Roman Originals Blog

The shift dress is  a truly versatile and classic piece which every woman needs at least one of in her wardrobe. Perfect as day dresses or occasion dresses they can take you from work to evening effortlessly and the timeless style never goes out of fashion. The shift dress is the name given to a simple style of dress that has no seams or shaping at the waist. It became popular in the sixties and ever since has been an important part of so many womens wardrobes. A sheath dress is another similar version of dress that became popular at the same time but is usually slightly more fitted than the shift dress.

The shift dress evolved from the flapper dresses of the 1920′s, which were often embellished and fringed. They became popular because of there comfort and practiality for dancing, these benefits are still a key attraction in the modern shift dress. The closest relation to the shift was probably the sack dress which featured in Hubert de Givenchy and Cristobal Balenciaga’s 1957 Paris collections. It was similar to the flapper dress but without the embellishments.  

Throughout history famous style icons have worn the shift dress. Lilly Pulitzer wore and sold brightly coloured and patterned dresses from her juice bar on palm beach. Huge popularity of the ‘Lilly’ dress ensued after her friend Jackie Kennedy was pictured wearing one in Life Magazine.  The shift (mostly designed by Givenchy) was also a favourite of actress Audrey Hepburn and most memorably worn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Princess Grace of Monaco also wore shift dresses by Givenchy. More recently, America’s first lady Michelle Obama is often seen in a shift dress with a cardigan and even pictured wearing a  black sleeveless shift for her first official White House portrait.

Shift dresses can have a variety of sleeves, necklines and lengths but the most popular is probaby the knee length, sleeveless style with a scooped or slashed neckline. They can also have patterns and embellishment making a statement dress. A simple shift is really popular though as it can be accesorised in so many different ways to create so many different looks. Here are just a few ideas for how you can accessories a plain shift dress:

• Coloured or patterned tights – this is the perfect way to brighten up a black or neutral coloured shift dress and draw attention to your legs. The simple style of the dress allows for complicated and busy patterns. For  a fun and bright outfit try teaming a coloured shift dress with coloured opaque tights – a turquoise or purple dress with mustard tights would make a really eye catching outfit.
• Scarfs – there are so many ways to wear a scarf and to add colour to a plain shift dress. Try tying a small scarf around your  neck with a knot at the side or folding a large square scarf diagionally to form a triangle and draping over your shoulders.
• Belts – If you have an hourglass figure, you may want to add a bit of shape to your shift dress and waist definition. You can do this by cinching in at the waist with a belt. Choose an interesting or brightly coloured belt and make it the feature of your outfit.
• Jacket – Add a simple tailored jacket to make your shift dress into a smart outfit for work.