Fab Ways to Layer a White Button-Down Shirt

I’m a big fan of white shirts, and after reading Angie’s recent post on layering white button-down shirts, I was curious to see how our bloggers have been wearing this look. The answer: with aplomb, of course! So today, I’m excited to share these six versions below.

Elaine

Elaine opted for timeless black and white in her interpretation of the layered white button-down. She’s popped an oversized white tunic shirt under a black cropped turtleneck sweater for a fashion-forward look. The cropped sweater in combination with the high-low hemline of the shirt balance out the black in the rest of the outfit. Cropped kick-flare jeans and pointy-toe calf-length boots streamline the look, and lengthen the leg line because there’s no horizontally cutting gap between the hem of the jeans and the footwear. Elaine’s sleek bob, square sunnies, and playful graphic-style bag in white, black, and green all play up the crisp architectural lines of this high-contrast outfit.

Tanja

Tanja successfully mixes cool and warm-toned neutrals again in this polished casual denim outfit. A unique puffer vest with short sleeves in a shiny cappucino acts as the statement piece. Our blogger layered her white fluid-fit button-down shirt under the vest. Popping the shirt collar and wearing the vest partly open puts plenty of crisp white fabric on show. She dresses down the shirt with grey distressed ankle-length skinnies. Then brings the dressy back with white platform loafers with gold horsebit. The gold is subtly echoed in some of Tanja’s jewellery, her crossbody’s hardware, and oversized round gold-rimmed sunnies. The clever ‘double’ bag in taupe suede and leather snakeskin ties the colour palette together. A beige cashmere beanie is the playful finishing touch.

Psyche

Isn’t Psyche’s shorts suit all kinds of fun! The shorts make it more playful, while the vibrant sour yellow makes it a true showstopper. Our blogger has layered her crisp white shirt under the roomy suit blazer. Half-tucking the shirt adds extra playful nonchalance, and sheer black hosiery dresses up the outfit. The pointy-toe combat boots lengthen the leg line, and bring refined hard edge to the look. They also bookend Psyche’s hair. A black quilted bag and Modern Classic trench in beige further dress up the outfit. Deep red lipstick and Psyche’s polished short ‘do continue that effect.

Patricia

An updated version of the Modern Classic neutrals look that traditionally would consist of full-length pants, hip-length cardigan, loafers and tailored white button-down. Patricia instead paired her tailored shirt with a camel maxi cardigan, pleated, ankle-length faux leather trousers, and Western-style booties. Scrunching the cardigan sleeves and turning up the shirt cuffs adds structure. The cardigan’s straight silhouette streamlines the look, while the pleated trousers add some volume on the bottom. Our blogger’s taupe booties don’t match the camel but the colours work well together. The stud detailing on the footwear, together with Patricia’s jewellery and mirrored sunnies, add subtle bling and polish. Bright red nails add a fun pop of colour.

Rochelle

The second puffer vest in this collection, a hooded knee-length one this time in a gorgeous shade of paprika. The combination of the punchy paprika with the deep earthy cinnamon steals the show for me. Marta’s white button-down just makes all of this vibrancy sing even louder. She dresses up tailored joggers with a white shirt and cashmere V-neck sweater in the exact same colour as the bottoms. Buttoning the shirt all the way up adds a touch of strict crispness that juxtaposes perfectly with the Sporty Luxe vibe of the look. Layering the refined tailored-fit puffer vest over the shirt and sweater adds a third layer up top which keeps the eye moving instead of settling on one horizontal line. Marta’s long pendant necklace enhances that effect. Crisp white sneakers match the shirt, and the white is repeated in her pearl earrings. Beaded bracelets that echo the outfit’s colour palette, a small cream quilted bag and oversized mirrored sunnies complete the look.

Marta

How delightful is this matchy-matchy sweater vest and pants ensemble! The leopard print creates instant oomph and bucketloads of visual interest. Rochelle has layered her tailored white button-down under an on-trend relaxed-fit sweater vest with V-neckline, which brings attention to the crisp collar of the shirt, and draws the eye up and down. The tailored straight-legged trousers are cropped, but not leg-shortening when combined with nude footwear. The pointy-toe stiletto heels also add height. Going for a patent pump in a neutral is a good way to add subtle bling while letting the bold animal print do all of the talking. Rochelle’s wavy ‘do and peach lippy add softness against the crisp button-down.

Do you have a favourite? Let us know in the comments, and we’d love to hear how you’ve been wearing your white button-downs too!

Trend: Ruching

Ruching is a design detail most often found on garments, although it can also be found on footwear and accessories. Fabric strips are pleated, fluted, or gathered together to create a folded and ripple-like effect. Ruching can look like draping, a gathered seam, or have a drawstring casing with a tie. Both woven and knitted garments can be ruched.

We see ruching every season. But because it’s having a trendy fashion moment, you’ll see more of it for a while. You’ll find ruching on any garment, and in all sorts of areas on a garment. Side seams, princess seams, back seams, sleeves, skirt fronts, button stands and necklines are the most commonly ruched areas on clothing items.

Here are some examples.

Ruching makes a garment look more substantial and interesting by adding depth and texture. Excessive draped ruching has a dramatic visual effect. When ruching is strategically positioned, especially in a patterned garment, it can even out lumps and bumps thereby smoothing out the body’s silhouette. Ruching can also narrow or taper a garment and provide some structure.

Ruching does not have to create a form-fitting appearance. The design detail can appear on voluminous garments too. Check out the ruching on these sleeves, and how it amplifies the volume creating an exaggerated architectural effect.

Most of my clients enjoy ruched garments of some sort. Every so often, ruching can also make a garment feel less than fab by adding too much bulk, too much structure, or too much pouf. Sometimes ruching can feel too constricting, and other times it simply looks too maximal. The devil is in the details.

Generally, I like garment ruching. I don’t actively seek out ruched garments, but if it’s part of a garment that works well and feels good, I will happily wear the design detail. How about you?

Fab Finds: Simple Punchy Items

This week’s top picks include an assortment of items for a range of climates and colours because Spring weather is varied and unpredictable. Sunny and mild one day, grey and chilly the next. Hot sun, wet rain, hail or snow. Spring can be four seasons in one month. It’s the most unpredictable season in Seattle, and I find myself wearing a bit of everything until July. At the moment it’s alternating between a cold and a mild Spring here in Seattle. I hope it warms up more soon.

1. ASTR Tiered Short Sleeve Dress

This dress looks good in every colour. It’s lightweight, drapey, and lovely in motion. The puffy sleeve makes a statement, yet collapses to relax the volume. It looked great on my curvy client with a medium sized bust, who twirled around in it for a while. She will wear it with sneakers, sandals, and combat boots, and bought two colours. It’s crease-resistant, not see-through, and runs big.

2. Caslon Stripe Split Neck Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Striped tees with V-necks are elusive, and this one is soft and comfy. The fit is gently fluid, and the neckline looks tidy. The stripes match at the side seams. It’s a fab simple item with a bit of pizazz. Lightweight, versatile, and easy to wash. Might run a size big.

3. Madewell Washed Leather Motorcycle Jacket: Brass Hardware Edition

This is a beautifully made modern classic which will last for years if you take care of it. It’s pricey, but you can get 20% off. Its gorgeous antique brass hardware makes a subtle and unique statement and adds a dressy touch to the topper. Wear it with anything from jeans, leggings, utility pants, shorts and joggers, to dresses, skirts, cocktail wear and ball gowns. Make sure you assess the fit with the correct layers underneath. It’s lightweight and can work as an indoor jacket.

4. M&S Collection Denim Jacket with Stretch

This is a neat and tidy denim jacket that’s offered in five Spring and Summery colours at a good price. It’s not soft, but harder like regular thick cotton twill. It has a robust utility vibe to it. It has a 1% stretch component so it’s not as stretchy as you might prefer. It has a fab tailored fit and is sufficiently short if you like short jackets like I do. It’s a slam dunk with dresses, skirts, and wide pants and jeans with higher rises. The mint green is more mint in person and the pink is like a very soft lilac. It runs narrow so you might need to size up if want a more fluid fit.

I am always on the lookout for denim jackets because I wear them a lot in the late Spring and Summer. The shocking pink earned a place in my wardrobe because it creates a fab matching complement with two old pairs of shoes, a bag, and a few guitar straps. I’ll wear it with the Summery dark blue, white, orange, blush, red, citron and light blue in my wardrobe. With a pair of olive carrot pants too. The collection shows my shocking pink complement with the jacket. Perfect match!

5. Mephisto Dominica Sandal

These are very comfortable sandals that have worked on a range of foot shapes because of adjustable velcro straps. The footbed moulds to your feet and has good support. The platform adds height, and is easy to walk in. You might need to size up if you have long toes. It can work for bunions too. They are lightweight, on trend, and come in an assortment of colours. Well worth the rave reviews.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Outfit Formula: Pattern Mix

This is for Team Pattern Mix. These days, you can combine most patterns together, and it’s all good. You used to have to find some sort of common ground between the patterns to wear them together to create visual harmony. The patterns could match in palette or pattern, or both. You can absolutely follow that pattern-mixing strategy — and I do — but combining completely different, clashing patterns in one outfit is just as fashionable. Sometimes, I like doing that too.

Patterns like two-tone stripes, dots, checks, plaids, geometric patterns, and animal print tend to be easy to pattern mix with other patterns because they are relatively simple and grounding. But don’t let that stop you from pattern mixing to your heart’s content. The only limit is your own threshold for the hectic combination.

Here are some examples, followed by four particularly nice examples in more detail.

1. Same Pattern, Different Colours

This outfit combines bottoms and a topper in the same pattern across different colour palettes. The colours don’t match, but the patterns do, which makes them work together in a maximal and bold way. A solid white top unifies the patterns because there is white in the pattern. Black footwear bookends the model’s black hair, and matches the black in one of the patterns. White footwear that matches the tee would work well too.

Same Pattern Different Colours

2. Mismatched Match

A red and white heritage patterned twinset is combined with an oversized jade and white gingham skirt. The patterns look and feel completely different, but share white as their base colour. They are also two-toned, bright, and bold. The common base colour creates unity between the patterns. The red shoes that pick up the red of the pattern up top, help to pull together the outfit.

Mismatched Match

3. Mix of Four Patterns

This may look like a ‘haphazard, thrown together and hoping for the best’ outfit, but it’s cleverly engineered when you look more closely. The outfit combines FOUR patterns. Each pattern has navy and white in it, which creates a subtle sense of harmony. Two of the patterns are two-toned navy and white stripes, which creates similarity between them, and grounds the other two more hectic patterns. Furthermore, the plaid is made up of stripes, which further unifies the striped component of the patterns. The black shoes bookend the model’s hair, and bring the look together.

Mix of Four Patterns

4. Pattern and Graphic Tee

This outfit combines an all-over pattern on the bottom with a graphic tee up top. The graphic tee has black and white in it, which sufficiently marries the prints so that they match. Black shoes pick up the black in both patterns. A white or pink bag would look fab, as would a blue denim jacket. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

Pattern and Graphic Tee

The Dressing Room Dance

It’s often easy to see when a client, friend, or family member loves a potential new wardrobe item. They do a little dance, twirling around in the dressing room. Sometimes they keep the item on for quite a while before removing it. Smiley and happy, looking in the mirror, looking at the item repeatedly. The dressing room might be in a store, but it could also be at home when you’re trying on an item you ordered online.

I relate to this. I often break into a little dance, or twirl around the house when I love a garment I’m trying on for the first time. I remember trying on a gorgeous skirt while birthday shopping with Greg a while ago. I kept spinning around in it, smiling, and waited a long time before removing it to try on the next item. Patient and sweet Greg said, “We are definitely getting that skirt.”

Actions speak louder than words. As you try on a new item, pay attention to the way you instinctively respond to it, and the way you feel in that moment.

Who else does a little dressing room dance when you try on an item that you love?