I’m a firm believer that any shirt can be turned into a shirt dress, if you try hard enough—tank tops, button-downs, vintage band tees, cardigans, flannels, oversized sweaters, etc. But Merriam-Webster defines shirt dress as “a tailored dress patterned after a shirt and having buttons down the front.” Either way, it’s important to know how to style a shirt dress.
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Approach it too sparingly, and you could end up looking like you forgot to wear pants (and not in a chic kind of way). Pair it with trousers—and, well, then it just looks like you’re wearing a really big button-up shirt. Knowing how to style a shirt dress, for the most part, really comes down to choosing the right pair of statement shoes and accessories.
It’s the finer details are what will set your shirt dress outfit up for success—it’s the difference between wearing a shirt dress and styling it. Accessorize with luxe textures (croc skin, suede, leather) for a polished feel, for example, or get an editorial effect by choosing a summer dress with a dramatic silhouette.
Just follow these tips, and you’ll never again have to google “how to style a shirt dress.” Keep reading for all the styling tips and outfit ideas you should keep in mind this season.
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