Shirt dresses

With Mondo Kaos we have always loved the shirt dress. It is a classic design that does everything the best for the female figure, and therefore the shirt dress can be worn by women of all body types. The shirt dress is therefore also one of the dresses that we always have in stock in plus size. Some models up to size 2xl, 3xl, 4xl and 5xl. The shirt dress is also a very versatile dress that can be worn for a lot of different occasions depending on how it is styled.

The shirt dress has been part of the woman's wardrobe for many decades, and here we will get a little more into the history of this beautiful piece of clothing.

In Europe, fashion in the first half of the 40s was characterized by rations and restrictions, and this forced housewives as well as designers to be creative with the clothing. Pga. that at this time there were restrictions on how much material could be used for e.g. a dress, designs became simpler and not least shorter than seen in the 30s. It was here that the shirt dress really became a popular design. The design was composed of a shirt and a skirt, hence the name. Originally the name was “shirtwaist dress” and this describes the shirt with the marked waist. In the early 40's, the shirt dress was a typical everyday dress used for housework and to run errands. It was a practical dress, most often with pockets, short sleeves and an a-line skirt, and then the shirt dress was most often in natural materials such as cotton or rayon in different colors and prints. One of the most typical is the floral shirt dress and the polka dot shirt dress but also the solid color shirt dress was popular. As with all other designs from this time, there was a focus on the female figure, and therefore the shirt dress was also marked at the waist either with just a waist seam or most often also with a belt. The belt could be either a regular belt or a tie belt. There were two versions of the shirt dress, namely the one where it is buttoned down to the waist by 4-6 buttons (here there is usually a zipper on the side), or the other where there are buttons all the way down through the dress. The collar most often had a “Peter Pan” collar or a more pointed shirt collar that went down the V-neckline, and the bottom was always in A-line.

In 1947 Christian Dior came with his Couture collection and here a new and "finer" shirt dress was part of the collection. The restrictions had been lifted and this could be seen in the new designs which had been upgraded to a lower part with a full swing skirt which was worn with a petticoat underneath. This design often had elbow-length sleeves with cuffs and with a collar as well as a belt. This 50s shirt dress became a staple of many women's wardrobes in the 50's, where designers like Anne Fogarty also became known for their versions of this style. From Heart OF Haute we have a very beautiful black shirt dress (sometimes also available in red and navy blue) which is incredibly similar to the one that Dior joined his Couture collection in 1947. See it here!

The shirt dress is very versatile and can today be used for many different occasions depending on how you style it.

A shirt dress is useful both in summer and winter. In the summer, it is nice with a pair of sandals or a pair of flat shoes from Charlie Stone, and possibly a scarf around the neck or in the hair for a 50's look. In winter, your shirt dress can be styled with a waist-cut cardigan, e.g. The Ice Skater cardigan from Emmy Design.

If it is to be worn for evening wear, it looks great with a pair of thin stockings with seams from What Katie Did.

Click here to see our selection of shoes and boots from Nordic Shoepeople

We always have a good selection of shirt dresses in different colors and prints in stock both here on our webshop and in the store in Copenhagen N. Here on the webshop you can browse and see what shirt dresses we have in stock right now, but do you have the opportunity to to stop by our store in Copenhagen, we would recommend this to you. 

With Mondo Kaos our first priority is always happy customers. If you have any questions, whatsoever, about our shirt dresses or other clothing, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can contact us all weekdays on 60 95 11 36 between 10:00 and 18:00 - however, on busy days it may be difficult for us to answer the phone, as we are usually busy taking care of the customers who visit us in the store. Therefore, it would be advantageous to write your question to shop@mondokaos.dk, where we endeavor to respond within one working day.