Simple, elegant, breezy, an all time favourite, the ultimate style statement — these are the few words that best describe this trend. Shirt dresses pack a punch with minimal effort. They are perfect for the hot summer season as it keeps you light and breezy. Stars like Priyanka Chopra, Miranda Kerr, Emmy Rossum, Amy Adams and others have experimented with this trend.
A shirt dress is one staple piece that should always be a part of your wardrobe shares designer Reshma Kunhi. She adds, “The shirt dress is a timeless design and it is a favourite for many. It is a simple shirt which can be worn as a dress. You can dress it up or down. It was Christian Dior who came up with a feminine version of a man’s shirt in 1947 and it became very popular in 1950s. It then went on to become the most iconic dresses of the 20th century.”
With shirt dresses, you can either dress it up or dress it down. “Shirt dresses can be paired with a sleek or a big buckle belt which would cinch at the waist giving you a nice silhouette. This season, you can try pastel colours with tiny prints with water sequences embroidery. It gives a very cool look and you can also experiment with colour blocking giving it a retro look,” adds designer Prachita Devi.
The plus point of this trend is that you can carry it for any ocassion. From the office to even a cocktail party. Reshma shares, “For a classic look , you can wear a crisp medium fitted shirt dress with a leather belt. Ruffled sleeves will add a more feminine look to your outfit. You can try checks, stripes and neutral shades for an official look.”
With a shirt dress, be cautious of the length opines designer Monali Ranka. She shares, “The dress that you choose to wear should not be too long or too short. It is very important to balance the outfit well. For the summer avoid heavy fabrics and stick to the lighter ones like linen, cotton or even soft silk.” In terms of accessories, she suggests, “For shirt dresses, I would prefer to style it with just a chunky necklace. You can go for something like a pearl mala or even long ones that are elaborate. For a formal, wintery look boots would look good. Sneakers are apt if your aiming towards a casual look. Pumps, sandals and peep toes too work well with shirt dresses. And if you want to forego jewellery entirely, belts will do the trick for you.”
