“How many types of shirt dresses would you buy if you were given a choice?” The sales attendant asked me as I kept rummaging the racks of clothing for a shirtdress.
Even though her question came out of the blue, I still had to give her an answer. So, I stopped eyeing the clothes for a moment and gave her my full concentration. “I’d go for anyone that suits my style and pocket even if it means every type.”
She smirked and I rolled my eyes. “How many types do you know?”
Her questions were beginning to feel like an interview. All I wanted was a new shirtdress, not some questions that would make me question my fashion instincts. But I answered her anyway.
“Well… Shirtdresses come in different styles just like how there are many types of dresses. I’ve not particularly sat down to make a count of the ones I know. But if you really wanna test my knowledge, I can do that and get back to you.”
She laughed and told me not to mind her. She was only trying to engage me so I wouldn’t have a boring time searching for my pick. I muttered an “ooh” but that wasn’t all for me.
Even though I had succeeded in circumventing her question by not giving a direct answer, I wasn’t pleased. I felt bad that I couldn’t give an outright number of the types of shirt dresses I knew. And so, as usual, I decided to do some research.
My findings are in this piece you’re reading.
So, if you’ve been contemplating adding a shirtdress to your wardrobe, stay with me till the end. You’ll find in this article beautiful types of shirt dresses that’ll get you stares, compliments, and admiration anytime you wear them.
Let’s get started.
What is a Shirtdress?
A shirtdress is a dress that borrows details from a man’s shirt. These details include a collar, pockets, button front, cuffed sleeves, etc. These dresses are usually made with fabrics such as silk, linen, jeans, and cotton.
Furthermore, a shirtdress has no defining waist. It’s like a shift dress with buttons. They are usually loose and this makes them good at hiding belly fat.
The main difference between this style of dress and a regular shirt is the length.
Types of Shirt Dresses for Women
As I told the sales attendant, shirt dresses come in different styles. There are simple ones and there are others with details such as statement sleeves, pleats, frills, and other embellishments.
But for this piece, we’ll categorize these dresses into 14 types. And they are:
1. Oversized
These types of shirt dresses are extra loose and that’s the style. Their oversized nature makes them perfect statement outfits that you can wear while keeping other things low.
If an oversized shirtdress is your pick, try not to over-accessorize since your dress already does the talking.
Only go for mild accessories to enable your dress to gain the attention it deserves. In addition, don’t be scared to wear more colors especially if your dress is neutral-colored.
2. Denim
This type is made with denim fabric. If it’s hard denim, it can as well pass for a long jean jacket. And if it’s soft denim, it can pass for a denim shirt.
You can either rock them as a dress or style them like a denim jacket.
3. Floral
These are made with floral prints. If you wear this type of shirt dress, you’ll have little or no need to wear more colors since the print is multicolored.
4. Ankara Shirtdress
Speaking of multicolor, another good example is the ankara shirtdress. This is an afrocentric choice that can pass for native wear, workwear, and casual wear at the same time.
5. Mini
As the name implies, mini shirtdresses are skimpy. They barely cover your thighs and are great at flaunting your legs.
If you’re comfortable, you can rock them like that as you would a miniskirt. But if showing much skin isn’t your thing, pair them with skirts, biker shorts, bum shorts, or a pair of palazzo pants underneath.
6. Midi
A midi shirtdress stops right at your mid-calf. They go beyond your knees and cover a bit of your legs. And as such, they are suitable for modest occasions.
7. Maxi
Unlike the midi shirtdress, maxi goes extra: it extends to your feet and even reaches the floor.
These types of shirt dresses offer protection to your legs. And if they are your favorite, check out our guide on how to style maxi dresses. The tips will come in handy.
8. Striped Shirtdress
The prints of this dress either comprise thin or bold stripes. They mostly come as a combination of white and another color and they give off the vibe of a dress shirt.
9. Checkered Shirtdress
Any shirtdress made with checkered prints and boxes falls under this category. If yours is custom-made, you can combine it with plain fabric.
10. Solid Colour
Any shirtdress that is of one plain color falls here. And that’s to include your plain white, black, red, yellow, or blue, etc., dress.
11. Short-Sleeved
Not all shirt dresses come with long sleeves. Some come with sleeves that stop at your arms or extend to your elbow.
These types of shirt dresses fall under this category. More so, they can be in the form of any of the styles mentioned above.
12. Long-Sleeved
This comes with sleeves long enough to keep you warm when the weather is cold. What’s more, they’re super stylish too and like short-sleeved dresses, they also come in any of the above formats.
13. Sleeveless
These types of shirt dresses have no sleeves and that’s the beauty: to give you room to flaunt your arms as you like it.
But that’s not all about this type of shirtdress.
You can also use it to layer your tops. That is, wear a turtleneck top or any style of uncollared shirt underneath. You’ll love the results.
14. T-shirt Dress
This doesn’t have buttons and a collar so you may choose not to call it a shirtdress per se. It’s a T-shirt with an extended length which turns it into a dress. It’s more casual than a regular shirtdress as some come with hoodies.
You can wear your shirtdress to work or any business event as business casual attire. These outfits are easy to rock, comfy, and super stylish too. But if you don’t know how to wear a shirtdress, we already figured it out for you.
Now, go ahead and read our style guide on how to wear a shirtdress. The world needs to adore the fashion icon in you.
