Fluid button down shirts: where to buy? - YouLookFab Forum

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Fluid button down shirts: where to buy?

MsLuna

Veteran

Happy New Year, YLF!

I’m looking for good quality button down shirts/blouses in fluid/semi-fluid/drapey fabric. I do have one caveat though: sensitive skin. I’m picky about the texture, and sometimes, fabric breathability. This rules out many styles made of polyester (with a few exceptions).

Would you be able to recommend shops online that I can visit?

Another type of fabric I’m considering is silk (specifically from Equipment and Everlane), but I am hesitant because it often requires dry cleaning and I have read mixed thoughts on how silk fares in warmer weather (apparently it doesn’t breathe well?).

For those of you that own silk blouses/tops:
1. Was the silk wearable in warmer weather?
2. How often did you have to send the blouse to the cleaners?

Thanks!

Shopping

17 replies

Latest reply was from Gretchen

featherwitch

For fluid fabric button downs, Eileen Fisher has some options.

MsMaven

Veteran

I bought a nice rayon button down at Uniqlo summer before last. It's washable, looks good, has body so not clingy, but didn't come in many colors. I bought navy blue. Definitely fluid, but not clingy. I like to buy items in the Uniqlo store than online and haven't been in lately, so don't know what they have currently.

SarahD8

Veteran

I get it, MsLuna, I'm a natural-fiber snob and I don't like stiff shirts.

I've come to rely a lot on J.Crew. (photo 1) Some of their woven cotton shirts are lovely and soft, and their cotton-silk voile is just gorgeous.

The other thing I look for is tops that are made in India (photo 2 -- various brands). I think Indian cotton is often really high quality, I've found really nice tops from decidedly non-luxury brands (Old Navy!). Eta: that blush plaid top is actually rayon, others are cotton.

Neither of these strategies is 100% effective but they've become my go-to's.

As for silk, I have a couple of silk blouses in my cold-weather wardrobe but none for summer. I just put them in the washing machine on delicate. Just washed one today as a matter of fact, and it seems to have come through just fine. (Photo 3)

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JAileen

Veteran

I had a silk blouse I wore in Houston year round. I hand washed it and hung it to dry. It was a bear to iron, though.

Irina

Veteran

I wear silk in the summer months - pants, tops. It is natural, light and breathable fabric. I don’t ever dry clean it - I hand wash it and put on hangers to dry. I iron all my clothes. I buy from all types retailers: Eileen Fisher, Club Monaco, Joe Fresh, Equipment, COS and J Crew. Silk is irreplaceable in my summer wardrobe.

abc

Veteran

I swear by Nydj Henley blouses. They are polyester but since I put the first one on I said “this is not the same poly I know.” It doesn’t wrinkle and travels well and feels luxurious on the skin. You can find them at nydj, Nordstrom, rack, Amazon, 6pm. Good luck.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Some silk is machine washable, especially if you have the right setting on your machine. Don't have any particular recommendations beyond what has been mentioned here - I have definitely washed Equipment silk in my machine with good results.

MsLuna

Veteran

Thanks for the suggestions!

@featherwitch: I’m definitely looking out for Eileen Fisher. There are a few pieces (mainly dresses and shells/tanks) that I like and am watching out for. I read somewhere that Eileen Fisher has washable silk fabrics. Is that true?

MsMaven: thanks for the suggestion. The Uniqlo website seems to have a better selection than the store. I’ve only been in the store once or twice and didn’t find the pieces as interesting as the website. And I’m definitely going for fluid, but more like a slim “boyfriend” fit as opposed to oversized.

@SarahD8: thanks for the suggestions! I’ve looked at J Crew but they have the same issue I have as The Gap (their fitted boyfriend shirts fit me well): the colours and prints! I tend to stick to dark colours and vibrant jewel tones. I do know that occasionally, J Crew stocks colours and prints of interest so I’ll keep an eye out.

Also, you can’t go wrong with cotton from India! My mother-in-law brought a few shirts for my partner after a trip to India, and boy are they comfy!

And the silk shirt still looks great after washing! Do you wash it in a laundry bag or just as is on delicate?

@JAileen: good to know it works in the summer! And ugh... ironing. I avoid it as much as I can. I just purchased a steamer, so hopefully that will do the job. I haven’t ironed anything in over 5 years!

@Irina: thank you so much for the brand recommendations. Club Monaco has been catching my attention lately (style-wise). I haven’t been to COS for a while so I might check them out.

@abc: I’m actually willing to try NYDJ. I’ve seen some interesting prints, but because it’s made of polyester, I shied away! I do own a few polyester blouses that are smooth on the skin and lightweight/fluid. My favourite is the Kut from the Kloth Jasmine blouse! I own one and I’m on a lookout for more prints!

@shevia: thanks for letting me know! Equipment blouses are so pricey that I’d be scared to put it in a machine. Does delicate setting work best, or do you have one of the more modern washing machines? (I live in an apartment building with an on-site washer/dryer)

Thanks everyone!

Joy

Veteran

I love silk year round. It feels comfortable to me in summer and winter ( with a layer under it. I like Equipment and Joie silk shirts. You could also try rayon as a breathable fabric with a good drape. I gently wash both silk and rayon and hang to dry but they will need ironing or steaming. Silk weakens when wet so don't agitate or leave it in water too long.

Greyscale

Veteran

I also try to stick with natural fibers.

I own a lot of silk, but I should admit that I do sweat a lot in silk in the summer, and it only works because I live in a very mild climate (San Francisco, never hot). Then again, I don't wear antiperspirant, just a very effective deodorant -- I bet if I wore normal antiperspirant it would be fine. (Makes note to self for next time.)

I wash almost all my silk in the machine on delicate cold and line dry. Ironing it makes it good as new, or if I don't iron, it's still fine. But, I bought two identical black Everlane silk shirts and two identical black Uniqlo silk shirts and kept one of each dry-clean-only for job interviews etc, and I could really tell the difference between the ones I'd washed and the ones I hadn't. The washed shirts faded and shrank a bit (though I didn't try ironing - someone on YLF noted that ironing often fixes that).

Some Equipment silk is really, really durable. I've had one of my shirts for years and years (machine washed, as above). Everlane silk is also good but less thick than Equipment, and I haven't owned their new updated silk ("clean silk" from a different factory) so I can't speak to its longevity. I do think the new line is thinner silk than the old one.

Someone mentioned cotton-silk blends. It's hard to find but I love the shirts I have in really light cotton-silk. They wear like cotton but drape really well. Machine washable, in my experience.

ChrisM

Veteran

Orvis has everyday silk shirts that are lovely. I wash and hang to dry with great success. Check out the sale section online for good prices. They are a little boxy but maybe they’ll work for you.

I wear camisoles or lightweight tees under my shirts every day to keep the stink and perspiration stains off the fabric. Antiperspirant can cause the pits to yellow or darken (aluminum?) and the liner keeps that at bay. Good luck!

deb

Veteran

Poetry has wonderful soft silk and rayon shirts. And great quality.

https://www.poetryfashion.com/.....-shirt.htm

Anonymous

Ive definitely worn silk tops in summer, in 95 + humid weather, but only sleeveless! I wash carefully and hang dry after each use. They do wrinkle badly though!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I absolutely love silk! Far from it's fussy reputation, it is the opposite of scratchy, can often be machine washed (even when the label says no), and is amazing in all weather--breathable when it's hot and somehow also a good layer when it's cool. I don't like wool, and find cotton/silk sweaters, like those from Winter Silks, which is not exactly a high-fashion house, are at least as good.

I appreciate all the suggestions in this thread, and will be checking some out.

MsLuna

Veteran

Thank you again for all the responses and the excellent suggestions!

@Joy: great advice on cleaning/laundering silks. I definitely plan to wear them year-round as I plan to have a limited seasonless wardrobe, so it’s good to know silk works in all seasons. As for steaming/ironing, I guess I’ll just have to live with it and do it!

@greyscale: thanks so much for the insight. Sweating is a huge issue for me as my skin is so sensitive. Toronto summers can get super hot and humid and it’s still a process for me to figure out what works! But thanks for letting me know about how it fares in the summer!

Also, good to know that Equipment blouses are durable. It’s a hefty price tag (though I’m likely going to look for them on eBay) so I want to make sure they are worth it. Glad to know they can be machine washed. Will also check Everlane’s silk shirts out as well.

@ChrisM: oooh a liner for sweat stains! Thanks for letting me know about that.

The boxy cuts on Orvis may actually work for me (I checked the site out - thanks!). I find that I like fluid/drapey cuts that fits well on the bust (bust darts are great for this) but hang straight down. When semi-tucked, they usually drape well and make me look like I have a waist (I’m large-waisted). I generally avoid slim fits and oversized fits.

@deb: I just saw your post so I haven’t checked out the link yet. Thank you for the suggestion!

@suntiger: Thanks for the insight! With the super hot humid summers, I’d be wearing sleeveless or kimono sleeve styles anyway. I guess I won’t need to buy that many sweat pads!

@FashIntern: I totally forgot about Winter Silks! I used to get winter layers from there. Thanks for the suggestion!

Not a fan of wool myself as my skin reacts to it.

LJ

Member

I would try looking for some button downs made from tencel/lycocell! They look nice and flowy but they're not as fussy as I hear silk can be. I can't recommend a particular brand but I I have found a few on Ebay lately from Express, Bloomingdales, and Halogen.

Gretchen

Veteran

You might look at Anthopologie or Modcloth. They source from a number of different vendors, so may have some new options for you.