The white blouse: An all-purpose garment in a woman's wardrobe

By Simone Andrea Mayer Jan 19, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - A white blouse is probably the most ordinary piece of clothing found in a woman's wardrobe and for many women it is indispensable.

It can be easily combined with other clothes and accessories and is appropriate attire at almost any occasion. Simply put, a white blouse should be part of every woman's wardrobe and though for many years it was strictly a garment for a woman in business, it needn't be reserved strictly for meetings or other serious affairs.

'The white blouse must radiate class and not look boring,' said style consultant Silke Gerloff. 'It may be plain, but in that case should be perked up with classy and somewhat showy accessories.'

Andreas Rose, a Frankfurt-based fashion consultant, said a white blouse combined with various styles of clothing is like an all-purpose weapon, creating a respectable, successful, business-like appearance on the one hand and a sporty, exciting and fresh look on the other.

Bold combinations, such as with a gold-glittering skirt, can make an ordinary blouse into something eye-catching for a dressy evening affair. Celebrities have even chosen a white blouse combination rather than an evening gown for the Academy Awards ceremony.

It also can be combined with other pieces to fit any situation: casual when combined with chinos, girlish when combined with a short skirt and feminine when worn with a long, high-waisted skirt. A number of European labels such as Boss Orange, Cinque and Comma have these looks into their lines. For very formal occasions the blouse can be worn with a dark pantsuit, said Gerloff.

Boss Black, a division of the German designer label Boss, has a masculine looking variation, while Mango's evening wear is a full-cut white blouse over a pair of suit trousers. Add a pearl necklace to feminize it, said Rose.

The cut of the blouse, which these days is very diverse, contributes to its transformability. What has changed? Originally, the white blouse was either a sign of rebellion or a sign of conformity. Well-behaved girls wore one with their petticoats; unconventional women such as actress Katharine Hepburn by contrast wore white blouses with their sleeves rolled up, imitating masculine style and demonstrating her independence. But the white blouse was out of style for a while.

In the '90s, T-shirts and similar tops were in style and were more comfortable to wear in the office. It wasn't until about five years ago that a variation of the white blouse filled a gap in the market.

'The tunic was generally a collarless blouse often with buttons in the front,' said Allstaedt. In addition to new tailoring, clothing makers also used unusual materials such as jersey. Another variation was a throw-back to the '40s with a tie at the neck. It was supposed to be worn with skirts - but not black skirts - or chinos, said Gerloff. Blouses that tied at the neck in the '70s style were supposed to be worn with Marlene trousers.

Ideally, a woman should have two different white blouses in her wardrobe, Gerloff said. One should be an unusual design such as a wrap-around for full-figured women or one in the style of a smoking jacket with stitching on the front for less curvy women. In addition, she should have 'a plain one with a slightly higher collar, pretty buttons and cuffs, and fitted.'

Slender women with smaller breasts and longer necks should choose a white blouse that buttons to the collar. Fuller-figured women with shorter necks should pay close attention to button-up blouses with a V-neck, she added.