When to Tuck a Ladies Dress Shirt
Button up dress shirts are a classic wardrobe staple and can take you from the beach to the office. But you may be confused as to when you should be tucking that shirt into your pants or skirt. A few body type considerations plus some styling know-how will help you make the choice.
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Body Type
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Those with less than perfect abs, and even a little bit of a muffin top shouldn’t tuck in a button down shirt, says Oprah's style expert Adam Glassman. Instead go for a long tunic-style button down, untucked and finish off the look with a belt. If you’ve got broad shoulders, you can go either way -- tucked or untucked -- paired with a belt to break up the volume. If your weight tends to fluctuate, Glassman says you should leave the shirt untucked when your feeling heavier, and tucked in when you’re skinnier.
Material
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Whether you tuck in a dress shirt depends on the material it’s made of, say the editors at "The Corporette," a blog for professional women. Fitted, cotton button downs could be worn untucked, but they should fall no longer than mid-hip and should never come lower than the hem of a blazer over top. Flowy, silky shirts should always be tucked in.
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Bottoms
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In addition to body type and material, the decision to tuck in a dress shirt rides on what you’re wearing on the bottom. As a general rule, shirts should be left untucked with tight-fitting bottoms, including skinny jeans, and tucked in with looser, flowier bottoms such as wide leg pants. However, high-waisted bottoms tend to look better with tucked in tops, since this draws attention to the waist line. For a pulled-together look at the office, tuck a blouse into a high-waisted pencil skirt or pair of trousers. On the weekend, tuck a denim button up shirt into a pair of relaxed-fit cotton khakis.
Styling Tips
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For a fresh, casual look that can be worn with jeans and shorts in the spring or summer, take the two front tails of a button up cotton shirt and tie them together. Or try wearing a tank top under a button down, tuck in the shirt and button it up halfway so that your tank shows underneath.
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References
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