Styled by a 20-year-old and a 40-year-old: The two-way shirtdress

By Niamh ODonoghue
02nd Aug 2018

Styled by a 20-year-old and a 40-year-old: The two-way shirtdress

Hello, Autumn, my old friend. The days are getting shorter, and it’ll soon be time to pack away gorgeous linens and slinky silk strappy dresses for warmer attire. This week’s style challenge had a more autumnal feel to it as a shirtdress is an ideal piece to ease you into early autumn. It can be styled to suit work or weekend wear and has an innate effortlessness that feels just right at this time of year. The humble button-front dress has been reimagined to suit every woman’s style – traditional straight-cut minimalist shapes are only the starting point. Scroll below to see how we’ve styled this purple button-down shirtdress from Om Diva boutique, Dublin.

How I styled this shirtdress

Shirtdress, available at omdivaboutique.com, leather trousers and mules at Topshop, leather belt from 9Crows

Shirts are my thing. Dresses, on the other hand, are not. Together though, the two merge to create the perfect transitional piece that’s practical, comfortable, and wearable. I’m a natural layerer; that is, I’ll layer whatever I can, whenever the wardrobe opportunity presents itself. And this shirtdress was just perfect to pair over a mesh turtle-neck and a pair of toughened-up leather trousers. I definitely channelled Moschino’s SS18 for this one (minus the tulle) and rounded the punk look off with a vintage belt and striped mules. What’s great about this piece is that it can be worn open as a light top layer, too, for when the weather takes a warmer turn again.

Independent boutiques – like Om Diva – are a great option for young and old demographics because of they’re eclectic range and choice. And don’t be afraid to throw a little originality into the mix, too: wear it however you feel most comfortable. Another great feature of this particular dress is the adjustability of the front slit: keep it low or high depending on how you’re feeling. This piece will see you through to the new year without losing its appeal.

How Marie styles the shirtdress

I’m a big fan of shirtdresses, but lilac? Not so much. It’s a colour I never wear, so this challenge for me was less about how to make the piece work, and more about making this very “current” shade (Pantone colour of the year) work against my pale skin tone. I tried to give the colour a bit more depth by picking up on the blackberry accents in the dress. Wearing it with a pair of burgundy trousers and a similar coloured headband kind of bookended this potentially wishy-washy shade with a strong, more flattering colour.

Shirtdress are a sure-fire winner for women of every age. I like to play with proportion when putting together an outfit, so I paired this three-quarter-length shirtdress with cropped culottes, as it added more interest to the look. As it’s still early August, I went for a pair of white ankle strap shoes to finish, as white accessories add freshness and a cool vibe to any outfit.