I have a weakness for broderie anglaise. The embroidered cotton, the delicate cutwork pattern, the way it looks effortlessly summery without trying too hard — it’s the fabric that makes me feel like I’ve made an effort even when I haven’t. I’ve been buying broderie pieces for years, with varying degrees of success. Some have been beautiful but impractical. Some have been practical but not quite beautiful enough. Finding both in the same piece is rarer than it should be.
The Yumi Blue Daisy Broderie Shirt with Fluted Sleeves is both. I’ve worn it more times than I can count since I bought it in April, and I’m still reaching for it.
What I Was Looking For
The specific gap in my summer wardrobe was a broderie top that worked with jeans. I have broderie dresses that are lovely but require a specific occasion. I have plain cotton shirts that work with jeans but don’t feel special. I wanted something in between — a broderie piece with enough structure to work as a shirt, casual enough for everyday wear, interesting enough to feel like a deliberate choice rather than a default.
The Yumi Blue Daisy Broderie Shirt was exactly that description.
Why This Shirt Specifically
The daisy broderie design was the detail that made me stop scrolling. Most broderie anglaise uses a generic floral or geometric cutwork pattern — pretty, but not distinctive. The daisy design on this Yumi shirt is specific and charming — the kind of pattern that reads as a deliberate design choice rather than a standard broderie template. In blue, it has a fresh, summery quality that works in a way that white broderie sometimes doesn’t — it’s more versatile with different denim washes and doesn’t show every mark.
The fluted sleeves were the detail that elevated this from a plain broderie shirt to something more interesting. Fluted sleeves — the slight bell shape at the cuff — add movement and femininity without being dramatic. They’re the kind of detail that you notice when you look at the shirt and that makes it feel more considered than a straight-sleeved alternative.
The frill collar was the third detail that made this work as a complete piece. Collar, fluted sleeves, broderie pattern — each element is restrained enough that none of them overwhelms the others, but together they create a shirt that has genuine character. It’s the kind of piece that looks like it cost more than it did.
The 100% cotton construction was the practical specification I needed. Cotton breathes in summer heat in a way that synthetic fabrics don’t, and broderie anglaise in particular benefits from being cotton — the cutwork pattern allows airflow that makes it genuinely comfortable in warm weather. Machine washable cotton is also the only practical choice for a piece I’m going to wear regularly.
I found it in the Clothing Tops and Clothing collections, and also in the broader Apparel & Accessories range. It arrived three days after ordering.
First Wear — With Jeans, Obviously
I wore it for the first time on a Saturday — blue jeans, white trainers, the Yumi shirt. The combination was exactly what I’d been looking for. The shirt elevated the jeans without making the outfit feel overdressed. The blue of the shirt worked with both the jeans and the trainers in a way that a white broderie shirt sometimes doesn’t — white can look slightly clinical against denim; this blue reads as warm and summery.
I wore it to a farmers’ market, then to lunch with a friend, then to a garden centre in the afternoon. Three different contexts, same outfit, no changes. The shirt worked for all three. That’s the test of a genuinely versatile piece.
My friend asked where I’d got the shirt at lunch. I sent her the link before we’d finished eating.
Three Months On — The Honest Verdict
Three months of regular summer wear. Here’s the honest report:
- I’ve worn it at least once a week since buying it. Sometimes twice. It’s the piece I reach for when I want to look put-together without thinking about it, which in summer is most days.
- The cotton has washed beautifully. Machine wash, hung to dry, no ironing needed — the broderie cotton comes out of the wash looking fresh and the daisy pattern retains its crispness. No pilling, no shrinkage, no fading of the blue.
- The fluted sleeves have held their shape. Fluted sleeves can lose their shape with washing if the fabric isn’t good quality. These haven’t. The bell shape is still present and still looks intentional after multiple washes.
- It works in more contexts than I expected. Jeans, yes. But also: linen trousers for a smarter occasion, shorts for a casual day, tucked into a midi skirt for something more dressed up. The broderie pattern and the blue colour make it versatile in a way that a plainer shirt wouldn’t be.
- I’ve been asked about it multiple times. By my friend at lunch, by a colleague at work, by a stranger at a garden party. That doesn’t happen with every piece of clothing.
The Difference It’s Made
Getting dressed in the morning is more enjoyable. That’s the honest summary. Having a piece that I genuinely like wearing — that feels special without being impractical, that works with things I already own, that generates compliments rather than just doing its job quietly — makes the morning routine slightly better. Small things compound.
The Yumi Blue Daisy Broderie Shirt is the piece I’ll be wearing until the weather turns, and probably reaching for again next April. If you’re looking for a summer shirt that’s genuinely pretty, genuinely practical, and genuinely versatile, the Yumi Blue Daisy Broderie Shirt with Fluted Sleeves is worth trying. Browse the full Clothing Tops and Clothing collections for more options.
Wear it with jeans first. Then work out what else it goes with. You’ll be surprised.
Gemma Lowe is a speech therapist and enthusiastic summer dresser based in Bath. She has a weakness for broderie anglaise, a wardrobe that is slowly becoming more considered, and a friend who now also owns this shirt.
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