Celebrity-Approved Shirt Dresses Are The Most Versatile Staple Of The Summer

Each summer like clockwork, you can expect to see your favorite fashion muse in an assortment of flowy sundresses, posh linen pants, and vacay-approved bathing suits. However, every once in a while, an unexpected style will sneak into the celebrity set’s warm-weather rotation. Last summer’s sartorial underdog was a laidback T-shirt dress, which received easy-luxury makeovers from Sofia Richie Grainge and Lori Harvey. This season, the seemingly simple T-shirt dress was dethroned by its effortlessly chic older sister: a collared shirt dress. And thanks to A-listers like Zendaya and Anne Hathaway, this timeless staple is quickly proving to be one of the summer’s most versatile pieces.

As soon as the calendar switched over to April, it seemed every celebrity with a penchant for elevated basics added a chic shirt dress into their everyday wardrobe. To no surprise, white button-down versions are dominating the Hollywood circuit, but they aren’t your typical linen midi-length silhouette. While filming an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show in May, Gigi Hadid styled a high-low ivory shirt dress from her knitwear label Guest in Residence with a pair of low-waisted jeans. Later in May, Anne Hathaway wore her custom Gap shirt dress over a peek-a-boo corset. On the other hand, shirt dresses topped in classic pastels are also a celebrity go-to this season. Gwyneth Paltrow and Daisy Ridley both stunned in baby blue styles, while Selena Gomez looked pretty in pink in a Versace satin button-down dress.

Feeling inspired yet? If so, scroll on for all the celebrity style inspo you need to add a shirt dress (or two) into your closet this summer and beyond.

Anne Hathaway

While attending a Bulgari runway show in Rome, Hathaway made headlines in a custom Gap design created for her by new Gap Inc. creative director, Zac Posen. The Devil Wears Prada alum’s floor-length gown featured an unbuttoned bodice that peeped her semi-sheer corset and a sultry thigh-high slit. The brand ambassador gave her white button-down number a glamorous finish with a bunch of Bulgari bling, including a striking diamond necklace with a giant sapphire at the center, coordinating stud earrings, and stacked shimmery bracelets. A metallic Bulgari top-handle bag and pointy white Christian Louboutin pumps rounded out her latest front row-worthy attire.

Gwyneth Paltrow

For the April edition of her signature monthly photo dumps on Instagram, Paltrow blessed her 8.5 million followers with a close-up of her latest shirt dress — a pastel blue style from SA SU PHI, an Italy-based atelier. Like most of her OOTD posts, she went shoeless and instead relied on simple, yet elegant jewelry like layered necklaces and a slim bracelet to give her final ‘fit some shine.

Zendaya

It’s been over a month since Zendaya’s internet-breaking press tour for Challengers came to a close, and we’re still not over her top-notch designer outfits — especially the looks that flew under the radar. Think the chartreuse-colored shirt dress from Louis Vuitton that she wore for a private screening in L.A. The long-sleeve midi dress stayed true to the film’s tenniscore aesthetic without deterring from Zendaya’s penchant for sophisticated designs. The best part? Her exact dress is still available to shop — for now, that is.

Gigi Hadid

Like most celebrity entrepreneurs, Hadid is no stranger to styling pieces plucked straight from the shelves of her NYC-based knitwear brand, Guest in Residence. Her most notable Guest in Residence-clad outing was just a few weeks ago, while en route to The Drew Barrymore Show. The multi-hyphenate chose a white button-down dress from her label, which she left partially open to reveal her low-waisted ‘90s-esque jeans from RE/DONE. On the accessory front, Hadid stayed true to form by carrying the celeb-approved Miu Miu Arcadie Bag as well as vintage Miu Miu slingback kitten heels, and a $16,225 Jacquie Aiche diamond necklace.

Selena Gomez

In honor of the launch party of her new Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush Collection, Gomez styled a head-to-toe rosy pink ensemble from Versace, complete with a silk mini shirt dress. Her collared mini was adorned in a subtle floral print and cinched with a Versace Medusa Head belt around her waist. The monochromatic moment continued onto her ladylike accents, starting with a coordinating Stanza coat and white gold jewelry from APM Monaco.

Lily Gladstone

Gladstone was one of the esteemed jury members of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival this year, so of course the Oscar-winning star pulled out all the stops with their first outfit of the annual fête. They started strong with a white midi shirt dress coupled with a thin monogrammed burgundy belt, both sourced from Gucci. For their shoes, Gladstone chose a pair of sky-high platform loafers also courtesy of Gucci — one of the key motifs seen on the atelier’s Fall/Winter 2024 runway back in March.

Dakota Fanning

In March, while promoting her new Netflix series Ripley, Fanning marked her first of three top-notch designer looks in one day with a satin ivory shirt dress from Simkhai. She was snapped by paparazzi outside Good Morning America in the aforementioned little white dress, which she paired with metallic gold slingback sandals from Manolo Blahnik.

Chrissy Teigen

Just a few days before news of her latest Sports Illustrated Swimwear cover dropped online, Teigen posed at an L.A. pop-up in a very summery set — a pinstripe button-down mini from Atoir. The model threw on bright green heeled sandals alongside a raffia crochet hobo bag, both from Bottega Veneta. For an extra bit of drama, Teigen wore orange-tinted Gucci sunglasses, which gave her satin mini an unexpected ‘70s-inspired flair.

Daisy Ridley

Even though she looked ready for a weekend in the Hamptons, Ridley was actually dressed to impress for the latest promo-related event on her Young Woman & the Sea press tour. During a quick photo-op, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor showed off her pinstripe wrap shirt dress, which featured a gorgeous pleated under-skirt and darling button cuffs. She leaned into the dress’s beach-ready aura by accessorizing via chunky platform sandals and little to no jewelry at all — just $18,500 clip-on gold earrings from Belperron.

Shay Mitchell

If Mitchell’s stealth wealth style isn’t already on your radar, what are you doing? Become acquainted with her applause-worthy assemblage by appreciating her plunging white shirt dress that looked more like an oversized menswear button-down à la Carrie Bradshaw. The BÉIS founder took a page out of Richie Grainge’s quiet luxury textbook with her footwear of the day: black satin kitten heels from Gia Borghini.