How to Wear A Shirt over A Dress?

In our memory, shirts rarely seem to be associated with dresses a few years ago. As a more formal garment, shirts are mostly worn in a blazer, while dresses are already very attractive without any additional decoration. But people do not know when layering has become the latest fashion trend. It seems like overnight, people fell in love with layering. You can see ladies wearing skirts over pants, wearing sweater over shirts, and also wearing shirts over dresses.

In this way, the shirts are associated with the dresses. But there are many things to pay attention to when layering, and you can not just match them randomly. Otherwise, your outfit will look messy. So in the blog today, we are going to discuss about the creative ideas of layering a shirt over a dress for your reference.

The relationship between wearing a shirt over a dress and layering is all about individuality and commonality. So to learn the ways of combining a shirt and a dress in a harmonious way, we need to learn about the fashion trend of layering which is popular this year above all.

One of the most important principles about layering that you need to remember is “too much is as bad as too little”. In most cases, two or three layers are enough. It is better not to wear more than three layers of clothing. Too many layers will not make you look fashionable, on the contrary, they will make you look cumbersome. In addition, too many layers are not suitable for women with a plump figure, as it will make them look particularly bloated.

In addition to the number of layers, the colors of the layers are also very important. When layering, it is better to choose colors that are not too similar in tone. Otherwise, after layering, your top, pants, and jacket will all look like they are all blended together. You can of course choose a combination of all cool colors, such as black, white and khaki. The combination of these colors is not only harmonious but also distinguishable from each other.

You might think that it would be harmonious and unified to be with the same pattern on different layers of clothing. But imagine the image of wearing the polka dots or stripes from the top to the bottom, from the inner wear to the overcoat! This scene is really mind-numbing. The correct approach is that if there are dense patterns on one of your garments, then do not choose other layers with similar dense patterns.

You can try to combine fabrics of different textures. For example, you can combine the smooth silk with rough tweed. In this way, your outfit will look richer.

You can try oversized styles. But if you have not grasped enough skills, this style might be doing more harm than good. Especially when you are a new comer of layering, pay attention to the proportions of different parts. For example, if you have worn many layers on your upper body, then a pair of wide leg pants should be chosen as your bottom.

In the previous section we briefly mentioned that it is better not to choose garments in similar tones when layering. So when it comes to the concrete example of the combination of a shirt and a dress, what colors can we choose respectively? Generally speaking, we can discuss this in terms of two presentation effects: harmony and contrast.

Harmonious color combinations

The key to harmonious color combination is that several colors belong to the same category, that is to say, warm colors, cool colors, or dark colors. And due to the special characteristics of layering, we can not choose colors of the same tone. But even so, we still have many ways to choose the colors.

🔵A blue shirt + a white dress This outfit is very refreshing for summer. Blue and white are the colors of the sky and clouds respectively, so the combination of the two looks particularly harmonious. A shirt in light blue or sky blue will be more versatile.

🔵A blue shirt + a purple dress Although blue and purple have some similarities in hue, they are easily distinguishable from each other. If you choose less saturated blue and purple, the outfit will look more comfortable.

Contrast color combinations

🔵A white shirt + a black dress Indeed, the combination of black and white can be said as one of the most classic color combinations. Although they are actually in contrast, both of them provide people with the sense of calmness and capability.

🔵A blue shirt + a red dress A red dress seems to be a standard and classic symbol of elegant women. Red and blue, one is a cool color while the other is a warm color, but they have long been regarded by people as the most contrasting and most complementary colors. So together with a blue shirt, a red dress will be even more eye-catching and timeless.

Layering a shirt and a dress can not only create a harmonious combination, but also achieve contrast through contrasting colors, bringing a sense of surprise, so this kind of layering is very popular. However, for some ladies, this kind of layering is prone to make mistakes. And they are not sure what occasions are suitable for this combination. So in this section, we are going to talk about the occasions suitable for layering a shirt over a dress.

It could be said that the combination of a shirt and a dress is relatively formal. So it will not be out of place for commuting. As long as there are no particularly rich or exaggerated patterns on your shirt and dress, this outfit can even be worn to more formal occasions such as business meetings.

For daily wear, we can choose more colorful shirts and dresses with plentiful patterns. If you are going to date, you can choose a floral printed dress with a solid color shirt to highlight your elegance and tenderness. If you are attending a party, You can choose a dress decorated with elements such as tassels and ruffles and pair it with a contrasting shirt. In this way, you are sure to be the most eye-catching lady at the party.

If you are going to enjoy a bonfire night, a loose shirt and a Bohemian style dress are your good choices. Bright and flowy bohemian dresses are perfect for romantic bonfire parties, and a loose shirt makes it easier to sing and dance.

In addition, the combination of a shirt and a dress is also a good choice for travelling, especially when you are heading for a place with a large gap between the highest and the lowest temperatures. The combination of a shirt and a dress makes it easier for you to adjust your outfit according to the temperature, which is much more practical than wearing a dress alone.

From the perspective of season, the layering of a shirt and a dress is particularly suitable for spring and autumn. While creating the sense of layering, a shirt can also bring warmth to you.

Maybe you would feel that simply layering a shirt and a dress is like treating the shirt as a thin coat. So you may ask, how can I stand out among numerous girls who wear in this way? In fact, we also have some styling tips for wearing the shirts.

First, you can leave your shirt unbuttoned. A open shirt makes you look less rigid. Even if you are asked to button up your shirt on relatively formal occasions, you can leave the upper ones unbuttoned.

Secondly, if your shirt has a long hem, then you can tie it into a knot in front of your chest. In this way, you will look more capable as well as a little nifty.

Thirdly, you can also tuck only one side of the shirt into the pants. That is to say, tuck the left or right half of the shirt hem into the pants and leave the other half outside. This is a very creative way to wear a shirt and helps create a relaxed feel.

On occasions which are not that formal, you can expose one side of your shoulders. In this way, you can get an asymmetrical shirt and a more eye-catching outfit.

Or you can just drape the shirt over your back instead of putting it on in the normal way. Then when looking from the front, you can only see the two sleeves of the shirt. This is a rather funny way to wear a shirt.

In winter, wearing a mock neck sweater inside the shirt is another good way to create the sense of layering. The combination of the mock neck and the lapel of shirts looks both capable and harmonious.