A striped belted shirt dress adds visual rhythm to a silhouette that could otherwise feel plain. Stripes add interest without being as busy as prints. The direction and scale of stripes matter. Vertical stripes elongate. Horizontal stripes add width. The stripe pattern continues through the belt which can either break the pattern or enhance it depending on design. Stripes also tend to hide things better than solids do. The shirt dress structure and the stripe pattern together create a dress that reads as designed. These striped belted shirt dresses work because the pattern adds character to a practical silhouette.