Today Ella Hopfeldt is still a small brand and their choice of shirts is not extensive. However, they do offer a lovely selection of French cuff shirts that have become one of the specialities of the company. Their shirts can be purchased solely from their online store and they offer worldwide free shipping.
Throughout their existence, the company has devoted a lot of time and energy on developing their products with the will to offer an outstanding experience to their customers. They have even developed their own proprietary fit system that focuses on body shape first and then size.
Sustainability is at the core of everything at Ella Hopfeldt. The creators believe that great style should not come at the expense of the environment and their sustainable fashion commitments are about doing their part to help the environment and to make the planet greener.
The Fit
If one had to point out just one thing about Ella Hopfeldt’s women’s dress shirts, it clearly is the fit of their shirts. The brand only offers fitted shirts. that are designed to follow the contours of the female silhouette and compliment the physique in all the right places.
Ella Hopfeldt offers four fitted shirt fits for women with different body shapes and heights. Instead of the usual terms like “regular fit”, “classic fit”, and “slim fit” you will find fits that are named after countries in Europe (“German Fit”, “Italian Fit”, “French Fit”, “Spanish Fit”). All of these refer to slim fit shirts that have been designed to suit different body contours.
The key to getting a perfectly fitting shirt is to find the fit that is right for your height and body shape and then focus on the size. It really helps to know your exact measurement (bust, waist, and hips) because there is not much room for error with properly fitted shirts that are supposed to fit like a second skin.
If fitted shirts are not your cup of tea, then perhaps Ella Hopfeldt is not the right brand for you. However, if you were curious about trying a fitted button-up, this would be a brand to go to as the chances of ending up with a perfectly fitting shirt are probably the highest.
The Fabric
When talking about their shirt fabrics, Ella Hopfeldt creators like to quote fashion designer Nino Cerruti: “Only an excellent fabric can originate an excellent fashion.”
The brand only uses premium cotton fabrics that is ordered from an Austrian shirt fabric manufacturer Getzner AG. All of the fabrics are two-ply with the thread count of at least 120. Two-ply and hight thread count make a huge difference and result in a finer, softer, smoother, and more luxurious fabric that lasts longer and pills less.
Most of the fabrics Ella Hopfeldt uses are also easy-care and wrinkle resistant. This helps to keep the shirts better looking and crisper, especially when you move around all day. You still have to iron the shirts for a flawless and wrinkle-free look, but the process is much quicker and the result much better compared to ordinary fabrics.
The Details
In terms of details, the collar and cuffs of Ella Hopfeldt’s dress shirts for women are a cut above. Not only are these details well thought through and beautifully designed, but they are also neatly finished.
If you have been looking for shirts with crisp collars and proper cuffs, Ella Hopfeldt is the place to shop. The brand uses quality interlinings in the collar and cuffs to keep these details looking crisp and professional. The interlining provides a sort of a skeleton providing rigidity and shape and helps the collar stay sharper longer.
Ella Hopfeldt’s women’s dress shirts come with two different types of cuffs: French cuffs and convertible cuffs.
French cuffs are double cuffs that are folded back and fastened with cufflinks. It is a statement-making look and always a good choice because of the originality and style. Cufflinks add undeniable charm to any outfit.
Convertible cuffs look like ordinary barrel cuffs except for the fact that they have an extra buttonhole between the buttons where a cufflink can be threaded through. This unique configuration means that one can wear the cuffs either buttoned or with cufflinks. One cuff, two styles.
Final Verdict: Are These Women’s Dress Shirts Really Worth It?
Ella Hopfeldt’s women’s dress shirts belong, without a doubt, among the best in the world. When you buy one of their shirts, you get a fitted shirt that looks as if it was tailor-made for you (if you get the fit and size right), you get high-quality fabrics, you get crisp details that look professional and smart, and you get beautiful workmanship.
If the brand sold their shirts at traditional retailers, they would probably sell the shirts at twice the price. However, since they are a direct consumer company and only sell their shirts via their online shop, you as a customer benefit from it by getting premium quality for mid-market money.
Ella Hopfeldt’s women’s dress shirts seem to check all the boxes and that is probably the reason why the brand is enjoying increasing popularity worldwide. If you look at what quality you get for your money, you will most probably keep going back to Ella Hopfeldt for more shirts.