The shirt dress has become a fail-proof wardrobe piece to fall back on when it comes to dressing up for work or play thanks to its polished-meets-effortless appeal.

Shirt dresses seen at (clockwise from top left): Bottega Veneta, Max Mara, Loewe, Jacquemus, Valentino and Tod’s.
The dress has popped up in several brands for Fall/Winter 2021, with newfangled details like elaborate balloon sleeves at Alexander McQueen’s and mini hemlines as seen at Valentino and Balenciaga.
Others like Bassike, Marques’ Almeida and Gamine Studio, meanwhile, catch our attention for their sustainable and body-positive iterations.
(Read also “Empowering Body Neutrality Quotes From Celebs And Influencers“)

Gamine Studio gives the shirt dress a creative spin: its Saia dress ($239) comes in cotton poplin and incorporates design elements of adjustable voluminous sleeves, a cinched waist and a sultry open-back detail.
Here, we share our round-up of shirt dresses that score in terms of their cool details and designs.