Shirtdress
Encyclopedia
A shirtdress is a style of dress
which borrows details from a man's shirt
. These can include a collar
, a button
front
, or cuffed
sleeve
s. Often, these dresses are made up in crisp fabrics like cotton
or silk
, much like a men's dress shirt
would be. As they are typically cut without a seam
at the waist, these dresses often have a looser fit, usually relying on a belt
to define the waist. Button fronts and a forgiving fit make this a flattering look for most body types.
's post-World War II "New Look" couture designs, with a full skirt held up by wearing a crinoline
. They often featured a notched collar, and elbow-length sleeves with cuffs. More informal versions of the shirtdress, made of cotton, but retaining the full skirt and collar, became a staple part of many women's wardrobes during the 1950s. A 1957 issue of Life
magazine includes a photo of a typical cotton shirtdress selling for $25 in New York City.
A variation of the original shirtdress is the "T-shirt dress". T-Shirt dresses began being produced in the 1960s, and are simply an elongated version of a T-shirt.
Dress
A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
which borrows details from a man's shirt
Dress shirt
A shirt, or dress shirt in American English, is a garment with a collar, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem, and sleeves with cuffs. Shirts are predominantly used by men, since women usually wear blouses...
. These can include a collar
Collar (clothing)
In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. Among clothing construction professionals, a collar is differentiated from other necklines such as revers and lapels, by being made from a separate piece of fabric, rather than a folded or...
, a button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
front
Placket
A placket is an opening in the upper part of trousers or skirts, or at the neck or sleeve of a garment. Plackets are almost always used to allow clothing to be put on or removed easily, but are sometimes used purely as a design element...
, or cuffed
Cuff
A cuff is an extra layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment covering the arms. In US usage the word may also refer to the end of the leg of a pair of trousers...
sleeve
Sleeve
Sleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period...
s. Often, these dresses are made up in crisp fabrics like cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
or silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, much like a men's dress shirt
Dress shirt
A shirt, or dress shirt in American English, is a garment with a collar, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem, and sleeves with cuffs. Shirts are predominantly used by men, since women usually wear blouses...
would be. As they are typically cut without a seam
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
at the waist, these dresses often have a looser fit, usually relying on a belt
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
to define the waist. Button fronts and a forgiving fit make this a flattering look for most body types.
History
Shirt dresses were sometimes called "shirtwaist dresses" when they first became fashionable during the 1950s. The 1950s version of the shirtdress was launched as part of Christian DiorChristian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
's post-World War II "New Look" couture designs, with a full skirt held up by wearing a crinoline
Crinoline
Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830, but by 1850 the word had come to mean a stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman’s dress into...
. They often featured a notched collar, and elbow-length sleeves with cuffs. More informal versions of the shirtdress, made of cotton, but retaining the full skirt and collar, became a staple part of many women's wardrobes during the 1950s. A 1957 issue of Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine includes a photo of a typical cotton shirtdress selling for $25 in New York City.
A variation of the original shirtdress is the "T-shirt dress". T-Shirt dresses began being produced in the 1960s, and are simply an elongated version of a T-shirt.