Other forms: shirtwaists
A shirtwaist is an old-fashioned blouse that buttons up the front. Shirtwaists were commonly worn by working women in the early 20th century.
Shirtwaists were modeled on men's shirts, with a collar, cuffs, and buttons down the front. The name comes from the predominant fashion of wearing them tucked into the waist of a skirt. Though they began as practical workwear, shirtwaists came to symbolize the new independence of working women. They were so popular around the turn of the century that hundreds of east coast factories, including New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, were dedicated to producing them.