shirtwaist

American  

[shurt-weyst] / ˈʃɜrtˌweɪst /

noun

1. a tailored blouse or shirt worn by women.

2. Also called shirt-dress.  Also called shirtwaist dress,.  Also called shirtwaister.  a dress with a bodice and a front opening tailored like those of a dress shirt.

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Etymology

Origin of shirtwaist

First recorded in 1875–80; shirt + waist

Explanation

A shirtwaist is an old-fashioned blouse that buttons up the front. Shirtwaists were commonly worn by working women in the early 20th century. Shirtwaists were modeled on men's shirts, with a collar, cuffs, and buttons down the front. The name comes from the predominant fashion of wearing them tucked into the waist of a skirt. Though they began as practical workwear, shirtwaists came to symbolize the new independence of working women. They were so popular around the turn of the century that hundreds of east coast factories, including New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, were dedicated to producing them.

Example Sentences

An opening scene shows Gold swapping her designer dress with a refugee’s dirty shirtwaist to allow the woman to blend more easily into society.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2023

It was introduced on March 25, the 111th anniversary of the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which set in motion so many fundamental workplace reforms.

From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2022

The shirtwaist dress made Halston famous, a largely forgotten credit along with many of his other ready-to-wear mass market designs.

From Salon • May 14, 2021

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s beauty, her modern touch, and her youthful, cutting-edge style would soon eclipse Mrs. Eisenhower’s frumpy shirtwaist dresses, pearl chokers and short bangs.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2016

She wore a white shirtwaist and black skirt that accentuated her trim figure, and she was seated beside a window, her hair candescent with sunlight.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson