19 best white shirts for women for effortless polish

When it comes to hard-working wardrobe staples, nothing creates a smart – but effortless – look quite like one of the best white shirts for women. Though they've rightfully earned a place as a building block in many a capsule wardrobe, they are by no means 'a boring basic,' as proved by the spring/summer 2024 runways – where some of the best shirts for women had clever twists and tweaks.

The catalyst for the white shirt renaissance was the Valentino Haute Couture autumn/winter 2023 show, where instead of a dramatic ballgown, Kaia Gerber opened the show in jeans and an oversized white shirt. With crystal earrings down to her collarbones and a handful of buttons undone, it was a more glamorous spin on the classic look.

This pairing has long been an iconic duo; it was Princess Diana's go-to look in the late '90s and what Meghan Markle wore for her first public appearance with Prince Harry as his then-girlfriend. However, over the past twelve months, the likes of Versace, Alaïa, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen have all shown that sometimes there is nothing cooler than a white shirt and blue denim.

Given the dominance of white shirts on the runways in recent seasons, it isn't surprising that it has become a permanent fixture in celebrity outfit pictures over the past year. Of course, the magic of wardrobe staples is that you can style them any way you like. The likes of Gigi Hadid, Sofia Richie-Grainge and Dua Lipa have been wearing theirs oversized, and with high-waisted, straight leg denim, but the world really is your oyster.

The Bear actor Ayo Edebiri attended a Vogue party after the Baftas in February in a white silk button-down shirt and high-waisted jeans by Bottega Veneta – in a sea of naked dresses and sequins, it was a refreshing cool-girl spin on party dressing. White shirts have a storied history on the red carpet, as in 1998 Sharon Stone attended the Oscars in a lilac satin maxi skirt by Vera Wang, paired with a cotton button-down by the Gap. A look which Zendaya's 2022 Valentino Oscars look referenced, as she wore a cropped white collared shirt with a sweeping silver beaded skirt.

One of the easiest ways to style a shirt is tucked into a pair of mom jeans, with ballet flats or Mary-Jane pumps, or for the office with a pair of wide-leg trousers . We also love how it looks worn loose and unbuttoned, layered over a vest top or a slip dress – so very '90s. An oversized Oxford also looks effortlessly elegant worn unbuttoned over swimwear as a beach cover up.

Given this is a wardrobe building block, it is worth spending some time to find a shirt that will go the distance. So keep scrolling to view the best white shirts for women we've found for 2024, from new-in styles to bestsellers.