How to Style a Denim Shirt Dress?

A shirt dress is always the first choice for ladies who love to wear dresses to attend formal or semi-formal occasions because of its modesty and appropriateness. Of course, shirt dresses can also be worn for leisure and entertainment. To reduce its formality, you can choose a more casual fabric such as denim.

Although many ladies have a shirt dress in their wardrobe, chances are that you don't know how this garment came into being. Who came up with the idea of combining a shirt and a skirt to form a shirt dress? If you don't have a denim shirt dress yet and want to get one this spring, then keep reading and we'll tell you how to choose the right denim shirt dress and how to accessorize it.

What Are Shirt Dresses?

As the name suggests, a shirt dress is a dress with the upper body resembling a shirt. Therefore, the shirt dress must have borrowed some elements from the shirt to be formed. Therefore, the shirt dress must have appeared after the shirt appeared, or even after the shirt began to be worn by women.

As we know, although the shirt has a very long history, it has been exclusive to men for a long time after its birth. It was not until the 1860s that women gradually became the audience of shirts. Since then, women's shirts have gradually developed. Therefore, although women have worn dresses for centuries, elements like collars had never been used in women's dresses until the early 20th century. In the early 20th century, influenced by the war and the trend of women's liberation, women were gradually liberated from tight corsets and won more comfortable and practical clothes for themselves. In this context, in 1916, Coco Chanel, the creator of the little black dress, incorporated shirt elements such as collars and cuffs into the dress, thus giving birth to the prototype of the shirt dress.

In the early days, this shirt dress was very simple, basically a simple combination of a shirt and a straight skirt. In the 1950s, the shirt dress gradually developed into more feminine styles. At this time, shirt dresses are no longer all straight-tubed. The appearance of waist-hugging and fluffy skirts makes shirt dresses more fashionable. During this period, the patterns of shirt dresses became more diverse, with polka dots and plaid becoming the most common patterns used on shirt dresses. Pocket designs also appeared on them.

In the 1970s, more women began to enter the workplace, so the shirt dress became a representative female office attire of that period. In addition, popular elements such as Bohemian style, printing, loose tailoring, etc. were integrated into the shirt skirt design. 
Nowadays, the styles and patterns of shirt dresses have become more diverse. Cotton, linen, silk and a considerable number of man-made fibers are used in the production of shirt dresses. Bat sleeves, pleats, openwork, all kinds of fashionable details are incorporated into shirt dresses, making them shine in all types of fashion shows.

How to Choose a Suitable Denim Shirt Dress?

Nowadays, there are all kinds of shirt dresses in all styles. Even if we have limited the fabric of the shirt dress to denim, there is still a large room for choice in the length, thickness, color, pattern, and style of the dress. Although you might feel dazzled among some many types of shirt dresses, the advantage is that as long as you are willing to spend time and effort, you will definitely be able to pick the denim shirt dress that suits you best.

The first and most important thing is to choose the fit of denim shirt dress according to your figure shape. Women with pear-shaped and inverted triangle figures are both very suitable for A-line or shirt dresses with puffy skirts. For ladies with pear-shaped figures, A-line skirts or puffy skirts can cover the fat around their waists and abdomens, while for ladies with inverted triangle bodies, these two types of skirts can also visually increase the volume of the lower body, making their figure proportions look more balanced.

Secondly, the occasion you will attend will largely determine the style of the denim shirt dress you need to choose. Strictly speaking, a denim shirt dress is not suitable for very formal occasions such as business meetings, because the casualness of the denim fabric itself will greatly reduce the formality of your outfit. But for semi-formal occasions such as office, a simple straight-cut denim shirt dress is completely acceptable. For more casual occasions, such as gatherings with friends, you can choose a well-designed denim shirt dress, such as one with lace trims, openwork or bat sleeves.

Many details are also significant factors that highlight your fashion taste. For example, there are many styles of sleeves for shirt dresses. Regular sleeves are simple and elegant; puff sleeves and lantern sleeves are with a retro or sweet feel. The material, color and arrangement of buttons will also affect the overall style of the shirt dress. Wooden buttons provide your shirt dress with a natural and rustic feeling; metal buttons are more refined and fashionable; while colored buttons can add highlights and uniqueness to the shirt dress.

Accessories to Wear with a Denim Shirt Dress

One of the main reasons why the denim shirt dress is so popular is that it is very versatile. It is suitable for creating outfits in various kinds of styles, and a series of accessories can enhance the charm of your denim shirt dress outfit at once.

Generally speaking, when wearing a dress, we always tend to choose a pair of high heels or leather shoes as footwear. However, due to the unique dynamic and casual feeling of the denim shirt dress, a pair of sneakers is the best match for it. In winter, you can also wear a pair of boots. A pair of ankle boots is a good partner of a denim shirt dress. They can add some sophistication to your look while still keeping it casual.

Belts are a great way to emphasize your waist and add points to your look. You can wear either a thin or wide belt to a denim shirt dress to create a more attractive silhouette. Not only will it make you look slimmer, but it will also emphasize your curves. You can choose a contrasting belt color to make your outfit brighter, or choose a neutral color to keep it simple.

To complete your outfit, jewelry is necessary. Well-designed earrings, necklaces and bracelets that suit your temperament can absolutely add luster to your denim shirt dress look. Simple stud earrings are suitable for nearly all occasions. If you want to create a unique style, you can choose a pair of exaggerated earrings, which can attract attention and add highlights to the overall look. They are suitable for occasions such as parties or fashion events.

A straw hat and a baseball cap are both good choices that go well with a denim dress. Which one to choose depends mainly on the style you want to create. If you are on vacation or want to create a vacation-appropriate look, then choose a wide-brimmed straw hat. If you prefer a more dynamic and energetic look, then a baseball cap will be more suitable for you.

How to Style a Denim Shirt dress in Winter?

Finally, let us discuss how to style a denim shirt dress in winter. Compared to dresses made of silk, chiffon, linen and other thin fabrics, denim shirt dresses are actually more suitable for wearing in the colder autumn and winter because the denim fabric itself is relatively thicker. So how what can we wear with a denim shirt to keep warm and stylish even in winter?

Wear an outerwear over the denim shirt dress

There is no doubt that this is the most direct and effective way to keep warm in winter. You can choose various styles of outerwear to match with the denim shirt dress. Some of the more suitable ones are jackets and trench coats. The combination of a crop jacket and a long denim shirt dress can create a more handsome look, while a long trench coat will make it more elegant. As for colors, lighter shades such as beige or cream create a softer look, while darker colors such as black or navy add professionalism.

Wear inner wear under the denim shirt dress

In addition to wearing outerwear over a denim shirt dress, there is another layering idea, which is to wear an inner layer underneath it. For the upper body, a mock neck knit top is a good choice. Wearing a knit top under a denim shirt dress can not only keep you warm effectively, but also modify your neck line. For the lower body, do not forget to wear a pair of leggings. Wearing a pair of black or flesh-colored leggings under a denim shirt dress will not only increase warmth but also make your legs look longer.

Choose boots for footwear

In winter, wearing sneakers is definitely not enough to keep you warm. Therefore, you need to wear a pair of boots. You need to choose the length of the boots according to the length of the denim shirt dress. A pair of snow boots is the warmest choice and is the most suitable for outdoor activities.