A clean fresh style is easy to achieve with little effort. All is takes is one item: a crisp white shirt. Once considered menswear, the white shirt has taken over the closets of many, from top-level executives to Hollywood elite.

Ann Fontaine, the young designer from Brazil, has based her whole business model on the classic white shirt. The biggest trend in fashion, according to Ms. Fontaine, is being unique and having your own style. Taking a traditional item and adding details of fit and femininity, Ann creates about 1000 white shirts each year. Three hundred of those are sold in her stores, each one elegant, unique, and chic.

According to Ms. Fontaine the “white shirt is an essential part of the woman’s wardrobe.” She is inspired by many things when designing these multi-purpose shirts – traditions, culture, history, femininity, women. She finds inspiration in everyday life, which may be the reason her shirts are so versatile across generations of working women. Her target audience for her dress shirts is a woman who knows what she likes and how to manage her life. One great white shirt makes a hectic life a little more controllable.

When investing in a classic like the white shirt, the best choice is to buy one that is fitted to your curves but not too tight in any one area. The shoulder seam should hit at the shoulder and the sleeve should hit slightly below your wrist. An alteration to the body or the sleeve is very easy – it is important to buy a shirt that fits the widest part of your upper body.

A struggle for many women when purchasing a dress shirt is the fit across the bust, shoulders, and waist. Rebecca Matchett of Rebecca & Drew Manufacturing says that “the most problematic area for women is the fit across the bust” and their dress shirts “either pull at the chest or are baggy and boxy in waist.” To remedy this problem, Ms. Matchett and her business partner Drew Paluba offer dress shirts based on varying bust sizes – 34 sizes ranging from 32A to 38DD, all offered in regular (under 5’5”) or long (5’5” and up). This has allowed many women who once stayed away from dress shirts to once again look to them as their style go-to. Ms. Matchett believes that the best investment is the classic white shirt in either slim fit or traditional fit, based on your comfort and style.

As with any great classic, the challenge is to make it work with your lifestyle and personal style. Confused on what to wear to the big meeting? Formal corporate dinner? Cocktails on the beach? The great white shirt comes to the rescue. The white shirt can be used as a blank canvas, worn as a laying piece or on its own – always appropriate for any situation. The great white shirt always exudes a classic, timeless look and can easily be updated with bold accessories.

Classic Look – Business

A staple under suits, the white shirt is strong enough both under the classic black suit and as a standalone piece. Paired with chunky jewelry or a layered sweater vest, the white shirt can be basic enough across all seasons and all offices. Worn un-tucked, the white shirt can take you from the office to drinks just by cinching the waist with a thin, brightly colored belt.

Business Casual

Looking for a match for that wild print skirt? Pair it with the classic button down and a pair of sling backs and your wild skirt becomes office-appropriate. The white shirt can act as a stable under vests, v-neck sweaters, dresses, or shrunken jackets. Your weekend wear can translate to the office simply by pairing khakis with a white shirt and fitted jacket.

Dressy

Sharon Stone personified old Hollywood with a twist when she showed up at the 70th Annual Academy Awards in a lavender Vera Wang skirt and her husband’s white shirt, all pulled together with a diamond broach. She looked fresh and classic and soon thereafter women all over the country were copying her chic but relaxed look. To replicate this look, pair a crisp white shirt with a beaded skirt and you will be ready for a night on the town or an evening wedding.

Weekend Wear

Worn un-tucked and paired with straight jeans, the white shirt can be your go-to while running errands then heading to lunch. Keeping both pieces tailored is the key to not looking sloppy while on the run. Tuck your jeans into your flat boots, add a cropped cashmere sweater and your white shirt becomes fashion forward and comfortable. Change your flat boots for strappy sandals and transition fluidly from day to evening.

Vacation

Wear it loose while walking on the beach and it will keep your sensitive shoulders protected from the sun. Pair your white shirt with cuffed shorts and wedges and it can take you from the beach to cocktails just by buttoning it up.

Better yet, channel the 1950s and pair your white shirt with a full floral skirt. Cinch the shirt at the waist, pop the collar and slip on a pair of flats and you are ready for a leisure stroll through the Hamptons or Paris.