Do you ever stand in your closet and stare at your clothes thinking, “I really do not have the time to think about how to look good or I’m just too tired to care how I look today”? Maybe it is not a matter of time or energy, maybe it is a laundry issue – you have clean trousers, but no clean blouses, or vice versa.
Dresses are always a simple, one-piece outfit solution that doesn’t require you to think too hard or exert a whole lot of energy trying to mix and match your separates. Those rare moments that you feel uninspired can go completely undetected by all when you incorporate the shirt dress into your wardrobe. The shirtdress is one of America’s contributions to women’s fashion. The shirtdress has been around since the 1930s, and is pretty self-explanatory: Typically the style is loose fitting, buttons down the front and has a collar and sleeves. Sounds like a big shirt to me and I’m sure it does to you too, but it’s designed and fitted as a dress. It’s too simple to believe I know, but we Americans are known for doing a lot with a little and this is a great example of that. Also, most shirtdresses have a self-belt, which is a belt made from the same material as the dress, which helps to define the waistline. There is absolutely not one body type that the shirtdress does not flatter, and the versatility of it adds to the genius of this American classic.
A shirtdress can be worn to work, a luncheon, a casual dinner, even a quick something to slip on before you pick up the kids. Dress it up with heels and tights, or dress it down with ballet flats paired with denim or leggings. Although it’s basically a shirt that has been fashioned into a dress, it has been modified to fit a keener eye through fabrications and construction. What “goes around comes around” in fashion and the shirt dress could vary well be your favorite “go-to” outfit for the season. The evolution of the shirtdress continually changes, however it is hard to say that the classic shirtdress will ever go out of style.
