The Most Universally Flattering Dress

If you’re ever standing in your closet wondering what to wear, chances are a great shirt dress is the answer. It’s one of the hardest-working pieces you can own, and perhaps the closest thing fashion has to a universally flattering dress. But what really makes the shirt dress special is that it flatters nearly every body type.

It’s structured and skims the body, the collar frames your face and the longer, vertical silhouette naturally elongates your body. Pus most shirt dresses have details that allow you to customize the fit like a self-tie belt that defines the waist as much (or as little) as you’d like and buttons that let you control the neckline.

Here are our favorite shirt dresses for different body types:

Look for styles with a defined waist or removable belt. Softer fabrics that skim the body, rather than stiff cottons, will highlight your shape without adding bulk.

This stretch-cotton shirt dress nips in at the waist and skims the hips. We love how it looks a little trench-coat-ish and timeless.

You can rely a classic silk shirt dress like this one from Ramy Brook for those moments when you need to dress up but want comfort. It’s always going to be the most flattering thing in your closet.

You can keep it simple with a shorter, straighter silhouette, or opt for details like utility pockets to add dimension.

This tailored, but casual shirt dress creates a waist line with the matching fabric belt.

Sezane’s Adele dress with patch pockets is simple but fun (and popular - there are only a few sizes left).

Choose an A-line or full skirt to help balance proportions beautifully.

Lily Pulitzer for the win with this charming linen shirt dress that nips in at the waist. And this striped one from Gap is a similar silhouette.

And this flattering, festive striped shirt dress works year-round.

Look for styles that skim rather than cling like a relaxed or A-line shape. Draw attention to other areas with a shorter length if you like to show off your legs, or an open neckline helps draw the eye upward.

This linen shirt dress is easy, comfortable and looks equally chic without the belt.

And if you’re looking for something roomier and longer, this best-selling one from Banana is unique and cool.

Look for midi or above-the-knee lengths with a narrower silhouette. Keeping the proportions streamlined helps elongate your frame.

This striped shirt dress is super chic and flattering. The denim version is great too.

And the embroidery detail on this dress is gorgeous in both the blue and white options. (It looks short on the model because she has super long legs but it will hit right above the knee on someone with shorter legs.)

Lucky you. Almost every version works. Experiment with dramatic maxi lengths, oversized fits or bold prints that showcase your height.

Frank & Eileen’s Rory shirt dress is popular for a reason. We first spotted it on a woman walking along the beach in Hawaii wearing it as a cover up with a fabulous straw hat. She was a vision and it stuck with us. You’ll get a lot of compliments in this blue linen and the denim in Lapis is very cool (and on sale).

We love the stripes on this one from ME+EM that’s on sale and still available in most sizes. It’s so light-weight and versatile!

The Havana dress is on the top of our list. We’ve tried it, we love it. It comes in tons of colors and looks great with a belt or worn loose. It’s perfect for travel too.

We love the modern, minimalistic vibe of this dress from J. Crew. The color is great now and into fall, and the navy is classic.

This is where the shirt dress really shines.

Wear it:

• With leather sandals and a straw tote for vacation.

• With white sneakers and a denim jacket for weekends.

• With loafers for the office.

• With heeled sandals and statement earrings for dinner.

• Open over a tank and linen pants or shorts as a lightweight summer layer.

• With tall boots (or tights and flats) and a blazer when the weather cools down.

Don’t automatically tie the belt.

Sometimes leaving it loose in the back creates a more relaxed silhouette. Other times, swapping the fabric belt for a leather or grasscloth belt (this is our current favorite one) makes the dress feel more elevated.

It’s amazing how one small styling change can make the same dress feel completely different.

There’s a reason the shirt dress has been a wardrobe staple for decades!