Style Guide – Different Ways to Wear a Shirt Dress

Hello ladies,

Hope you’re having a great week. I get a lot of questions about shopping and styling tips to maximize your wardrobe of clothes you have so it’s functional but yet stylish. So, every week I’m going to share tips on how to style different types of clothes and fashion items to create different looks that work for your body type, personality, style, budget, job and lifestyle. I’ll also share tips on the different ways to wear an outfit for different seasons and events, so you can always look fabulous without breaking the bank.

Today I’ll be talking about the different ways to style a shirt dress. Shirt dresses are very similar to shift dresses and they are one of my favorite dress styles because they are great for any body type and can be styled in so many ways as a shirt, as a dress or as a duster if you open and layer it over another outfit.

Here are my style tips for the day.
1. The secret to buying and wearing a shirt/shift dress to complement your body is that it should be slightly loose and fall easily on your body but it shouldn’t be oversize, so it doesn’t look bulky and bigger.

2. Unless you are going for a very specific look, your shirt/shift dress should never fall past your knees. A mini shift dress is more fun and it elongates your legs especially if you are wearing heels. Any shift dress that goes past your knee should preferably be styled with heels and a belt to add more dimension and length to you.

3. You can open up your shirt dress and wear it as a duster or button it up as a dress or wear it as a shirt over shorts, pants, skirts or dresses to create different looks.

4. You can wear this shirt dress as is, to loosely fit you or you can add a belt to define your waist line. For this type of dress cut, I’ll recommend a chunky belt.

5. You can wear different shoes to create brand new looks. e.g. Pumps will make you look dressed up, sneakers will be for a dressed down casual look, ankle boots will be more street chic and OTK boots adds more edge to your look.

6. Also play around with your accessories to enhance the different looks. Use different accessories like jewelry, handbags, hats, belts, scarves etc. Wear delicate and simple pieces for a more elegant or corporate look and wear big, colorful or statement pieces to add more character, fun and flare to your look.

7. Play with colors, prints and pattern. You can strategically incorporate these things to complement each other and enhance your look.

8. Adding layers like vests, kimonos, blazers or a coat are also great to adding more character to a look and great for the different seasons.

So, in my pictures here are a few things I did

Look 1 – I had on my favorite red OTK boots from Shoedazzle and wore a multicolored shoulder handbag from SheIn that pulled from the red boots and the blue stripes on my Asos Shirt dress. So it complemented my look and pulled everything together nicely and cohesively.

For an edgier look, you can wear this shirt dress with denim shorts. Loosely tuck the front of the shirt in the shorts or unbutton the shirt and wear it over the shorts with a tank top. Then rock the same OTK boots with a cross body bag.

You can also create a more semi formal look by wearing this shirt over a long elegant fitted black maxi or midi dress or wear it over palazzo pants with a chunky belt and you’ll be looking like a brand new woman.

Look 2 – As for my second look, I wanted something more simple and chic for a shirt dress so I traded in my boots for classic Christian Louboutin pumps, added a hat from Target, a trench coat from H&M and switched my handbag to a mini tote purse from Henri Bendel. I opted to wear the coat over my shoulder just to create a more sophisticated look and since my shoes and coat were neutral colors, my turquoise purse with pink floral embroidery became my pop of color and statement piece .

As you can see, just by changing 2 -3 things from your look can completely change your style for the day.
This is great because you can always switch up your look for different events without having to buy a brand-new outfit.

Remember, you have to sometimes step out of your comfort zone, use your imagination, check out my Instagram or blog for tips and make magic happen with your style. And my rule is, there are no rules. Fashion is personal. It is the art of expression, so every time you get dressed, let it be your best that complements your body, lifestyle and is appropriate for where you’re going. Stay stylish and have a beautiful day.

xoxo

Chigi.