Shirtwaists

A shirtwaist is a woman's blouse with a shirt-like front that closes with buttons down the center, typically ending at the waist or hips and worn with a separate skirt. It usually features a tailored bodice, a collar, and set-in sleeves, with variations ranging from short to long and with cuff details.

The term gained prominence in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as mass production of ready-to-wear garments expanded. Shirtwaists were practical, affordable everyday garments for working and middle-class women and became a staple of Western fashion, shaping the professional, feminine silhouette of the era.

Design and variations include a range of fabrics such as cotton broadcloth, lawn, silk, and voile. Styles varied from plain, minimalist versions to ones with pleats, tucks, ruffles, and detachable collars. The waist seam at the natural waist allowed a coordinated skirt, and the shirtwaist concept also appeared in one-piece shirtwaist dresses that integrated the blouse with the dress silhouette.

Social and historical context: The popularity of shirtwaists coincided with large-scale garment production and factory work. The 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire highlighted unsafe working conditions and contributed to reforms in labor laws and factory safety in the United States.

Legacy: In the mid-20th century, silhouettes evolved, but the shirtwaist remained a reference point for tailored blouses and early professional attire. In modern usage, the term endures to describe button-front, collar-borne blouses that echo the traditional shirtwaist form.