The white shirt

When it comes to classic fashion, the white shirt -- clean, crisp and timeless -- is hard to beat.

The book "The Classic Ten" by Nancy Macdonell Smith places the white shirt among the Top 10 wardrobe staples.

"They are so versatile, and they offer so many different looks," says Liliane Richa, a personal shopper at Dillard's at Beachwood Place. You can flip the collar up or wear it flat, for example. For daytime, you can wear them on their own or under a jacket or sweater.

But also, as Richa recalls, "Remember when Sharon Stone wore one to the Oscars with a formal full skirt?"

Audrey Hepburn famously wore a man's white shirt tied in the back to show off her tiny waist, but we have many more and better options now.

While white shirts always have been a crucial part of a woman's wardrobe, the infusion of stretch has rocketed them even higher on the list of go-to items.

Stretch has also made them more of a stand-alone piece -- especially when they can be worn over pants or a skirt, without being tucked in.

"A white shirt has a much neater look if it has stretch," says Dixie Lee Davis, director of Saks' Fifth Avenue Club. "And it stays neat and smooth from morning till night."

So, women can look as fresh at the end of a day as at the beginning, which isn't the case with a lot of clothes we wear.

Gailmarie Fort, an image consultant at Nordstrom at Beachwood Place, says the enduring appeal of the white shirt is simply this: "It's fresh, useful and modern."

White doesn't stay white forever, so be prepared to buy some new white shirts when your old ones start to wear at the collar or get dingy. The good news is that this makes it easier to stay in style, as shirt silhouettes are constantly evolving.

Source:cleveland.com