Bessie A-Line Shorts, Berry Red Stripe

A contemporary take on the city shorts, hand cut from a rich berry red and white stripe, the Bessie is your perfect foundation piece for warm weather dressing. A flattering A-line silhouette, finishing just below mid thigh, with a well-considered tailored cut; darts at the front and back create soft shaping around your hips, bottom and waist, comfortably, without restricting, whilst the relaxed crotch gives room when seated.

These easy to wear cotton shorts are trimmed with unexpected details akin to Saywood; deep red topstitching, a subtle triangle shape cut out at the back waist, and berry red cotton herringbone tape on the back patch pocket corners. Subtle slanted side pockets give this piece an effortlessly cool finish, with practicality; roomy pocket bags mean the pockets are fully functional.

A summer wardrobe mainstay in their own right, the Bessie Shorts pair perfectly with the matching Frances Shirt for a full striped Twin Set look.

Composition: 100% Cotton

Made in London, UK, by MAES

Softly tailored around the waist, bum and hips, sitting high at the waist just below the belly button. A-line silhouette, finishing just below mid thigh.

Wash less, love always

We recommend hanging your shorts to air outdoors, rather than washing after every wear. This way, they will last longer and also have a lower environmental impact. Spot clean marks with warm soapy water, and when it does need a wash, follow our care advice:

• Machine wash 30 degrees
• Wash with similar colours
• Medium iron
• Do not bleach
• Do not tumble dry

A note on our cotton and Codelite® buttons

Our berry red stripe cotton is from designer deadstock, bought through Nona Source, a supplier who collects surplus cloth directly from fashion houses. This particular cloth originally came from a fabric mill in Portugal. We’ve used corozo – known as vegetable ivory – for the button on the zipper, as it comes from a nut found in South America which can only be harvested once it naturally falls to the ground, making it a more sustainable choice. It’s also biodegradable. The zipper is nickel free and the tape made from recycled polyester.

The Bessie Short is handmade in the UK, in North East London at MAES, just down the road from the Saywood studio, keeping our carbon footprint minimal.

Source: Saywood.

Brand	Female-founded Plastic free packaging

Saywood was founded in 2020 by Harriet Saywood-Bellisario. As she beautifully put it: "The stories behind what you wear create that feeling of true joy when you get dressed each day, filling you with the confidence to take on the world, with the conviction that your most loved wardrobe pieces contribute to a positive fashion future, instead of the global fashion crisis". We absolutely love that!

At the heart of Saywood's story is a desire to reconnect you with the people and processes behind what you wear, and in doing so, press pause on throwaway fashion. Saywood does this through storytelling and by creating timeless pieces that you can rediscover each time you wear and rewear them.

Eco-friendly: Saywood uses materials like deadstock cotton, recycled cotton, Japanese denim and Supima cotton. They produce in small batches and offer mending services. If, after years, you're done with your product, they collaborate with OWNI; a peer-to-peer resale platform.

Local & fair production: Saywood works with factories in the UK and Romania for manufacturing and the fabrics are from factories in Italy and Portugal. These factories are all audited by multiple organizations and certifications to ensure ethical working conditions. As the factory in Romania increased its minimum order quantity, Saywood will switch to another supplier for future collections.

Vegan: as Saywood uses Codelite buttons, which are made from a protein from milk, the brand is not completely vegan. However, except for these buttons they are! 

Good cause: Saywood has a Saywood for Good Initiative. At the end of each year, Saywood donates a percentage of its revenue to grassroots organisations aligned with their sustainability goals. These organizations are Labour Behind the Label (an NGO committed to better working conditions for garment workers), Trafino/Forever Lung (an organization protecting tropical forests) and Solar Sister (an organization investing in women's clean energy businesses in off-grid communities in Africa).