5 New Takes On the White Shirt

By Dana Avidan Cohn

Updated Mar 09, 2014 @ 11:22 am

Credit: Courtesy

The white shirt is as versatile as your favorite black pump, or best fitting skinny jean. This season is all about layering, creative styling, and unexpected pairings for your perfect white shirt ensemble. We looked to the runway, the red carpet, and the streets to source our inspiration, and whether you want to achieve a trend-driven mash up or a sleek minimalist approach, we’re got you covered! We shopped out each of our favorite looks piece-by-piece—accessories and beauty products included—so you can recreate each look yourself.

Shop the gallery and get ready to be wowed by the possibilities of a simple white shirt.

Added bonus: Find your perfect fit with InStyle Essentials' patented technology (shown above, left), which lets you shop styles by bra size instead of dress size so there's no pulling or tugging at the bust line!

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The Inspiration: Diane Kruger

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage

Think of your white shirt as a blank canvas and add any bold color you wish. A high waisted red midi skirt with a cropped white shirt looks fresh for evening.

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Organic by John Patrick

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Cotton, $254; farfetch.com

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Tibi

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Silk faille, $525; tibi.com

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Aquazzura

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Leather, $595; shopbop.com

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Gorjana

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18k gold plate, $65; shopbop.com

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Chanel

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Le Vernis Nail Colour, $27; chanel.com

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The Inspiration: A Look From Victoria Beckham's Spring 2014 Collection

Credit: ImaxTree

Victoria Beckham's Spring show was packed new styling twists on solid white. Go monochromatic and add a zip up baseball jacket and chunky heels to transform your ordinary white shirt into something sporty.

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Carven

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Cotton-poplin, $350; net-a-porter.com

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T by Alexander Wang

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Jersey and neoprene, $340; net-a-porter.com

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A.L.C

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Viscose, polyamide, and elastane, $525; stylebop.com

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Vince

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Leather, $395; piperlime.com

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H&M

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Metal, $6; hm.com

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Kristen Elspeth

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Rose-gold vermeil, $66; shopbop.com

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Maybelline

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Lightweight powder blush in Candy Coral, $8; ulta.com

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The Inspiration: Miranda Kerr's Street Style

Credit: WENN

A no-fail pairing for your white shirt is a fitted black leather pant and sleek pump. Allow the simplicity of this look to stand out with barely-there accessories. Open the top two buttons so that it feels more relaxed.

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Equipment

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Silk, $424; farfetch.com

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H&M

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Polyurethane, $35; hm.com

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Rebecca Minkoff

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Faux-leather, $195; neimanmarcus.com

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Aldo

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Synthetic, $110; piperlime.com

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Illesteva

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Acetate, $177; editorialist.com

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Bauble Bar

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Plated base metal and glass, $34; baublebar.com

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The Inspiration: A Look from Prabal Gurung's Spring 2014 Collection

Credit: ImaxTree

Try a more architectural approach by buttoning your shirt all the way to the top and pulling your hair back in a sleek pony with a bright pink lip.

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Topshop

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Cotton, $240; topshop.com

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Rachel Comey

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Silk, $473; shoplesnouvelles.com

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Sophia Webster

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Leather, $489; farfetch.com

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Knight$ Of New York

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14k gold plate, $95; shopbop.com

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Ilia

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Lipstick in Pink Kashmir, $26; net-a-porter.com

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The Inspiration: Alexa Chung's Look At A Bvlgari Event

Credit: CHP/FameFlynet Pictures

A jeweled collar and cuff change the feel of this shirt completely. Layering a sparkly necklace over a plain button up would create a similar effect. Wearing long sleeves gives you a little leeway for showing more skin elsewhere. If you love your legs, pair with a textured straight mini and heels.

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J.Crew

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Cotton with clear, gray, and saffron crystal embellishments, $148; net-a-porter.com

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River Island

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Leather, $120; riverisland.com

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Zara

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Polyester and polyurethane, $70; zara.com

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Elizabeth and James

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22k gold plate, $150; shopbop.com

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Eyeko

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Waterproof eyeliner, $19; eyeko.com

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5 New Takes On the White Shirt

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The Inspiration: Diane Kruger

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Organic by John Patrick

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Tibi

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Aquazzura

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Gorjana

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Chanel

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The Inspiration: A Look From Victoria Beckham's Spring 2014 Collection

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Carven

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T by Alexander Wang

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A.L.C

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Vince

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H&M

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Kristen Elspeth

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Maybelline

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The Inspiration: Miranda Kerr's Street Style

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Equipment

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H&M

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Rebecca Minkoff

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Aldo

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Illesteva

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Bauble Bar

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The Inspiration: A Look from Prabal Gurung's Spring 2014 Collection

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Topshop

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Rachel Comey

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Sophia Webster

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