what is a shift dress

A shift dress is a short dress that hangs straight down from the shoulders with clean, simple lines. It features darts around the bust and frequently has a high scoop or boat neck. Shift dresses are often confused with sheath dresses, which are form-fitting and shaped by tucks on the waist area. The shift dress gained popularity during the Western flapper movement in the 1920s, as it marked a departure from previously fashionable corset designs, which exaggerated the bust and waist while restricting movement. It went out of fashion during wartime and the post-war era, but made a comeback in the 1960s, popularized by Hubert de Givenchys design for Audrey Hepburns Breakfast at Tiffanys dress and Lilly Pulitzers designs for Jacqueline Kennedy. Shift dresses are most flattering on body types that are more like columns.