Merriam-Webster defines the shirt dress as “a tailored dress patterned after a shirt and having buttons down the front.” But I’m a firm believer that any shirt can turn into a shirt dress, if you try hard enough — tank tops, button-downs, vintage band tees, cardigans, flannels, oversized sweaters, etc. The difficulty is just in knowing how to style a shirt dress once you’ve successfully converted it.

Style it too sparingly, and you could end up looking like you forgot to wear pants (and not in a chic, Kendall Jenner kind of way). Pair it with trousers — and, well, then it just looks like a really big shirt. So, how should you style a shirt dress? For the most part, it comes down to choosing the right pair of statement shoes, like knee-high boots, sparkly pumps, or toe ring sandals. After that, it’s the smaller elements that matter.

The finer details are what will set your shirt dress outfit up for success — it’s the difference between wearing a shirt dress and styling it. Utilise luxe textures (croc skin, suede, lace, leather) and dramatic silhouettes whenever possible. From there, just be sure to layer both with care and with excess.

Follow these tips, and you’ll never again have to Google “how to style a shirt dress.” Intrigued? Read on for all the styling tips and outfit ideas you should keep in mind.

Layered with lingerie

Jade Tillman Belmes/Getty Images

Workwear wardrobe staples, like the humble white button-up, can always benefit from a little dose of boudoir — and the shirt dress falls squarely under this rule. If wearing a bra outside of your clothes feels like a bit much, try popping it over a delicate lace skirt for that same sultry vibe. (Or both!)

Short dress, tall boots

Shannon Finney/Getty Images