Ann Demeulemeester Stee Ruffled Drawstring Top – Black

Poplin is the reason this works. A ruffled, voluminous blouse in a soft cloth becomes romantic almost automatically, and that is a register this house has never been interested in. Poplin is crisp, holds an edge, and gives a ruffle a defined line rather than a soft one, so the same shape reads architectural instead. The drawstrings then let you decide how much of that volume to keep, which means the blouse can be a full-sleeved statement or a controlled one on different days. It is a garment doing something more technical than it looks like it is doing.

The white blouse is the hardest thing to buy well because almost every version is either plain or overdone. This is neither, and it is the piece customers try on without intending to.

Ann Demeulemeester founded the label in 1985 and it has been designed by Stefano Gallici since 2023. Adjustable volume is a habit of the house rather than a season's idea.

One hundred percent cotton poplin, made in Italy, in black. Ruffled detailing with drawstrings.

Cut voluminous, then adjustable. The shoulder is fixed, so size for it. Poplin has no give, and the drawstring is doing all the fitting.

Tucked into the Treze Bootcut Trousers, where the volume above the waist balances the flare below. Under the Agnes Jacket, where only the sleeve shows.

Cotton poplin washes cool and needs pressing to keep the crispness that makes the garment work. Dry the drawstrings loosened. Our care guidance covers cotton.

If this is the one, look also at the Bregje Ruffled Dress and the Treze Bootcut Trousers. The rest of what we carry from the house is on the Ann Demeulemeester page.