Home
Fashion
5 New Takes On the White Shirt

5 New Takes On the White Shirt

By Dana Avidan Cohn

Updated Mar 09, 2014 @ 11:22 am

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!

Start Slideshow

1 of 33

The Inspiration: Diane Kruger

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.

2 of 33

Organic by John Patrick

Courtesy

Cotton, $254; farfetch.com

3 of 33

Tibi

Courtesy

Silk faille, $525; tibi.com

4 of 33

Aquazzura

Courtesy

Leather, $595; shopbop.com

5 of 33

Gorjana

Courtesy

18k gold plate, $65; shopbop.com

6 of 33

Chanel

Courtesy

Le Vernis Nail Colour, $27; chanel.com

7 of 33

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

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.

8 of 33

Carven

Courtesy

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

9 of 33

T by Alexander Wang

Courtesy

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

10 of 33

A.L.C

Courtesy

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

11 of 33

Vince

Courtesy

Leather, $395; piperlime.com

12 of 33

H&M

Courtesy

Metal, $6; hm.com

13 of 33

Kristen Elspeth

Courtesy

Rose-gold vermeil, $66; shopbop.com

14 of 33

Maybelline

Courtesy

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

15 of 33

The Inspiration: Miranda Kerr's Street Style

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.

16 of 33

Equipment

Courtesy

Silk, $424; farfetch.com

17 of 33

H&M

Courtesy

Polyurethane, $35; hm.com

18 of 33

Rebecca Minkoff

Courtesy

Faux-leather, $195; neimanmarcus.com

19 of 33

Aldo

Courtesy

Synthetic, $110; piperlime.com

20 of 33

Illesteva

Courtesy

Acetate, $177; editorialist.com

21 of 33

Bauble Bar

Courtesy

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

22 of 33

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

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.

23 of 33

Topshop

Courtesy

Cotton, $240; topshop.com

24 of 33

Rachel Comey

Courtesy

Silk, $473; shoplesnouvelles.com

25 of 33

Sophia Webster

Courtesy

Leather, $489; farfetch.com

26 of 33

Knight$ Of New York

Courtesy

14k gold plate, $95; shopbop.com

27 of 33

Ilia

Courtesy

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

28 of 33

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

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.

29 of 33

J.Crew

Courtesy

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

30 of 33

River Island

Courtesy

Leather, $120; riverisland.com

31 of 33

Zara

Courtesy

Polyester and polyurethane, $70; zara.com

32 of 33

Elizabeth and James

Courtesy

22k gold plate, $150; shopbop.com

33 of 33

Eyeko

Courtesy

Waterproof eyeliner, $19; eyeko.com

Replay gallery

Up Next

By Dana Avidan Cohn

Account

More

5 New Takes On the White Shirt

1 of 33

The Inspiration: Diane Kruger

1 of 33

2 of 33

Organic by John Patrick

2 of 33

3 of 33

Tibi

3 of 33

4 of 33

Aquazzura

4 of 33

5 of 33

Gorjana

5 of 33

6 of 33

Chanel

6 of 33

7 of 33

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

7 of 33

8 of 33

Carven

8 of 33

9 of 33

T by Alexander Wang

9 of 33

10 of 33

A.L.C

10 of 33

11 of 33

Vince

11 of 33

12 of 33

H&M

12 of 33

13 of 33

Kristen Elspeth

13 of 33

14 of 33

Maybelline

14 of 33

15 of 33

The Inspiration: Miranda Kerr's Street Style

15 of 33

16 of 33

Equipment

16 of 33

17 of 33

H&M

17 of 33

18 of 33

Rebecca Minkoff

18 of 33

19 of 33

Aldo

19 of 33

20 of 33

Illesteva

20 of 33

21 of 33

Bauble Bar

21 of 33

22 of 33

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

22 of 33

23 of 33

Topshop

23 of 33

24 of 33

Rachel Comey

24 of 33

25 of 33

Sophia Webster

25 of 33

26 of 33

Knight$ Of New York