Seamstress of Bloomsbury Blouse Review: The Best Blouse?

I’ve known about the brand The Seamstress of Bloomsbury for quite some time but haven’t bought any products until now. This brand stood out to me for several reasons. In particular, it produces very authentic reproduction vintage-style garments that are hard to find anywhere else. I especially was interested in the blouses that this brand had to offer because the styles are unique compared to the shirts or blouses you might find in your average mall.

I personally have always had trouble finding shirts that I liked. For me, modern shirts were either too baggy, too tight, too thin, or too revealing. When I started looking at the blouses that The Seamstress of Bloomsbury had to offer, I couldn’t resist buying a couple. I immediately grabbed up the Grace blouse and the Lucy blouse, both of which I will review in this article.

The Seamstress of Bloomsbury Grace Blouse

The Grace blouse is, of this moment, the best blouse I own and also my favorite. It is a very classic and lightweight piece. I was especially impressed with the fabric because it was so different than what I expected. The product (along with most of the brand’s blouses) is made of a certain kind of rayon called crepe de chine.

Since I’ve worn nothing but T-shirts my entire life, I, of course, didn’t really know what this mysterious crepe de chine was. As it turns out, it is a very light and airy fabric. It’s thin but not too thin which is, in my opinion, like winning the lottery. This means that no one will be able to see through the blouse, especially not when you get the blouse in a dark color.

What I love about this fabric is that it is the same kind of fabric people used to make clothes in the 1940s. This really brings the garment’s authenticity to life.

The Details

I got the navy blue variant of this blouse. It is a very beautiful, subtle blue. You might even mistake it for black in the right lighting. It has a notched collar which is the feature that I love most about it. It is a very striking detail and the V-neck it creates elongate’s the wearer’s neck.

Because of the notched collar, this blouse perfectly embodied common blouses that women wore during the 1940s. However, this design actually persisted into the 1950s as well (and it made a comeback in the 1980s). The blouse also has shoulder pads. Since I have broader shoulders, I was wondering if the shoulder pads would make me look like I just emerged from a corporate office in the 1980s.

However, I was surprised to find that the shoulder pads in the Grace blouse are very delicate. Really, you can barely tell that they’re even there. They do a good job of shaping the shoulders rather than turning them into gigantic perches for birds.

The buttons on this blouse match the blue color I ordered. They are large and round and easy to button up. Plus, the shirt comes with an extra button if you happen to lose one. On the neck of the shirt on the inside, there is the classic and very stylish emblem of The Seamstress of Bloomsbury.

Pros and Cons of the Grace Blouse

For me, there are no downsides to this blouse, but some people may find that some of the features constitute as downsides. For example, the fabric, as mentioned before, is an older-style fabric. For that reason, there is no stretch to it at all. If you’re used to stretchy clothes and not caring much about your clothing size, you’ll have to pay extra attention when it comes to choosing your size for this blouse.

If you order the blouse in a size that is a little too small, you won’t be able to wiggle into it. Also, because the fabric is so delicate, you will need to handwash this blouse. Throwing it into the washer will absolutely ruin it. Crepe de chine is made of all-natural fibers and if you put it in the washer machine, it will likely shrink and the color may bleed.

This isn’t a downside for me because I don’t mind the concept of handwashing items of clothing. If you can’t stand this idea, this shirt might not be for you. Otherwise, I think everything about this blouse is fantastic. It fits perfectly, it’s stylish, and above all, it’s comfortable. This is not to mention that it offers the perfect look if you love vintage clothing.

The Lucy Blouse

The Lucy blouse is the second blouse I bought from The Seamstress of Bloomsbury and it is also one of my new favorite shirts. This blouse is also made from the same rayon crepe de shine fabric as the Grace blouse. For that reason, this blouse doesn’t stretch and you will have to be careful when washing it.

Like the Grace blouse, the Lucy blouse is fitted, especially at the waist, which gives the wearer a very nice silhouette. Unlike the Grace blouse, the Lucy blouse has an entirely different look. Instead of having a V-neck and notched collar, this blouse buttons all the way up to the base of the neck. The collar is a straight-point collar which gives the blouse a very elegant and sharp look.

There are also some decorative features on the fabric near the shoulders and on the sleeves. These details give the blouse a bit of extra detail and artistry. I got the blouse in black but, if you want, you can also get it in white. It is a perfect shirt for running around during the daytime.

It is practical but stylish at the same time. The buttons are in the shape of small hearts and the shirt also comes with an extra button. The buttons are the same black color as the rest of the shirt and have a slight shine to them.

The sleeves are a bit on the long side and end around the elbow. They are not too tight or too loose.

The Pros and Cons of the Lucy Blouse

As with the Grace blouse, I love just about everything about the Lucy blouse. The only thing I don’t like is the buttons. Because of their shape, they are a bit difficult to button compared to normal, circular buttons. Also, because they are very small, this makes them harder to button as well.

Even so, the heart-shaped buttons are very unique and sturdy. I imagine that after a bit of use, it will become easier to button the shirt. The thing that I like most about this shirt is that its style is extremely versatile. You can pair it with anything whether it be a pair of jeans, a skirt, shorts, or anything else. This is not to mention that this blouse and the Grace blouse are quite affordable considering their high quality.

Both of these blouses are around 48 USD. This is more than I usually pay for shirts, but the price for these blouses is absolutely worth it. They fit better than any other blouses with cheaper price tags. This is not to mention that they have a sharp and vintage style that is almost impossible to find in most clothing stores.

Seamstress of Bloomsbury Final Thoughts

The Grace and Lucy blouses from The Seamstress of Bloomsbury are currently my favorite items of clothing in my closet. They are made from crepe de chine fabric and, as a result, have a unique texture, look, and feel. They drape very well over the body and the quality of the fabric, as well as the color, are both ideal.

The fit should be perfect as long as you pick the right size. I’m not a fashionista, but I was very impressed with these two shirts. Needless to say, I plan on buying more blouses from this brand in the near future.