What’s Old is New Again – The Shift Dress
Happy Thursday! As I get older it’s funny to see styles come in and go out of fashion. For those of you ladies of a certain age, I bet it’s hard to keep track of how many times styles get renewed in the next generations. There are certain classic dress styles that I think never fully go out of fashion. Though they may not be reiterated with the same fervor year after year; they are there, in their quiet sophisticated way, just waiting for their moment back in the spotlight. So today, I want to celebrate one of these dress styles: What’s Old is New Again – The Shift Dress.
The Summary
Today Kelly shares a new iteration of the Shift Dress from J.Crew
The outfit is shoppable via text and image widgets
Plus, find more shoppable shift dresses at the end of the post
What’s Old is New Again – The Shift Dress
A Brief History of the Iconic Shift Dress
The 1920s was a decade of profound change. World War I recently ended. Silent movies became talkies. In the US, women gained the right to vote; jazz was born and alcohol was prohibited. All of this, with the rise of industry and a consumer-oriented economy, brought about a loosening of morals and manners. This included fashion and hairstyles.
A direct response to centuries of women’s highly corseted and stiff fashion came in the form of a dress design that let a woman “shift” or move easily. As designers such as Lanvin and Chanel began experimenting with sportswear and outerwear in the 1910s, looser silhouettes began to take hold. In 1920, a dress style developed from the earlier outerwear styles, and the Shift Dress was born. It became popular for day and evening wear. The shift dress hung from the shoulder to just below the knee and featured a dropped waistline. The shift design evolved over the decade, as the waistline dropped, the hems rose to the knee and above. Pleats became very popular for the skirts.
This was not only the birth of the Shift Dress, but Chanel invented a design, a phrase – a fashion statement – that is so ubiquitous today that it doesn’t even necessarily refer to the original shift design: The Little Black Dress.
Of course such a wearble style has staying power and the shift evolved over the decades to reflect popular fabrics, color palettes, patterns and prints. The shift dresses we mostly see today reflect the shift styles of the 1960s – a short A-line dress.
Button-Front Shift Dress
(J.Crew)
The 1960s “mod” style of my dress today, J.Crew’s Button-Front Shift Dress, is everywhere this year. Though, maybe it is every year! I just notice it a lot this summer and it’s a style I am happy to see back in such a strong way.
This version is linen, so it’s perfect for summer. I love the gold buttons, which are actually pretty heavy, giving this dress a more substantial feel, and little glam.
Button-Front Shift Dress | Tortoise Shell Box Clutch | Similar Block Heel Pumps | Similar Tortoise Sandals
Shop the Outfit
It’s not sold in petites. But, since it is a shorter hemline for regular, it came to just above my knee – so a petite could get away with leaving the dress as-is, if you like a longer hemline. I really wanted to go shorter though, for it to fit me as intended for a regular size. So I had my expert tailor hem it up a bit. Now I have an extra gold button!
Button-Front Shift Dress | Tortoise Shell Box Clutch | Similar Block Heel Pumps | Similar Tortoise Sandals
Shop the Outfit
Tortoise Shell Accessories
Sky’s the limit for your accessories with a simple shift dress like this one. Navy and gold (or white and gold, if you choose the other color in which this dress is offered) are a perfect neutral canvas for your accessories. I wanted to go with tortoise shell, for something a little unexpected.
My Penny Block Heel sandals are J.Crew, from several years ago. But like the shift dress, tortoise shell shoes seem to have found their way back after a long hiatus.
Try: Block Heel Pumps | Block Heel Sandals | Block Heel Mules | Tortoise Wedges
Shop the Shoes
Tortoise Shell Acrylic clutches are widely available this year too. I like the dark color of J.Crew’s version since it more closely matches my shoes. But try these other options too:
Tortoise Acrylic Clutch | Semicircle Tortoise Clutch | Beaded Tortoise Clutch | Margot Clutch
Shop the Clutches
By de-emphasizing the bust and waist, a shift dress is universally flattering. It works beautifully for all body shapes and sizes. Find them in a range of styles from casual to office-appropriate, and dressier occasions. This style is also an easy one for petites to wear in regular sizes, often with only the hemline being the major difference in fit. Below I have gathered a collection of several shift dresses, shoppable via text widgets.
Button-Front Shift Dress | Tortoise Shell Box Clutch | Similar Block Heel Pumps | Similar Tortoise Sandals
Shop the outfit
Shift Dresses of Today
Shop the Board: Navy Bow Olivia Dress | Tweed Jackie Dress | Linen-Blend Shift Dress | Embroidered Wave Shift Dress
Shop the Board: Notch Neck Mini Shift | Shift Dress | Pleated Hem Shift Dress in Eyelet | Ponte Clifton Dress
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Beth shared how to look expensive, classy and chic. Click the title or the image below to read the article.
Thank you for this post, Kelly. I loved the history on the shift dress. It’s a classic and I like wearing them. I enjoy your and Beth’s content!
Thanks so much, Julie! xo Kelly
That outfit looks so chic on Kelly. Love the shift dress and the heeled sandals but especially the hair style. Gorgeous
Thank you, Bea! xo Kelly
Such a classy look on you! And I adore the tortoise shell sandals! Somehow I wasn’t aware of it being on trend years back, but so glad you are styling them.
Thank you, Nancy! Yes, I noticed in previous years that patent leather tortoise shell shoes were harder to find…this year there seems to be a number of styles available. Such a fun shoe! xo Kelly
Love your hair!
Kelly,
Loved your overview of the history of the “shift”. The images of vintage dresses really enhanced the story. Thanks so much for an interesting article. I felt like I was in the costume institute at the V & A museum in London.
Thanks so much, Erin! I really enjoy researching and discovering the origins of fashions – especially those that are still with us today. I am happy you enjoyed the post! xo Kelly