Renee Bassetti's custom blouses are all about you

Men have enjoyed the luxury of custom shirts for centuries, and most major cities can claim more than one talented shirt maker. But did you know that perhaps the world's only custom shirt maker for women is located here in Seattle?

Tucked away in a golden-hued showroom on the 12th floor of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel is the headquarters for Renee Bassetti, a custom clothier whose hallmark is her quintessential, handcrafted woman's blouse.

And this isn't just any blouse, as Oprah -- who loves her Renee Bassetti shirt -- well knows. While it might share some characteristics with tailored shirts from better department stores, you need only try one on to appreciate the difference.

The distinction begins with Bassetti's signature pattern, which is so flawlessly constructed that it flatters virtually any woman who wears it. "There's not a woman in the world this blouse won't look good on," Bassetti says of the flared collar, concealed buttons and two-button French cuffs of her signature shirt.

Elegant in silk charmeuse or French taffeta, the blouse takes on a relaxed pose when realized in crisp cotton satin or creamy linens. It's the kind of blouse you could imagine Katharine Hepburn wearing with a pair of tailored trousers and smart loafers. On a recent buying trip to Italy, Bassetti picked up a bevy of sumptuous cottons and linens, in an array of pastel windowpanes, plaids and stripes.

Not surprisingly, high-quality custom-made clothing comes with an equally high price, and Bassetti's custom blouses are an extravagant purchase at around $500. If those department store shirts are starting to look pretty good right about now, consider the designer's point of view: "A custom-made piece of clothing is something that every woman should experience once."

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