What Are the Different Types of Shirts for Women?

Every women's top from basic tees to chic blouses

Co-authored by Kalee Hewlett and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: November 10, 2025 Fact Checked

Ever wish you had a guide to every style of women’s shirt, so you don’t have to wonder what’s what? Well, now you do! In the world of fashion, there are so many different types of shirts available to women, and it can be hard to differentiate them sometimes. In this article, we’ll show you what each type of shirt looks like, what makes it unique, and how it’s typically worn! Plus, we’ve included some expert insights and advice from wardrobe stylist Ashley Kahn and image consultant Kalee Hewlett.

A Guide to Types of Women’s Shirts

Women’s shirts are differentiated by cut, fit, neckline, hemline, and other factors. Popular types of shirts for women include basic t-shirts (crew-neck, V-neck, scoop-neck, and so on), tank tops and sleeveless shirts, button-downs, henley shirts, dolmans, bustiers, crop tops, halter tops, and off-shoulder tops.

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Women's Shirt Guide

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Asymmetrical shirts are named for their hemline. Instead of being straight, the hemline is asymmetrical (varying in shape or having parts that don’t match).

Meet the wikiHow Experts

Ashley Kahn is a wardrobe stylist with over ten years of experience. She is passionate about empowering women through the art of personal style.

Kalee Hewlett is a celebrity stylist and confidence coach with almost two decades of experience helping clients build confidence and ‘dress for success.’
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Batwing (dolman) shirt The name “batwing” refers to this shirt’s silhouette. Batwing or dolman shirts are loose-fitting; they have long, draping sleeves with deep armholes. The fabric around the torso is drawn inward toward the waist.

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Blouson tops are loose-fitting, but cinched around the waistline with elastic or a drawstring. This causes the fabric to blouse out and drape slightly over the shirt’s waistband.
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Boat-neck shirt Boat-neck shirts have high, curving necklines—resembling the base of a boat. They create a graceful, classy look, emphasizing the neck and collarbone in particular.
Strictly speaking, body suits aren’t shirts, per se—but they include a shirt-like element. That’s because they’re form-fitting garments that cover the entire torso and crotch area, meaning they can be worn as tops (with pants or skirts worn over them to cover the lower body).
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Boxy shirt This type of shirt is named for its silhouette, which is loose and boxy rather than fitted. Because of this, boxy shirts tend to be made with thicker or heavier fabrics.
Bralettes are cropped and fitted like bras, with cups for the bust and thin straps across the shoulders. However, they don’t have padding or hooks like proper bras. They can be worn as undergarments, but some people also enjoy wearing them as tops (especially layered with other garments).
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Bustier While a bustier is quite similar to a corset—being very tight-fitting and designed to give the figure some extra shape—there are some key differences. For instance, bustiers emphasize and support the bust (rather than the waist), and some bustiers come with straps.
Button-down shirts typically have a collar and open up at the front; they can be buttoned up completely from top to bottom (or some of the buttons can be left partially done or undone). Button-downs are classic business-casual shirts, and great for layering with thinner tank tops or undershirts.^{[1]
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CamisoleCamisoles—frequently called a “cami” for short—are tight-fitting, sleeveless shirts with spaghetti straps. Additionally, their straps tend to be adjustable, as they’re usually worn as undershirts or underwear.
Cap-sleeve shirts resemble a plain t-shirt; however, their sleeves are shorter and more fitted. They’re as much of a simple, versatile staple garment as any other t-shirt type.^{[2]
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Cape topCape shirts essentially have short, flowy “capes” attached to the rest of the basic garment, draping across the chest and upper arms. The “cape” component is attached at the neckline.
Choker shirts have a V-neck design with a band (like a choker) stretching across the collarbone, just under the neck—making the “V” look like a cut-out, rather than a proper V-neck shirt.
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Cold-shoulder topCold-shoulder shirts feature a cut-out on the sleeves, showing skin between the sleeve and shoulder strap of the shirt (so the rounded part of the shoulders is visible). This type of shirt is also called a “split-shoulder” top.
Simply put, these types of shirts come with a collar at the neckline. It’s common to see a “Peter Pan” collar (flat with rounded corners) or a polo collar (with straight, triangular corners) on women’s shirts.
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CorsetThese tops feature a strapless and sleeveless design that fits tightly around the chest and torso. Actual corsets are made with steel boning to give the waist shape, but a more casual corset top might not have such strong reinforcement. Corset tops usually have a lace-up closure at the front or back.
Crew neck and round-neck shirts look very similar, but the rounded neckline of a crew neck shirt is higher up and more snug around the neck. Crew neck t-shirts are a popular and versatile fashion staple in any wardrobe.^{[3]
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Crop topCropped shirts—more commonly known as “crop tops”—are shirts with a much shorter hem that show off the wearer’s midriff (or, at least, are a few inches shorter than the hem of a typical t-shirt).
Curved-hem shirts have curving hemlines in the front and back, dipping low at the front and back before meeting at the seams. As part of an outfit, they can make the wearer’s legs look longer than they actually are.
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Draped (cowl-neck) shirtCowl-neck blouses have fabric draped in folds across the shoulders and collarbone, creating a more relaxed, graceful neckline.
Empire line tops are fitted in the chest, with a gathered “skirt” attached just under the bust. This creates the illusion of a higher waist, as the “skirt” flares out from below the bust line. Shirts with this style and puffy or gathered sleeves are sometimes called “babydoll” tops.
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Halter topHalter tops are sleeveless with a halter-style neckline. That means they have fabric ties or a thin band across the neckline and around the back of the neck, holding the shirt up (and keeping it together).
These shirts have come a long way—from a type of men’s undergarment to a popular shirt worn by all genders. Henley shirts feature a banded collar with at least two (or more) buttons going from the neckline toward the chest.^{[4]
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High-low shirtHigh-low tops feature a higher hemline at the front and a much lower one in the back, creating an asymmetrical, high-low effect going from front to back.
Hoodies are tops with hoods attached at the back of the neck (and, typically, drawstrings the wearer can pull to tighten the edges of the hood). They’re a favorite during cold or rainy weather due to their warmth and coverage.
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Jewel neck shirtJewel neck shirts feature a rounded neckline that’s more conservative than a scoop neck, drawing attention to the neckline (and any necklace the wearer might have on).
Kaftans resemble tunic tops; they’re long and loose-fitting, with sleeves that are long, flowing, and equally loose. Additionally, a kaftan’s sleeves are actually part of the bodice, left to hang around the sides, rather than separate pieces of fabric.
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Keyhole topThe main difference between a keyhole top and any other plain shirt is a small cutout (shaped vaguely like a keyhole) at the center of the shirt’s rounded neckline.
Lace-up tops are open—either at the front of the bodice, along the sides seams, or at the back of the bodice. Along the opening are laces that the wearer can use to close up the shirt and fasten it.
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Layered shirtAs the name suggests, layered tops have more than one layer of fabric. They’re typically made from very light, flowy fabrics (like chiffon), so wearing them doesn’t get too hot.
Longline t-shirts are essentially just elongated tops. Their hemline is long enough to drape down around the hips, so much so that they can resemble a mini-dress of sorts. Some people pair their longline shirts with a belt or corset top to give their waist some added definition.
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Muscle shirtMuscle shirts are sleeveless, exposing the shoulders and biceps. They’re popular gym and workout shirts, mainly due to their association with bodybuilders from the 1980s.
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Off-shoulder (bardot) shirtOff-shoulder tops have lower necklines and straps (or sleeves) that only cover the sides of the shoulders, leaving the tops totally bare. They’re also called bardot tops, named after Hollywood legend Brigitte Bardot.
- Need to keep your off-the-shoulder shirt in place throughout the day? Hewlett has a solution: Take two safety pins and attach them to each end of an elastic hair tie; then, attach the safety pins to the inside seam of your shirt underneath both armpits.^{[5]
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- Then, wear your off-the-shoulder top so both armpits are directly above the hair ties. “You can move your arms without the neckline rising,” she explains.^{[6]
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One-shoulder topOne-shoulder tops have a diagonal, asymmetric neckline—with fabric stretching over one shoulder, but the other completely uncovered (lacking a strap). Thus, the single, one-shoulder strap is what holds the shirt up.
Peasant tops have a loose, airy fit. They feature a wide neck and sleeves that are puffed or gathered, with elastic or smocking embellishments at the waistline, neckline, and cuffs. Their name is inspired by the clothing and blouses worn by European peasants centuries ago.
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PonchoPonchos don’t have defined sleeves or bodices; they fit like cloaks, with only a hole for the head at the top and a triangular shape that drapes over the torso. They’re typically worn over other shirts.
Peplum tops typically have a tighter bodice (chest area) and a short, circular “skirt” attached and gathered at the waist before flaring outward.
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Princess-line shirtA princess-line shirt consists of three long panels joined together in the front, with the vertical seams giving the shirt more of a fitted, graceful shape.
Pocket t-shirts, very simply, feature a single pocket at the top left or right corner of the chest area. They’re worn by all genders, though pockets on women’s shirts tend to be smaller (or even non-functional).
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Raglan (baseball) shirtRaglan shirts feature sleeves of a different color than the rest of the shirt, which typically stretch all the way to the shirt’s collar and neckline. Baseball teams often have raglan-style shirts as part of their uniforms.
Ringer shirts feature collars and sleeves with ribbing in a different color than the rest of the garment. They became very popular in the 1950s, and were primarily associated with rock ’n roll culture—but they’ve become more mainstream nowadays.
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Round-neck shirtRound-neck shirts are fairly basic, with simple, rounded necklines. It’s common to see round-neck t-shirts used as staple pieces in a wardrobe because they’re so versatile and work for most people regardless of face shape.
Scoop neck shirts have rounded necklines that hang more loosely than round-neck and crew neck shirts, thus highlighting the neck and collarbone.
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Shell topShell tops are sleeveless, with a loose shape, crew neck, and not much else. “A shell is a top that’s not going to have any ruffles or a lot of details; it's going to be like your blank canvas,” explains Kahn.^{[7]
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Tank tops are sleeveless, meaning they have shoulder straps but no sleeves. Beyond that, they can come in various styles; typically, tank tops have a scoop neckline—and sometimes a racerback design in the back.^{[8]
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Smock topSmock tops are loose, with a gathered “skirt” attached around the chest area that can drape and create a fuller effect.
Spaghetti strap tops are essentially sleeveless tank tops with extra-thin straps stretching over the shoulders, connecting the front and back of the shirt.
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Split-hem shirtSplit-hem shirts feature split seams along the sides of the shirt, allowing for a looser fit and a little more breathing room around the stomach.
True to its name, the square neck shirt has a boxy, wide square neckline that bares the collarbone and even a little shoulder. While originally a neckline cut reserved for dresses, there are plenty of square-neck shirts and blouses nowadays.
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Step-hem shirtStep-hem shirts have a shorter hem-line in the front and a longer hem in the back, giving them the appearance of steps.
Sweatshirts are pullover-style tops usually made from warmer, heavier fabrics. They’re loose and long-sleeved, with no collars and close-fitting cuffs at the neckline, sleeve hems, and bodice hem.
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Swing topSwing tops flare dramatically at the lower hem, giving their shape a “swinging” effect as they curve inward at the waist, then flare out.
T-shirts are simple tops with short sleeves, and they can have a wide variety of cuts and necklines. Plus, they’re versatile! “Nowadays, with T-shirts, you can actually dress them up. So having the T is great for casual or dressy casual,” Kahn explains.^{[9]
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Tie-hem (tie-front) shirtTie-front shirts have ties, sashes, or loose pieces of fabric that can be tied a the front. They’re often tighter at the bottom (because the ends are tied) and can fall around the waist, hip, or be a cropped length.
Tube tops have no sleeves or fabric covering the shoulders, making them totally strapless. They’re tight-fitting to compensate for the lack of straps, usually made from fabric with stretch.
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Tunic shirtTunic tops are longer than the average shirt, draping down over the hip. They typically have side seam slits and can have any length of sleeves (as well as a wide range of necklines).
Turtlenecks are as functional as they are a fashion statement. With a higher neckline (and fabric covering the neck), they’re popular in cold weather for the extra warmth they provide. They’re also considered more dressy and “business casual” than a plain t-shirt.
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U-neck shirtU-neck shirts are basically a more dramatic version of a scoop-neck; their neckline is deeper and more pronounced, showing off a little more of the chest and bust. Some people prefer wearing undershirts with U-necks, while others are happy wearing their U-necks as is.
V-neck shirts are defined by their plunging, V-shaped neckline. The shirt itself can have a wide range of different fits and styles (also covered in this article), but any shirt with that V-shaped neckline is a V-neck. “The V-neck is really easy to layer jackets over, or a cardigan over, or put jewelry pieces with,” adds Kahn.^{[10]
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Wardrobe Stylist

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Wrap topThese tops feature one side of the bodice wrapped artfully around the other, creating the look (or illusion) of a shirt wrapped around the torso. It’s sometimes called a “surplice” top.
X-ray tops are see-through, made from thin (transparent) fabric. "A transparent shirt can be styled with a classic bra, a pretty bralette, or a plain camisole worn underneath,” says Hewlett. “Pair the rest of your look down and make the shirt and the transparent fabric the statement."^{[11]
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Yoke topYoke tops have a patterned piece called a “yoke” that covers the neck and shoulders—usually in a different color or pattern from the rest of the shirt, making that top shoulder piece distinct.