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On a cold New York night in March 1999, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy—widely regarded as one of the city’s most stylish women—attended a gala for the Whitney Museum of American Art. The wife of John F. Kennedy Jr. eschewed the traditional ball gown, opting instead for a white shirt tucked into a black silk skirt, both by Yohji Yamamato. In keeping with her signature brand of aspirational minimalism she wore natural pared-back makeup, and a gold chain-mail evening bag by Paco Rabanne. One of her last public outings (she tragically died alongside her husband and sister three months later), the image of CBK in her crisp white men’s-style shirt became one of the most iconic and enduring images of the 1990s. (Expect it to be endlessly recreated and re-shared once Ryan Murphy’s highly anticipated biopic of the Kennedys hits screens later this year.)
In 2022, the elegant simplicity of shirting stills tantalises the world’s most stylish women. At last month’s Oscars, two of the best red carpet looks—Zendaya in Valentino and Uma Thurman in Bottega Veneta—featured white shirts styled with statement skirts. That came only a couple of weeks after fashion month fall winter 2022 wrapped up, where white shirts were a central favourite of designers in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. At Alaïa, Pieter Mulier transformed white shirts into structured oversized evening gowns. At Balenciaga, Demna added a utilitarian edge with chunky cargo-style pockets. Maria Grazia Chiuri tucked white shirts into hyper high-waist brocade-printed evening trousers at Christian Dior. Peter Do styled them under chunky knits, or worn unbuttoned under structured day coats.
The biggest standout was at Louis Vuitton, where Nicolas Ghesquière’s Annie Hall homages—white men’s shirts worn with kitschy ties, tucked into tailored trousers with a cocoon-style jacket slung over the top—were among the best looks of the season. Watching Squid Games star HoYeon Jung open the show, you had the resounding feeling that this was the only way to dress for the rest of 2022. Bella Hadid, the year’s premier street style savant, certainly thinks so. Her much-papped off-duty style has included back-to-back white men’s style shirting, whether it’s the super-cropped iteration she wore under a baby pink Burberry-check suit in London last week, or the ‘shirt and tie’ menswear look she wore in Paris with boyfriend Marc Kalman.
The white shirt’s enduring relevance is tied to its versatility. Consider your style more prim and twee? Channel your inner Alexa Chung and tuck a white shirt into an A-line mini skirt, styled with tights and Mary Janes (extra points if you add a Peter Pan collar). Into Balenciaga-style androgyny? Pick an oversized, boxy silhouette and ramp up the volume with too-big ripped jeans and chunky black boots. If you’re a diehard minimalist who appreciates the return of Y2K but aren’t interested in integrating it into your own wardrobe, channel Bessette Kennedy with classic blue jeans, black leather loafers, and gold accessories (the fashion editor Sarah Harris is a great reference for modern CBK style done right). Whatever you choose, you can rest assured that you’ve made a wardrobe investment you’re guaranteed to keep and love for years to come. Win, win.
Shop our edit of the best new-season white shirts below.
