Boyfriend shirt gets a fun twist

What does the phrase - ‘boyfriend shirt’ mean anyway? It’s something borrowed from your boyfriend’s or lover’s closet

What does the phrase - ‘boyfriend shirt’ mean anyway? It’s something borrowed from your boyfriend’s or lover’s closet. It’s oversized, roomy and boxy and could end up becoming either a post-coitus sheet or a mini dress. Picture Carrie Bradshaw leaving Mr Big’s apartment in Sex And The City with a mini shirt cinched at the waist with a slim Hermes belt. Of late, stars like Malaika Arora and Alia Bhatt have put a new light on how its worn. While Malla wore hers with a pair of statement boots, Alia used it as a pool side cover-up. All in all, the boyfriend shirt is democratic and suits most body types and with summers approaching, it could be a great comfy pick. Designer Aniket Satam shares that the boyfriend shirt’s roots could be traced to 17th century France when strong women - (could be hailing from nobility or courtesans) started sharing their men’s chemises. “We have always had these images of strong headed women stealing their lover’s poet sleeved shirts. Fast forward to the 21st century, the classic, crisp white shirt is everyone’s wardrobe essential and a versatile piece of clothing which one could either dress up or down according to one’s mood or occasion. Tuck it in with an ornate lehenga and throw some jadau choker at your best friend’s wedding or you can just throw in a sexy leather waist cincher for a midweek date with your boyfriend.The white shirt is rather masculine and brings out one’s femininity even more,” says Satam.

Malaika Arora teams a printed boyfriend shirt with a pair of boots (Photo: Instagram/MalaikaAroraOfficial)

Alia Bhatt turns the classic white shirt into a chic pool side cover-up (Photo: Instagram/AliaBhatt)

Moreover, you can wear it with a short, solid colour summer dress inside and pull the look together with a belt.  

Stylist Bharat Gupta suggests, “For a more grunge vibe, team it with bike shorts and boots. Tuck the shirt half into a pair of loose bottom pants or tiny peek a boo shorts or go chic with a pair of skinny jeans and pumps. And if you want to wear it as is, then drop it off one shoulder (can be achieved with leaving a couple of buttons open and just wear it like a shirt dress. And if you’re a complete fan of the boyfriend chic trend, then go oversized all the way; messily tuck the shirt into boyfriend jeans and match it with a half knot to complete the look.”

Hands-down, the boyfriend shirt’s the definition of comfy. Stylist Sheefa Gilani says, “The best way to style your boyfriend tee/shirt is to layer it keeping it simple and fuss-free Because of its versatile nature, a boyfriend shirt can transform your look instantly. If it’s plain, white and oversized, belts are the best add on accessories to turn up your shirtdress. Wearing them over swimsuits/bikinis as a cover-up adds an uber-cool vibe to the outfit making it look slick. If you are a hack junky like me, you can even instantly wrap up a loose shirt and flaunt it like a dress. Always try to balance out the baggy nature of the top.”