I love my white shirts! I used to "save" them for wearing to work, but them I took ANgie's advice about duplicating items that create laundry bottlenecks. Now I can easily wear a white shirt layered under a sweater with jeans on a Saturday, or tucked into a full skirt for church, and I feel so much more like "me" this way.

I too find the white collar really useful in providing the brightness or contrast I need next to my face--it makes muddy mid-tones like grey go from blah to chic.

Like Marlene, I never look "polished" even in a white shirt, so I don't even try. In fact the day I discovered my RATEness was after giving a talk wearing a white shirt with a blazer (rare for me), I spilled tea on my shirt cuff and rinsed it and rolled both cuffs above the blazer sleeves and all of a sudden something clicked in place.

Re: the ironing: if you shake your shirt out really well as soon as it's done washing, and hang it to dry immediately (ideally, in a bit of wind), you may get away without ironing.

Why don't you run over to your nearest Goodwill/2nd hand store and pick up a men's white button down for $2, and spend some time playing with it in your wardrobe? Heck get 2 and chop the arms off one as a sleeveless piece to play with. If you hate the whole thing, you've wasted only a few bucks, but if you see promise and want to experiment more, you can buy a better fitting version.

Thanks everyone for the new input! I might see if I find a second hand shirt to play with the look, although I'm usually not all that successful with thrifting. As for getting some lighter/brighter tops in general - it's a good idea, I'll keep my eyes open.

I have no strong feelings one way or the other about white shirts, but I do have strong feelings about sleeveless white shirts. It just seems impossible to keep the underarm pristine, and once it's not pristine -- ugh.

April, that would be an issue, I agree.

The white shirt. Yes! But our rag bag is full of them as per the staining! Sheesh, a dilemma for me since I love the look. So what I do is find the cheapest ones possible anywhere and as soon as the bright white vanishes and the underarm area becomes stained: pop, into the rag bag they go. I have tried all kinds of Internet concoctions to rid the stains to no avail.
Not sure if it's the soap quality, washing machine, cotton issue etc.
I will not even give them to our local charity.

I own three white button downs. I can't imagine my wardrobe without them. Admittedly, I don't wear them much during the winter months, but they play a major role during the rest of the year. I think I consider them an easy fall back option. Perhaps I wear them as others might wear a teeshirt.

I can see a white shirt with your wardrobe - especially as a layering piece.

How about looking at second hand stores and see if you can get a really cheap one just to test it? There are several really good ones in Berlin. Since it'll be cheap and you wouldn't wear it as is you could cut off the sleeves if they bother you. If you like the style, you could save up for a Boden piece or the like.

This is an old thread - but I would like to ask astrid what she ended up doing.

Laura, I've never had one, so admittedly I know nothing about keeping them pristine... Not that pristine is something I aspire to, I've realised in the meantime that the look is not for me.

Sterling, I guess if they mesh with a style they make great "tees".

Harmonica, I've decided the typical white shirt isn't my thing and that's alright. This thread is older... I can see myself with a button down to layer with in another light color, but I think I'm going to stay away from white.

abc, I didn't end up buying one, not even a cheap one to try it. I did look in stores for a while, but I just never liked myself in them when I tried them on. Or I was ambivalent about the look.