The White Shirt

Who could forget what donning a white shirt did for Julia Roberts’ outfit in Pretty Woman? It’s a fairly impressive feat to make a lady of the night’s outfit even more overtly sexual but that’s exactly what it did. The blatant contrast between the tiny mini skirt - azure as the swimming pools of LA - paired with the oversized, billowing men’s shirt made Roberts’ sexuality ten times more distinct.

For years, men utilised the white dress shirt for various purposes but it was women who made it into an iconic fashion statement and nothing has paid more homage to the garment than the silver screen. Film has long played host to white button-down ensembles, each new appearance reflecting the societal themes of the time and acting as important cultural landmarks - Lauren Bacall’s immaculate cinched-in dress shirt in Key Largo, the relaxed androgyny of Diane Keaton’s wrinkled shirt and tie in Annie Hall and Uma Thurman’s crisp, tailored number, as flawlessly cut as her black bob and her dance moves in Pulp Fiction. All of these looks ultimately prompt the question - is there any staple garment more versatile or enduring than the white shirt?

This season designers such as Raf Simons and Margaret Howell, as well as high-street brands Mango and Arket, notably revisited and re-imagined the silhouette and pairings of the white shirt. It was something also reflected in the streets of fashion week with a heavy portion of the fashion pack opting to team shirts with oversized apparel and a soft, 1970s colour palette.

I’ll keep my commentary on the styling of this wardrobe essential brief but to summarise I wanted to tap into the associations of the effortless yet powerful creativity that come with the white shirt. The pairing of blue wash jeans, canvas plimsolls and unstyled hair helped to encapsulate this sense of creative femininity. This was also part of the decision to accessorise with the camera and simple acetate sunglasses as I wanted the entire look to be noticeably clean and practical. I tucked the shirt in and rolled the sleeves up to also support this feeling of functionality and artistic intent.

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