“Evergreen” white shirt

This spring brings with it many classics and some brand new trends in line with the complex historical context we are experiencing. Let's start with a great evergreen: the white shirt. A garment that was created for men and which has also been declined for years for women with passion and innovation.

At the beginning of the 1900s Coco Chanel was the first to recognize the thousand potentials of the white shirt, to steal it from the men's wardrobe and to use it instead of tight corsets, to make it her own, giving it a timeless charm.

In the 30s, 40s, 50s, it was then the Hollywood divas such as Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn who made it an iconic garment in the world.

Among the greatest admirers of this garment we remember Gianfranco Ferré who over the years created real models-sculptures; the fashion architect loved to play with the candid cotton fabric making it lively and three-dimensional. For some years the shirt was relegated to a classic office uniform, but it regained strength with the return to quality fashion, less and less oriented towards the world of fast fashion.

In the spring summer 2023 fashion shows, the white shirt was interpreted in a classic way with minimalist, sartorial cuts, a return to the simplicity and rigor of the 90s, but also in more whimsical versions to become mini-dresses or even overalls.

A passe-partout garment, which becomes fashionable when cut over and combined with a full midi skirt as proposed by the stylist Valentino, or deconstructed in a modern jumpsuit as designed by Prada. Fendi offers the most classic of white shirts, simple and chic worn with tight pencil skirts. The version that stood out the most is the one with a hood: a new alternative, proposed for spring evenings by the Parisian brand Alaïa.

Elisa d’Adamo

NP Aprile 2023