Once a bastien of preppie perfection; a staple reserved for ladies who lunched light and politician's wives au naturel - the shirt dress has, like many ‘off-campus’ classics, made a quiet comeback. I have a crisp linen number I have worn in so many different ways - first as a dress, then a duster, then belted in between shirts and shorter, heavier jackets that I still have yet to part with. That’s right, my stubborn nature will insist on finding ways to wear lightweights in winter. If you’re unsure of the versatility of a trans-seasonal piece you can simply slip on and button down, designers have cut a fairly convincing collar this season, so you don’t need to look like you’re heading to Cape Cod, seventies body blow-out in tact, unless of course that’s your style… we all have our moments.
Peter Pilotto plays a little trompe l’oeile, starting with a clean striped oxford as simple as Thom Browne’s restrained style, and wrapping it in a wool three quarter sleeve jacket and twisted collar. From a roughed-up plaid at Junya Watanabe to slouch in an oversized Opening Ceremony print, sleeveless and loose cuts at Wang, Marant and Cacharel, the shirt dress has been reinvented with an urbane sensibility. Carven and Joseph keep it pretty classic while playing with colour and sheer paneling, while Boudicca and Roland Mouret tack the silhouette as close to the body as a shirt and skirt in separate.
There have never been so many options to appease whatever style mood you're sensing as we switch seasons, the only thing to remember is this time around you, really should do up that top button.
- Peter Pilotto ox draped shirt dress
- Thom Browne striped oxford shirtdress
- Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons draped shirt dress
- Étoile Isabel Marant denji shirtdress
- Opening Ceremony oversized shirt dress
- T by Alexander Wang shirt dress
- Cacharel sleeveless crepe shirtdress
- Boudicca shirt dress
- Roland Mouret parachute two-piece shirt dress
- Alexander McQueen silk shirt dress
- Topshop colour block shirt dress
- Carven shirt dress
- Carven shirt dress
- Viktor & Rolf asymmetric georgette dress
Lead image via Opening Ceremony AW Catalogue