I have really become a fan of blouses recently. They do look much more pulled together together- even in casual outfits. Unfortunately, they are cost prohibitive for me, but they are something that I am going to focus on for my permanent wardrobe.

Chewy, you just made my day. Glad to hear it.

I absolutely agree with you, Angie. I love the look and feel of blouses and I love the extra muffin top coverage they give me. You *can* find them at lower price points — just have to search a bit harder (just picked one up at the Rack on clearance). Would the ECI rosette top fall in the blouse category too? I love that top!

You know I’m a blouse convert! I agree wholeheartedly with all your points. Yes, I still wear knits too – especially in summer, as they are easier to launder when you get all sweaty – but blouses are my preference.

I would add:

Blouses are far more versatile. You can dress them up or down. Wear for smart casual, or professional.

I love bouses (man, I want that DVF top!) but they do still fit me trickier than knits. So knits are easier while I’m transitioning. But I always, always keep my eye open for wovens.
When I lose my last pounds, I will definitely alter items to fit perfectly.

I really like the idea of blouses but they always seem more difficult to layer with — and I get cold so I need a jacket or cardigan. Hopefully I can find a few fab blouses to add to my wardrobe.

Yes! I love blouses and I wear them almost exclusively. I find them just as easy to wear as a t-shirt/knit top but they look and feel so much nicer! I have a very casual lifestyle as a SAHM but blouses (mostly cotton) work really well. Sure, I have to iron them, but it is worth it.

I like blouses but with my big bust I have a hard time finding ones that fit. (And frankly, on the site you recommend I don’t find the blouses flattering at all, esp. for $90). So I have tons of knits in my wardrobe which I treat with kid gloves because they just fit.

That said, I just found two blouses at the J Crew outlet last weekend in the $40 range. They are outlet versions of F09 items, the Frances cami and the Hammered Silk tank. The quality looked fine. Both are silk/silk blends. One will need altering at the shoulders because I’m short waisted. I continually look for blouses but it’s more miss than hit.

My other issue with silk for summer is that it’s hot and it shows the sweat. But I agree with Shiny that bouses are versitile in general.
Shari

Just over the past couple of days I’ve realized how unfab I feel when I try to wear a knit top. I would have once placed blouses in the “old lady” category, but I feel so frumpy in knits now that I really don’t plan to buy any more and need to learn how to shop for blouses now.

I bought several when I was with you and and love them. I also love the last two on this post. They do cover the muffin top and make me feel more sophisticated.
Thank-you Angie!

I used to be a knit person but I am a convert, and I am absolutely not a typical woven person.

Curvy girls usually rely on the stretchiness of knits to follow their shape, but I find it much, much, MUCH more flattering to have a structured woven tailored to my shape than have a piece of clingy fabric stretching over my body like a bandage. I can’t tell you what a difference it makes. It makes my big bust look smaller by actually fitting and providing room for it, instead of just stretching over it. It makes my waist look smaller and completely conceals anything I might not want to show off. As I said, I have a very large bust, small but short waist, and some tummy bits. I am by no means easy to fit, so if I can find them, anyone can.

Some of my wovens are easier to maintain than others. I can wash and dry many of them the same way I would knits, and not worry about wrinkles. For those that do wrinkle, I use a Dryel kit and once every few months take them to an eco-friendly cleaner. A Dryel kit is actually much easier and quicker than normal laundry and unles you have stained your clothes badly, it’s just as effective and I have so far not neede to iron anything…which is great, as I despise ironing. Maintenance is a non issue for me.

Wovens also last for as long as they fit. I got so frustrated at having to constantly replace my entire wardrobe of tops each summer due to pilling, holes, color fading, and loss of shape. My oldest woven top is from Anthropologie and has lasted me four years (which doesn’t sound like a lot, but considering I was replacing knits after each season, it’s a long time). It shows no signs of wear. I don’t like to shop for tops so I’m glad I finally have enough to take a break from shopping for a while.

I am not dressy, strict, serious, old, or classic at all in my personal style. There are lots of fun and funky woven tops out there. For some reason people use woven and buttondown interchangeably, but they are not the same thing as you can see from the pictures.

Finally, price point: I used to think wovens were more expensive, but they really aren’t. A nice knit top (something with more visual interest than a basic scoopneck) is usually just as expensive or a tiny bit cheaper, and doesn’t last even have as long. Expensive knits will fade quicker than an inexpensive woven, in my experience.

I still like knits in certain circumstances, but I will never let them dominate my wardrobe again.

blah, half* as long, not have!

I love the blouses I see this season. The ones you have cited are so beautiful. Maybe it is because I can’t wear them because I am nursing and my breasts have grown to outrageous proportions and won’t fit under regular blouses. If I can’t nurse in it, it is a no-go
Maybe in 2012?

Even though I’m big busted I don’t really distinguish on a fabric-construction basis – if something fits me well AND fits the job I have for it, then it can be a go.

One of my favorite pieces right now is what I would call a knit blouse – it’s smooth jersey, in a beautiful aqua/blue/green watercolor print, and it looks wonderfully professional while being supremely comfortable – the best of both worlds. It’s not tight or clingy, but doesn’t hide my shape either.

Long story short – I own both types of tops and I choose them on their individual merits, not by category.

I really like blouses for the reasons Angie and others have stated – particularly muffin top coverage, but I have a very hard time fitting them. My shoulders are narrow and my ribcage is relatively small (I seem to be a 30/32 C). Most blouses I try on are really big on top though they fit at the hip area. Maya, does one brand/style fit you better than others? I do seem to have better luck with blouses with buttons or side zippers.

I have never been a fan of knits, and I love the look of blouses. However, I have been having trouble choosing them – it’s hard for me to get the right combination of the sleeves, neckline and color, and there is a lot of frilly detailing out there right now, so I usually fall back onto the button down style. I would also love to find some that don’t require a base layer. The other limiting factor is that I don’t dry clean.

Reason number 1 is convincing enough for me! When I found YLF a year ago I mostly wore V-neck/scoop neck plain T’s. I tried to move to knits and liked the improvement but don’t like the fact that they are starting to lose their shape and pill. I want my clothes to last for years and years, not one season, because waste upsets me.

I’ve been anti blouses/button-downs in the last 10 years because of the ironing issue – DH wears pure cotton shirts and it’s enough to cope with to do those and any work button-downs I’ve worn. What I have discovered, though, is that I am enoying the few casual button downs I have so much that I don’t hate ironing them so much! I also feel happier to iron DH’s as I’ve started to realise how much pleasure he gets from his!

So there we are, Angie, – you’re promoting domestic harmony as well as style!

Angie, you know I’m a blousie girl and it is all thanks to you (3 summers now). Between them being a great choice for hot weather and loving that more pulled together look, I am always on the look out for special ones. I’m particularly partial to voluminous styles.

What a timely post! I realized over the weekend that I really needed more woven blouses in my wardrobe for all of the reasons you have mentioned! It’s easier to fit knits that “fit” but my blouses are much more flattering. I just decided reading this post that it would be worth investing in some blouses even if I have to alter them a bit to get them right. My blouses have lasted years, my knits last maybe a year.

I love the tops you have posted!

I think I’m still not quite sure on what makes a blouse a blouse. All the tops you picture lack buttons. So is a blouse always button-less? I have a couple of sleeveless tops that I always thought of as blouses; they are in soft fabrics, very drapey, not stiff like button-downs, but they do button in the front. Are those not blouses? What are they?

It’s just been since finding YLF that I’ve noticed how much woven tops help me look and feel more stylish. Funny, after finding a few pretty blouses a friend complimented me on what I was wearing. I told her I was going to try to stop wearing t-shirts so often and she looked at me like I was crazy and said “What?!” Then she told me that even though my blouse was pretty, it didn’t look like “me”. So I just dropped it. If by “me” she meant frumpy and in gear, than she was right, I didn’t look like that. Thank goodness!

I know we’ve gone over this before but I think one of the hardest parts about upgrading your style is dealing with friends who want you to stay in your frump-rut.

And I am in love with the tops you’ve shown- especially that sleeveless beauty on the end. Love and want! Perfect for a hot day.

I’m starting to inch over to the shirt/blouse side due to mounting knit-fit frustration. I’d really like to incorporate them more this summer. (I’ve been playing around with short sleeve shirts/denim walking shorts for a casual weekend look.) I’d love some recommendations for blouses that are not frilly/printed/bright colors!

You changed my mind, I will be on the lookout for blouses. Albest, Angie!

I would love to wear a blouse…but so far, I haven’t found one that fits correctly. The blouses I’ve tried so far are either too sack like, or fit in the bust but have too much volume under the bust.

The materials I’m going for are either chiffon or silk, and the blouse of my dreams would be tucked in to a full skirt. What should I be looking for to make this work?

I’ve always loved blouses because they really last much longer!

The other reason is that they make any outfit much more chic!

That’s true they cost more but it’s worth!

I am totally loving woven tops and blouses more and more each day. They are just such an step up to a more polished look as opposed to knits. I am wearing the knits I have less and less except cardigans, which I also put aside more in favor of woven jackets. In the last few months I have been focusing on acquiring more woven blouses slowly – slow only because as Khris mentioned, they can be cost prohibitive.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE blouses.

I live in them 5 days a week, except in the heat of summer.

A blouse and dress pants are my go work uniform when I don’t need a full suit.
Blouses are ‘classy’ and professional and make me feel fab. I wear silk ones and poly ones and blends, so long as they drape the right way.

I love the look of a blouse over a knit, but find it a challenge to locate one’s that are not too frilly and can be machine or hand washed. I can’t wear a top more than once before having to wash it.

I have always liked the idea of blouses, for all the reasons you list, but in practice have had so much trouble finding them to fit right that I basically gave up.

What advice to you have for finding woven tops to fit a pear shape? Invariably if it fits in the shoulder and bust, it won’t fit over my hips/butt. (Insert sad face here.) I have never attempted to purchase and then alter, either, because from what little I know of clothing construction it seems like blouses are pretty difficult to alter.

You know, I don’t think I would have ever classified any of those examples as blouses. When I hear the word “blouse” I think of something like this:

http://www.chadwicks.com/1/1/1.....louse.html

which I avoid because I dislike ruffles in general and especially up by my face. I think I’d wear something with a shape like #1, but in a solid.

What an amazingly timely post, at least for me. I’m actually wearing a blouse today, for the first time in quite some time, and I love it. I don’t usually wear blouses because I have very (very) broad shoulders and pretty muscular arms, both of which can be problematic in fitting a blouse. But, I love the look of them and agree they can be worn both casually and more dressed up. And yes, they disguise the muffin-top sooooo very well! I have been looking at blouses more and more lately and am glad that I have been. It’s more difficult to find ones that fit me, but I think it’s completely worth it.

I forgot to add one of my top reasons for switching to woven blouses- they help balance out my narrow shoulders much better than knits. I think woven tops are the way to go for my pear shape when it’s too hot to wear a jacket.

I’ve tended towards knits (for similar reasons Shari mentioned) but lately have intentionally hunted for blouses. Not traditional button ups though as I get a lot of gaping and have fit issues with those.
Michael Kors always suits me in the blouse dept. He makes a nice lightweight silk blend that drapes well, is a bit wrinkle resistant and is generously cut in the bust.
Doing some planning for a trip and I have more blouses on the list to take than knits! That’s a switch.

I adore blouses and love they way they look layered with a structured jacket.

The only drawback are the price tags!

I am totally into blouses now. The interesting details, flowy nature, everything feminine about them, I love. A beautiful blouse can do most of the work in making an outfit look and feel fab.
On the other hand a simple, well pressed blouse made of beautiful fabric, can give life to a jacket put over the top.
I’m starting to feel like I may be a mood dresser, writing love poetry to blouses. Shiny, we need to talk!

The big reason I’ve been wearing summer blouses is that I think that thin woven materials are way cooler than knits. You can see this from the way that folks in tropical climates dress, where there is usually little air conditioning. I just thrifted some adorable blouses today so I’m glad to see this post.

I love blouses for the first two reasons Angie gives. Someone else says it makes them feel more sophisticated — I feel the same, even when it’s a casual blouse. Let’s hear it for blousy tops!

Really? Blouses are perceived as being unhip? I love blouses, and have one on today (I’ll have to post tonight;-D). Blouses make me feel grown-up (weird that I’m saying this because I’m inching towards 40!) and seem more glamorous to me than knits. Love them!

I’ve been slowly moving away from buttondown shirts to blouses. I just bought one at the Ann Taylor Factory Outlet that is navy blue with a 3/4 sleeve in a polyester that looks and feels like silk, so it’s washable. It is fitted under the bust, then flares out a bit and looks fantastic with white jeans. Since joining YLF, I’ve come to love the look of a dressier blouse with jeans but sometimes find it hard to get the length for pants.

Wow.l I’m surprised to hear so much blouse love

Shiny, blouses are versatile.Quite right.

Marianna, your ECI blouse is a blouse!

aj, how are blouses harder to layer? Poufy sleeves *can* look weird under a cardigan. Tell me more and lets get you sorted.

Shari, it’s a shame you feel that way. Are you talking about blouses or button down shirts?

So far I have had no trouble fitting blouses onto fuller bust lines. They are much easier to fit than button down shirts. Head for labels like Tahari, Jones, Nine West, Michael Kors, INC and Liz Claiborne. That means one stop shopping at Macys.

Maya, I’m applauding your novel. Great points and so glad you saw the woven light. You wear wovens very well.

Thunalata, what a happy story! Thanks for sharing and for wearing woven tops again.

Sinead, another happy story and I love your reasons for wearing blouses. You just made my day too.

Antje, blouses are woven. If the style looks like a blouse but is knitted – it’s a knit top, or knitted shirt. Blouses can absolutely be button through styles too. Or have zips. Your new white top from Germany is a blouse!

Dusty, that’s a blouse. But so are the ones pictured. Countless style choices when it comes to blouses.

I hear those who are opposed to blouse frills and poufs. There is a lot of that going on right now. Hope Autumn’s collections will be different.

Angie, I’m still not sure what you define as a “knit” top and what is the difference between this and a t-shirt material top? I think what you call blouses definitely look better with jeans on me, but with looser, linen trousers I think tops that are closer fitted and with more “give” in the fabric look better (like t-shirts) – otherwise as I am petite I think I look swamped!

Thanks so much for the clarification, Angie. So I do have blouses and I love them I just have more buttoned ones than the unbuttoned ones in your picture. I like them because they are soft, look great on their own and layered under a jacket, and because they are so light and cooling, as Susan points out. Yay to blouses.

“but I’ve made a style choice to stick to button down shirts and blouses because they suit my lifestyle and make me feel more pulled together.”

That’s quite the coincidence! I actually decided the same thing a while back, for all the reasons you are mentioning above!!

I think the ball started to drop when I bought that sleeveless B&W tie-neck blouse at Mango last year. I felt so fab in it, and slowly started to realise woven tops are the way to go for me. I love how they instantly make me feel “fully dressed” and much more polished, even the most casual outfit feels more me if I wear a woven top. They fit my style perfectly and they often have much more interesting details, always a plus in my book.

I do feel woven top options are somewhat limited in the shops here, especially if you want something with sleeves, but I’m determined to find some fab ones anyway;-)

You know, after Angie’s recent post about garments not holding up, quality-wise, and noticing that many of the culprits were knitted, I am getting on the wovens bandwagon, and that includes blouses. That, and I find wovens much more flattering. Sometimes it’s hard to find wovens that are casual — but I just picked up one of these DKNY blouses to go with clams this summer:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....sn_results

I like woven shirts. I like woven blouses…on other people. Often when I put one on, I feel like an imposter. I do have a couple that are “tunic” or “baby doll” style. But anything with a flounce or a frill is out. I look like a clown. I don’t know why.

As a lot of people have mentioned, I would love to wear more blouses, but fit is a problem. In my case, I’m very small on top, and so many blouses are way too low-cut to work on me. Petites are hard to find. I don’t go for skimpy/transparent clothes or mega frills, so I don’t have a lot of choices right now. But I keep looking because I am tired of always having to wear knits.

hmmm…

Oh, yes, love blouses. You show some nice examples:)

Nothing says pretty and feminine or professional and serious better than a blouse, alone or with a jacket or cardio many ways to wear.

LOVE the orange blouse on the left. I would wear any of these!

Angie, I join you in hoping for movement away from the frilly/poufy. I have always loved woven tops — blouses, shirts — but have had a really hard time lately finding any I like. It’s all gathers and smocking, or gratuitous random ruffles. (And ugly patterns, but then I’m weird in my aversion to patterned fabrics…)

I don’t have many blouses that I actually wear. I am so used to knit tops that I don’t make time in my mornings to iron blouses. Plus I only like more feminine styles – no plain button-up shirts for me. I have trouble finding styles I like. That said, I wore a blouse yesterday that met all of my requirements, and I did indeed feel more pulled together.

I’m a huge fan of blouses these days. I started building up my blouse wardrobe about two years ago, as I came to the realization that all my knit tops and sweater sets were not only getting boring, but also not wearing very well after so many washings. They give my mostly-casual work wardrobe a much needed punch of “business appropriate” and they mix really well with jeans, skirts, jackets, and cardis, or just belted. I’ve purchased many blouses over the past few years, but so far my favorites have been surprisingly stylish and modern finds at Talbots and Talbots Outlet, although I’m also a fan of blouses from Ann Taylor and Loft. They’re so much more interesting than most knit tops are able to be. Inverted neckline pleats, ties, drapey bits, the odd ruffle really make a big impact when paired with dark jeans or a sleek pencil skirt. Yay for the blouse!

More blouse love here…but what is your take on the tuck vs no-tuck issue? It seems that the no-tuck blouses are overly casual and maternity-looking. Blouses don’t seem as crisp and dressy to me if they are untucked. Also, the untucked blouses can really only be worn with skinny bottoms. If you’re pairing a blouse with an a-line skirt or wide pants, it needs to tuck to diminish the volume. Thoughts?

I love blouses, but I have a tearfully hard time finding any that fit me. I have an extremely large bust, so large that I can’t just go up a size and have it tailored down. Often a 14 won’t button over my bustline. I could limit myself to shopping in plus sized stores, but my waist isn’t really plus-sized and the selection in plus sizes is always so disappointing. Besides, plus-sized ladies don’t necessarily have a large bust so the clothes would likely still fit oddly. I have bought a few from Bravissimo, but they offer a small selection and tend to sell out of my size quickly. Anthropologie often has the kind of dainty and whimsical blouses I love, but almost all their lines are cut for small-busted women. I think I look much slimmer and more put together in wovens, but I simply can’t find much in the ready to wear realm.

I like blouses but they don’t tend to like me – like Malcontent, I have a full bust (36 DD/E, depending on the bra). I like the polished look of button-down shirts for work so when I find one that fits I try to buy multiples. I also find that a blouse that closes with a ZIPPER, not buttons, is great – zip-front blouses, or blouses that (gasp) don’t have a front opening don’t have that telltale “gap”.

I have tried sewing “snaps” in the gap, with limited success. And I’m not about to spend $10 on overpriced double-sided tape to keep the gap closed.

Angie you have definititely influenced me more towards wearing blouses. I look back to my early ylf days, and all I wore on top was my plain-coloured, basic cotton tshirts on top. I now have a decent collection of tops – amazing!!! Whilst I do still gravitate towards knits for their casual and comfort factor, I do appreciate the look of wovens more. That’s been one of my biggest ylf lessons!!!!

I love blouses, but you hit on the two obstacles: laundry and price. Besides that blouses are the hardest type of shirt to find, sheer percentage-wise of what’s available. Or am I crazy?

I’m always on the lookout for cute blouses and enjoy wearing them in the summer. I agree they do last longer than knits and definitely look more polished. They are also cooler especially the cotton ones. If washable -I put my blouses in the washing machine using cold water delicate cycle and then line dry. A quicky ironing is all they need if I smooth them down before drying.

I was always attracted to shirts and blouses, and YLF only cemented my interest. I went through a period when I kind of gave up on them (pre YLF) because of fit issues. They don’t often fit perfectly off the rack, but I’m not giving up. I always have an eye out for interesting styles and fabrications.

They hold up better, they offer instant polish and instant structure (or not – for example voluminous styles), they feel cool in warm weather. And because I’m a mood dresser, they give more options than knit tops.

Another ‘yes’ to blouses. Even when you’re just wearing jeans and flats, they add instant chic. The handwashing and ironing (mine are mostly silk) is worth it.

I’ve been switching to blouses for the most part. I am not comfortable in button downs, no matter what material, as I spend much of my work days sitting & they always seem bunched up, & either too small/confining or too large. But blouses are a great move away from knit tops – especially now that knits (as in tees, polos, etc) are getting flimsier by the season. And I agree that woven pullover style blouses (or back-fastening) skim the body & usually more flattering. I still have a stash of t shirts for around-the-house wear, but for work or something more than grocery shopping, blouses are my first choice.

I’ve found a cute double-layered top at NorthStyle, of all places, that has a flattering fit (their batik blouse in indigo & citrus-splashed), and is very forgiving to the muffin top.

This week’s You Look Fab posts are all about teaching me new things!

I didn’t think I could wear blouses with my body type, but after reading about how they can work with full busts, etc., I’m willing to give them a try. I especially like the fact that the wear longer–huge selling point for me!

Ok–next time I shop I’ll be on the lookout!

I love blouses! They’re great for work (worn with wide leg trousers and pumps or tucked into a skirt) and great as casual wear too (worn with jeans). I like switching them up with cardigans or boyfriend blazers. The real frilly ones work well with boyfriend blazers over them and some chunky/long necklaces. Ann Taylor Loft and JCrew tend to offer some nice blouses on sale.

I have much more blouse love than ever before. I rarely buy them new since they’re too expensive for my current budget. But I’ve found some wonderful vintage blouses on etsy lately. It’s what started my blouse conversion to begin with, as I could experiment with different styles of blouse for $30 to $40. Plus, when I shop vintage, I can find a blouse that nobody else is wearing. I highly recommend anyone on the fence about blouses to just go do a vintage blouse search there. Hopefully, like me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

I have both knits and blouses, but in addition to fit issues with blouses I’m just more of a knit personality, so to speak.

My most successful wear-on-own blouses all have stretch fabric, side zips, and rouching/knotting — I love the way they look, but this makes them a PITA to get on and off and to launder. [I dry clean them.] My washable button ups do better layered under…knits!

I’m not quite clear on your distinction between “knits” and “knitwear,” but I don’t see my closet balance shifting to more wovens than knits anytime soon.

Right now wovens make up about 20% of my tops…but I’m always happy to add a new one if it seems “me,” and always happy to see others wearing great wovens!

Random reasons I’m on Team Knit:

* For me, solid-colored flat T-shirt knits are a good canvas for the scarves I’ve started adding…I don’t really like wearing scarves with wovens. Strange, I know.

* I don’t tuck because I’m short-waisted, and I think a lot of blouses look better tucked (not the ones I have!).

* Clingy or super-fitted is not necessarily a bad thing in my world, especially as I hate extra arm fabric bunching up under cardigans or jackets.

While I used to wear jackets over solid-colored flat knits in silk or jersey, when I had to dial back on the jackets (or pay for new “casual” ones) I started adding more patterned and textured knits. Now that I’m wearing more jackets again, I have more interesting knits to layer under them, yea.

I’m having trouble with terminology, woven, knit, knitwear, blouse etc. Is a t-shirt a knit? Is this always a fabric designation or can it be a style? I need a primer.

Hmmm. You’re giving me a lot to think about, Angie. I’ve always avoided blouses for 3 reasons: laundry, formality, and collars that interfere with my just-above-shoulder length hair.

But I do prefer quality over quantity, and muffin-hiding would be useful And I have been wearing my hair shorter lately. I really don’t do ironing though.

I’ll try to keep an open mind next time I’m shopping…

I think knitwear refers to what we commonly call sweaters (or jumpers…).

Tshirts are knits, but not all knits are tshirts. A jersey dress is a knit. A Sweet Pea mesh top is a knit too. They are knit the same way sweaters are, I think, but just with an ultra fine gauge.

Wovens are, well, woven…on a giant loom.

Correct me if I’m wrong…

I have not a thing against blouses and would happily sport them more often if it weren’t for my bust. I’ve always had a hard time finding blouses to work with my proportions, both at my former and current size. Whenever I find one that does work, though, I snap it up.

A blouse is a button down and to my mind is a non-cotton shirt.

I wish I could take the ladies with fit problems blouse shopping. It’s really very achievable to fit a blouse even with a fuller bust as many already have pointed out. I also suggested brands to target in an earlier comment. Don’t give up!

Maya, nice explanation. Spot on and 100% correct.

Mare, a blouse is not a button down shirt. And a blouse can be cotton.

Read this post to understand the differences between wovens and knits:

http://youlookfab.com/2008/03/.....us-wovens/

For those who find blouses too big, I get that too. You need to target certain brands for starters like: Club Monaco, Bebe, MNG, Zara, French Connection, Theory, Pink Tartan, Trina Turk, BCBG, Arden B – are to name but a few. Also, I’ve saved many blouses from looking too big by belting them at the waist, or just wearing them in a more voluminous way with skinnies.

Kasmira, I don’t necessarily think blouses look better tucked. It really depends on the style of the blouse and how it’s being worn. Are you layering over it? If you’re wearing an A-line skirt, you have to tuck or belt to keep that waistline. But a pencil skirt is a different animal, and looks great with a voluminous blouse.

I agree with everything you said in your post Angie.I do feel more put together and feminine in a blouse too.hiding the muffin top is another advantage.I have been adding alot more blouses in my wardrobe for these reasons and loving them

I love blouses! I love their feminine appeal and their capacity to highlight assets and hide flaws.

When I get to our spring-time, I plan on looking, looking, looking for some lovely new blouses to go with smart shorts and simple skirts. I can’t wait to see what the ladies on the NH come up with over summer, that’s for sure!

Yes, I’m a big fan of woven blouses and hope to add a couple more to my collection. I love their vintage appeal and their versatility.

I may be missing something but I have to iron all of my knit tops and a simple shell can be as easy to iron as a basic tee. I’m prepared to iron in order to feel fab but dry cleaning does make me want to cry.

After reading this post I checked my closet. I have only 3 blouses. Two are silk by Tahari and the other is an INC. I reserve them for more formal wear because of laundering issues and I feel too dressy in them in my business casual office.
I do love them and feel very feminime in them.
It’s so true though they do last much longer than a knit. One of the Tahari is going on 4 years and looks fabulous.
This post has prompted me to be more on the lookout for them and perhaps if I team them wilth capris or a business walking short I wouldn’t feel so overdressed in the office.
The Ann Taylor animal print style would work for me.

[...] and fully lined tipped jackets, all several seasons old, that I wear frequently. I pop them over soft silky blouses, button downs or knitwear, throw on jeans, then add dressy shoes and accessories. I also like to [...]

Angie, thanks for the tips on specific brands for bigger busts. I will give them a try. I admit to have given up on blouses for a long time and I haven’t tried any of those brands in awhile.

And while a big bust in and of itself isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, the big bust plus small ribcage/narrower shoulders is hard because it prevents just sizing up and altering.

And I didn’t even mention the whole capped sleeve issue, I can’t wait for it to go out of style!

My new love for blouses comes from living in a hot, humid climate, and wanting to wear something that is modest, stylish, but also cool (as in temperature: cool). My favorite tops are sheer blouses that are light weight and cool, but have a print so as to be attractive and modest at the same time. I teach at a university, so I want to dress professionally and modestly, but I don’t want to melt in this summer heat!

I adore the look of blouses, but you totally pinned me on why I don’t like wearing them: They’re not easy to care for and they don’t move with you. Another reason I don’t like blouses is that so many of them are made of polyester and so many of them are sheer so you have to layer them over a cami. Gets to be hot and uncomfortable. Silk, rayon and cotton blouses are better but often difficult to find on a budget. But they are beautiful and fashionable, no doubt!

I recommend Bravissimo for perfectly fitted tops – nothing like a crisp white blouse peeking out from under a cardigan or blazer.

Shari, you have described my body type to a T and I have been able to find lots of woven tops.

INC is my favorite stop for wovens. They are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and fit me perfectly. I have one top that’s like a buttondown with v neck, but the real genius is the smocking in the back that causes it to fit closely at the waist with a little peplum hem. This is not a good picture but it really is a great shirt:

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....92a943.jpg

The other top I have is a black buttondown with ruched sleeves:

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....G_2498.jpg

It fits in the bust and comes in at the waist, and I didn’t even have to size up.

I also try to find tops with shoulder details: Puff sleeves, ruched sleeves, epaulets, extended shoulders on jackets, etc. are all great. Broadening my narrow shoulders really helps balance out the bust, and it adds detail and interest to an outfit. It’s not a look most people can pull off so I really try to embrace it.

NY&Co is also good for inexpensive wovens. This one has a criss-cross front that helps bring it in at the waist.

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....G_2318.jpg

This one has a cummerbund tie at the waist.

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....G_1670.jpg

So basically anything that has some sort of waist detail is a win.

Lastly I find Anthropologie tops to fit really well too, but they are expensive for me so I only have a couple (though they last a long time). This one is the one I mentioned earlier, that I have had for four years (layered under a vest):

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....G_1773.jpg

Another not so fab picture, but it is a GREAT 40′s-look shirt with the cutest print:

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....photo4.jpg

Surprisingly Target (Merona specifically) has nice woven tops for big busts.

I also have a bunch of voluminous woven tops, but those are easy to fit since they do not require waist definition.

Hope that helps!

Interestingly, I have been slowly adding more blouses to my wardrobe, but I don’t plan on leaving knits behind. I don’t wear pants or skirts often enough in a week to need many of them.

That said, with the skinny pants trend still going strong, blouses are getting more use from me because I prefer something less clingy on top when I am wearing a skinny leg. Hmmm, I just made that connection; I think I know what pants I should wear the next time I go blouse-shopping!

Thanks for chiming back in, Shari. Wow, Maya! That’s excellent information. Thanks so much for taking the time to do that. I’m sure Shari will be thrilled

I am a blouse covert thanks to Angie! I have hardly worn any prior to YLF , but I started building my collection about 2 years ago and it is going nicely. They are especially comfy in the heat. However, I still wear knitted tops more often, since I am purposefully trying to look more casual at work.

Funny, I had just decided that it was time for me to give up on blouses for a while. I can’t wear OTT ruffles or lots of volume, and need waist definition for my figure not to look like a box. That leaves me with button-downs or button-down hybrids most of the time, and I then I have a hard time styling them so that they don’t look too matronly or uniform-ish, given that my style is mostly classic basics. Knit tops are easier to fit and they come across as more approachable, somehow.

That said, there’s nothing cooler in the summer than a nice floaty light woven blouse, and I still have a few. I don’t mind ironing, because there are plenty of other items in my wardrobe that need ironing, but 95% of my wardrobe has to be washable.

Honestly, I think the four examples given in your post don’t sell me on the idea, and only sort-of work because the models are tall and slim. How is a pear shape supposed to wear those blouses, when they give no waist definition at all?

[...] cotton, silk, linen and rayon rich blends. Cotton-silk blends get my vote for favourite hot weather woven blouse fabric. These blends are also great in breezy pant styles and [...]

[...] not a  basic T-shirt or item of knitwear (or sweater), but a more styled top made of jersey knit. A blouse is not a button down shirt, but a woven top usually made of cotton-silk blends or rayon-viscose [...]