Shift Dress Guide: Explore the Shift Dress Silhouette

A shift dress is a dress with simple lines that streamlines down your body, flowing down from the shoulders with only very slight differences between the measurements for the bust, waistline, hips, and hem. The boxy look of a shift dress deemphasizes the bust and waist, making shift dresses especially flattering on those with column, ruler, or apple body types. Shift dresses are especially popular in the summertime, because their shapeless drape gives your skin ample breathing room in hot weather.

Shift dress styles typically end above the knee, but they are available in midi or maxi-length hemlines. The majority of shift dresses are sleeveless to give some definition to the silhouette, but you can also find options with long sleeves, short sleeves, or cap sleeves. Boatneck is the most common neckline for shift dresses.

Shift dresses rose to fame in the 1920s as “flapper dresses.” These dresses were a stark contrast to the tight, waist-cinching Edwardian dresses with corsets and heavy embellishments that were prominent in women’s fashion at the time. This fresh, new silhouette answered the growing demand for comfortable, breathable alternatives to the Edwardian silhouette. Fashion designer and stylist Coco Chanel was one of the first to design easy-to-wear shift dresses.

The silhouette went onto become a symbol of free and nontraditional expression for young women in the 1960s and ’70s. Notable figures who commonly wore shift dresses include Lilly Pulitzer, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Michelle Obama. Shift dresses continue to be a popular silhouette.

While shift and sheath dresses have similar-sounding names, they have some notable differences:

• Shape: While shift dresses flow almost straight down your body in one vertical line, sheath dresses are notably form-fitting. Sheath dresses fit tightly from bodice to hem, and emphasize the shape of an hourglass figure, while shift dresses are shapeless and conceal the body shape.
• Material: Shift dresses drape away from your curves, allowing your skin to breathe. They’re usually made of lightweight, breathable fabrics (like linen) that don’t have much stretch. On the other hand, sheath cuts are supposed to hug your curves, so they’re most often constructed from fabrics with a little stretch.
• Slit: Since shift dresses are loose and flowy, they provide a wide range of motion and don’t need a slit in order to allow the wearer to move around. Sheath dresses are form-fitting, meaning they usually include a slit in the hem to allow for a comfortable range of motion.

Here are some tips to help you style your shift dress:

1. 1. Play with the shape. While shift dresses accentuate apple and rule body shapes, they are not as flattering for women with hourglass figures. However, there is an easy way to adapt the dress to flatter your curves: cinch the waist with a fashionable belt. This simple trick can turn the shapeless dress into a comfy hourglass shape that flatters your body.
2. 2. Accessorize. Shift dresses have fewer sewing details (like pleats) and drape down your frame. To make your shift dress memorable, accessorize with long necklaces, chunky bracelets, or a bold handbag.
3. 3. Experiment with layers. Experiment with different layers to change up the outfit. For a fun, smart daytime look, add a light-colored swing jacket or cardigan, or wear a fun graphic T-shirt over the top of the dress and wear it like a skirt. For an edgy night-out look, pair the silhouette with a leather jacket and ankle boots. A blazer can give a shapeless shift dress some added structure. You can also add layers under the dress in the wintertime—wearing a turtleneck or long-sleeved shirt underneath a shift dress.

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