CLASSIC WHITE button-ups just got exciting. Yes, really. The sportswear staple known for its crisp collar and clean cut, has been revamped in ways that boggle the mind and energize the wardrobe. Witness the bounty of surreal white shirts in the resort 2023 collection from New York brand the Row, including the version shown at left, which would be standard if not for its detachable, puffy white shawl. “That was my Catholic school uniform!” said Megan Bugey, 46, an Austin, Texas, paralegal, of the shirt’s standard form. “But now, it’s trippy.”

This season has seen an abundance of white collared shirts—and they’re anything but uniform. Brunello Cucinelli slashed the businesswear mainstay mid-torso to create an unconventional Wolfette of Wall Street crop top (pictured), and Danish label Tove sells one with a regal peplum. “I love the utility [button-up shirts] have in my wardrobe,” said New York stylist Pamela Shepard, 39, who owns “countless” iterations, including oversize and dip-dyed riffs from Ralph Lauren and J.Crew.

“A white shirt has the ability to pull any look together,” said New York designer Tory Burch, whose spring collection featured styles with softly rounded shoulders and deep necklines that curve like the tops of calla lilies. “It can be powerful, feminine or sharply sophisticated.” Model and author Emily Ratajkowki and actress Sadie Sink each recently donned Tory Burch tops, the former with red trousers, the latter with a quilted black miniskirt.

“Even with their artful twists, today’s more extraordinary white shirts can still be basics.”

In Victorian London, a white shirt symbolized status, its pristine appearance telegraphing that you had enough servants to fastidiously launder your clothing. Around the early 1900s, the British Raj polo team adopted a loose interpretation—now known as the Oxford—as its uniform. The white shirt took on madcap charm when Audrey Hepburn wore a long tuxedo version as a nightgown in 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and an easy sex appeal when Marilyn Monroe paired hers with jeans that same year. In 1992, for the cover of its 100th anniversary issue, Vogue hired Patrick Demarchelier to shoot supermodels in sharp Gap takes. Sharon Stone followed suit at the 1998 Oscars, sporting hers with a metallic Vera Wang skirt.

Because white shirts never truly went away, it’s tough to pinpoint how they regained such currency. One factor: At the 2022 Academy Awards, Kristen Stewart, Uma Thurman and Zendaya all wore the staple on the red carpet. Meanwhile, women worldwide were remixing their wardrobes for a hybrid work world. “I think we’re constantly made to multitask, and we expect our clothes to do that, too,” said Irish designer Maria McManus, who launched her business with a signature white shirt. Ms. Shepard, the New York stylist, confirmed the top’s versatility: “It’s one of the few things that can work for everyone.”

Even with their artful twists, today’s more extraordinary white shirts can still be basics. Ms. Burch suggests deploying one to “anchor your most interesting and eclectic pieces.” To emulate recent red-carpet ensembles, try a cropped version with a statement skirt. Ms. Shepard advises layering a white shirt with a sculptural collar beneath a black strapless dress for an unexpected flourish. And Ms. McManus likes to add excitement to jeans and flats with an extra-long option: See her shirtdress shown with a pleated skirt at left.

White shirts do have one weakness: They’re white. “Because I’m petite and curvy, I love a big white shirt over a slim pant with heels or boots,” said Jazzi McGilbert, 34, owner of Los Angeles bookstore Reparations Club. “But I always feel like I should have a spare outfit in my car, because one latte and it becomes a wardrobe malfunction.” For that, Ms. McManus suggests investing in one more classic: a Tide Pen.

Styling by Lizzie Wholley, Model Tiffany Lebya/Wilhelmina, Hair and Makeup Kyle Sheehan/See Management

The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.

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