How to Style a Shirt Dress

Can a shirt dress change your life? We think so—they’re often completely underrated in mainstream fashion boutiques. To us, they’re the perfect way to take on the city for the afternoon.

Depending on the style you choose, these trendy summer dresses for women can be worn for day or for night. Heels? Up-dos? Your new novelty clutch? All fair game, and we’re here to talk about how to style a shirt dress with any and all of them.

The right shirt dress can deliver a completely new look every time you wear it. Here’s how to take advantage of one of our favorite types of dress for any occasion.

1. Utilize Dynamic Lines

When it comes to how to style a shirt dress for an everyday look, we turn to the west coast: think New York City in the summertime.

You can make your shirt dress louder, bolder, and more polished by accessorizing it. Handbags with long straps are one obvious option: long, layered necklaces and light, lapeled jackets, either with a sash or without.

Much of the challenge here is defining your body’s form and profile through what will often be a boxy shirt dress on its own. Cut in with belts and other accessories for an extra touch of glam when you’re out on the town.

2. Keep It Casual

Many of our favorite T-shirt dresses embody a casual vibe, the perfect go-to when you want to come across as flirty, fun, and free-spirited, not stuffy and overly put-together. 

Choosing trendy summer dresses for women in solid colors and embellished with iconic brands and images gives your outfit that unmistakable Los Angeles Saturday brunch appeal that the entire world is crazy about. Bring Venice Beach home with you by pairing the dress with your cutest oversized sunglasses, power necklaces, and boutique earrings.

You know how it goes: the less it looks like you’re trying, the more likely you are to sell the look to everybody you meet. Casual hairstyles like long braids, messy buns, and even a high ponytail with a quirky visor all put the cherry on top of your afternoon style. We woke up like this, we swear.

3. Play With Length

Contrary to popular belief, not all trendy summer dresses for women will hit right below the knees. Floor-length shirt dresses and even micro-dresses all offer your wardrobe something different—in our opinion, a comprehensive dress collection is a must.

We’re obsessed with full-length shirt dresses, but the length of the skirt isn’t all you can tinker with. The cut of the dress can give you a variety of options. Depending on your figure, you might choose a billowy, clingy, or classic that nips at the waist.

4. Try Some Layering

There are so many ways to layer a shirt dress. As mentioned above, jackets and cardigans are an excellent way to add more dimension and character to the outfit. You might also try layering a looser, sheerer shirt dress over some sort of slip or even just another spaghetti strap dress.

Layering your legs is also a classic move. You might consider going full-on Liz Lemon with a pair of jeans or leggings under any of our favorite trendy summer dresses for women.

5. Choose One Larger-Than-Life Accessory

T-shirt dresses for women are usually super simple in nature—honestly, they’re the perfect canvas for your most-loved statement shoes and jewelry du jour.

Our advice is to maintain a versatile collection of basics, which should include your favorite shirt dress in at least one or two neutral colors. 

Versatile white shirt dresses, black shirt dresses, and beige shirt dresses can all stand in as the perfect backdrop for a unique piece of wrist candy or even that over-the-top hairstyle you’ve been dying to try out. 

Get the Look: How to Style a Shirt Dress

No matter how you choose to spin it, trendy summer dresses for women are the perfect way to update your wardrobe as the weather improves for the season. 

These shirt dresses can also find life in autumn and winter with the right accompaniments. A scarf and your new winter boots? The transformation is astounding. Shirt dresses are the gift that keeps on giving.