How Meghan Markle made the classic white shirt cool again

Forget the little black dress – thanks to Meghan it’s all about the classic white shirt now. Annmarie O’Connor traces its history Forget the little black dress – thanks to Meghan it’s all about the classic white shirt now.

Forget the little black dress – thanks to Meghan it’s all about the classic white shirt now. Annmarie O’Connor traces its history When Meghan Markle attended the Invictus Games in Toronto last summer, fans went into a frenzy.

Not only was this the actress’s first official outing with boyfriend Prince Harry but her half-tucked white “Husband” shirt, designed by friend Micha Nonoo who reportedly introduced the pair, would soon acquire the moniker “the shirt that seals the deal”. Cue royal wedding.

Granted, not all white shirts are designed to bag a prince but the alchemical appeal of the unassuming wardrobe staple, as evidenced by the “Meghan Effect”, cannot be undersold.

A blank canvas for multiple identities, the white shirt is fashion’s ultimate shapeshifter with its lack of predictability oh-so-appealing. Is it sexy or serious? Is it smart or simply cunning? Let’s see, shall we?

Worn originally as underwear by men and women until the 19th century, the white shirt became a source of scandal upon making its first appearance in 1783 in a portrait of French queen Marie Antoinette. Not one for propriety, the extravagant monarch’s chemise à la reine, worn as a dress with a silk sash, pre-dated the underwear as outerwear trend and caused quite the furore.

Royal gaffe aside, the white shirt would become a talisman for social standing come the 19th century when regency dandies made fashionable the trend of extreme hygiene. Keeping a white shirt pristine became a status symbol, one that alludes to wealth and respectability (white collar workers, anyone?) — not to mention some hefty dry-cleaning bills.

By the First World War, the button-down would switch allegiances once more as austerity measures and a mobilised female workforce demanded a tempered trousseau. French fashion designer Coco Chanel reversed the paradigm of women’s clothing, swapping uncomfortable corsets and bustles for liberating gender-neutral pieces. Inspired by the preppy sportswear of her lovers, she championed wide-legged trousers with white shirts and cardigans — separates that allowed for women to walk faster, work better and move more easily.

From the 1920s-40s, growing female emancipation, helped by unprecedented economic expansion, allowed for social reinvention through the codes of fashion. With this, the white shirt adopted a new persona — one that represented a growing gender parity.

Ballsy silver screen sirens like Marlene Dietrich, Lauren Bacall, and Katharine Hepburn wore the wardrobe wonder with androgynous ease (tuxes, brogues, top hats, cigars) — all the while holding two manicured fingers up to cultural expectations.

By the 1950s, feminine allure assumed centre stage as Hollywood pin-ups like Marilyn Monroe opted for tie-waisted styles with pedal pushers or tucked into wiggle skirts. Brigitte Bardot’s bare-limbed boyfriend shirt in A Very Private Affair would become a `60s classic informing doppelgangers from Pretty Woman’s Julia Roberts to Kim Basinger in 9 and ½ Weeks, not to mention photographer Peter Lindbergh’s iconic 1988 Malibu beach group shot of supermodels including Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista.

And the list goes on… At once subversive and erotic, the freedom to interpret a mood or attitude is what makes the white shirt a truly modern multi-tasker. Disarming its inherent formality and pairing it with the unexpected is what makes it such an iconoclast. Might this be the fashion fairy dust that keeps us all enthralled?

Exquisite.ie founder and editor, Aisling O’Loughlin, seems to think so.

“I love the idea of playing down all the fuss and expectation of a red-carpet event with a white shirt paired with a full skirt (I wore that combo for the 2013 VIP Style Awards with a Caiomhe Keane grey silk skirt),” she says.

“There’s a certain calm about a white shirt that undercuts the intensity of a night where you’re going to be rated and berated in equal measure. For me, it has an enduring quality to pare back and allow the key feature, in this case, the skirt, to speak for itself. It also gives space and a bounce of light to your make-up and hair. And who doesn’t love a bounce of light?”

Indeed. Having a fool-proof wardrobe hack is key to keeping up with the pace of modern life whether on-the-go or on the red carpet. Clodagh Shorten, owner of Samui boutique knows this too well.

Currently rotating three shirts: Dries Van Noten for a cool directional look, Vince for everyday style and No.21 for “just a little bit more”, the Cork native playfully advises, “If you’re having an ‘off’ day you can pop in a crisp white shirt and it gives your complexion an immediate lift, so cancel that chemical peel!” Lightening and brightening isn’t just skin deep.

The white shirt has the ability to illuminate and purify any look which makes it a true palette cleanser. Michael Kors’ jet-setting agenda for spring/summer 18 showcased its versatility from barefoot glamour to a breezy take on black tie; while Victoria Beckham’s starchy shirts proved prim partners for sorbet skirts.

Let’s face it, even she swapped her high-maintenance heels and frocks for the flexible ease of a button-down.

Having travelled the world working for international fashion brands including Christian Dior and Oscar de la Renta, PR Consultant, Emer Melody of Melody Communications, likewise, knows a thing or two about adaptive dressing.

“A crisp white shirt is definitely a go-to in my wardrobe,” she admits. “It never fails to look great paired with jeans for a more casual look or skinny Capris (like Audrey Hepburn or Olivia Palermo) for a something more polished,” citing PDN London as a preferred brand.

As for me? I recently multitasked mine, a gauzy Dunnes Stores number, on holidays to Greece over swimsuits at the beach; with broderie anglaise shorts and espadrilles for sightseeing; and a knitted maxi skirt while al fresco dining. For winter, Peter O’Brien’s short-sleeved peplum beauty makes the perfect layering piece, while my American Apparel unisex Oxford makes me nostalgic for my Long Island childhood (docksiders optional).

In the meantime, I’m currently taking sartorial cues from former J.Crew creative director, Jenna Lyons, whose profligate collection of custom-made Ascot Chang white shirts forms the bedrock to her flexible aesthetic. From love-worn jeans and a biker jacket to a sequin blazer and cargo pants or — in the case of Solange Knowles’ wedding — a feather skirt and shoulder-slung fur — Lyons proves simplicity is its own reward.

As for pinpointing what exactly makes the white shirt so intriguing? If only it were that simple.