I bought a gingham shirt - now what?! - YouLookFab Forum

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I bought a gingham shirt - now what?!

sarah

Veteran

I thought that this purple gingham shirt was so cute at JCrew that I ordered the petite size. Now I have no idea how to style a purple gingham shirt, particularly one that's on the crisp side. Keep (with ideas for styling?)? Return because it will just end up orphaned?

What do you think?

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26 replies

Latest reply was from Heather

LeahJanes

I really like it styled like that with the sneakers!

I love to wear a boxy fit crew neck sweater over my gingham or stripy shirts, so the collar pokes out. I also like buttoning it all the way up and adding a big necklace under the collar. I also wear mine man style, tucked into trousers and I add a cravat-tied scarf under the collar.

rute

Veteran

Love the mix of patterns!

DressLover

Veteran

Do you have any bottoms in a charcoal grey wool or tweed fabrication? I think that would be a gorgeous combination paired with a yellow shoe.

Anonymous

Dresslover, gray and red and gray and pink were some combos my mom used to teach to me as "ultimate chic"
I think maybe you can layer a v-neck in gray or black on top? Or with white jeans/gray pants? Under a blazer?
I love it, don't throw it away!

MNsara

Veteran

It seems to fit you really well and the white/purple is very cute on you!

I'm not a fan of the scarf with it - that red is stealing the thunder! I'd let the gingham be the 'star' more and try some of Leahjanes' ideas.

Dresslover has good ideas for dressing it up a bit more - for work! What about with your BRMartins?

Heather

Veteran

I love it! I do not have much time at the moment, but my initial pop was pairing with your $8 JAG olive skinnies!

Makrame

Veteran

I was just thinking about grey pinstripe vest, which is more or less along the lines of grey or tweed bottoms suggested by DressLover. So my idea would be black Martins as suggested by MNSara + grey vest.

Allison

I love gingham! This shirt is really cute and I like the way you styled it. Have you ever seen this website?:

http://www.everybodyeverywear......ew/gingham

Lots of gingham inspiration there! My favorite way to wear my gingham shirt is with a little edge (moto boots, leather jacket, etc..)

Here is an old pic of an outfit I wore last winter:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yCMu.....070023.JPG

Lynne

Veteran

Sarah, I love the shirt! The scarf is not doing it justice, to my eye, and I love Heathers idea of the olive skinnies. It would also work with any wash of denim; do you have a denim skirt? Instead of a scarf, you could pop a cami underneath and let the top show; a darker shade of purple or plum might work really well. I vote keep; I can see it being a great mixer in your wardrobe.

You photo made me gasp; this part of your house is so much like our house in Australia! The wall colour, the wooden chest, the polished floor, even the lamp!

Scarlet

Veteran

I like the shirt, but it definitely reads very preppy, and I just don't have a feeling if that is your style. I think it is an element of your style? It would be lovely with denim, blue, green, or yellow.

ETA: really like that lamp as well, now that we are talking house

sarah

Veteran

Those are all great suggestions - Allison, what a terrific link! That will really get me going.

@Lynne - that's so funny. We live in a 1924 bungalow, and it's pretty small with lots of corners, and there are NO good places to take pictures. My daughter built a huge fort where I normally take them, so I risked the windows in the background.

@Scarlet - interesting observation. I think it might be better for me if it were more of a relaxed "camp" shirt. But I do like the fabric, so I'm leaning towards keeping it. Thanks for the lamp compliment! It's a copy of a Tiffany dragonfly lamp (I love dragonflies), and it doesn't show up well here, but it's actually green.

Aida

Veteran

Cute top! I love the idea of olive, gray, and denim bottoms with this top. Since it's a bit preppy I say either play that all up with, say, a tweed jacket (with elbow patches!), or go the other way for contrast with earthy/boho elements (like flares+natural boots). I think both of those would work well with your style.

(For fun, here are my yellow gingham outfits, and here are my blue gingham outfits. I'm totally going to use some of the ideas listed above myself, they're great!)

sarah

Veteran

Oh Aida, great, I was hoping you'd weigh in, since you are almost Queen Gingham Top! Your links are very helpful. Somehow in the JCrew catalog, the shirt is more relaxed looking, so I think I can aim for that.

Jonesy

Veteran

So many options with this color! I really love it with the orange scarf, though the combo seems more springy/summery to me (would look awesome with white clams or jeans) than fall. For fall, I think combining with gray/olive is fab, or navy, or another neutral like camel, layered under a sweater, under a jacket....

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sarah

Veteran

Great suggestions, Jonesy. I think I can have a lot of fun layering this shirt...

christy

Veteran

The title of your post made me laugh! I think this is a great shirt and can definitely see you wearing it. Love the idea of layering under a sweater. Not crazy about this scarf with it because it does feel like the shirt is "competing" with it, but as we've determined, I'm pretty much color-phobic. I thought the same thing as Jonesy - I think it would look great with white. Definitely would like to see it with your olive skinnies. I say keep - it's such a classic shape and the gingham is just fun!

Jjsloane

Veteran

I really like it, I'd treat like any small geometric pattern blouse. Jonesy's suggestions are what I'd think - leave untucked and put sweater/vest over. The scarf you used is too poufy for this (better with flatter items like knits I think)

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Great suggestions here, so just chiming in to say that I love you in this shirt!

Scarlet

Veteran

Wow, I love those inspiration photos from Jonesy--apparently no need to look preppy in gingham. (By the way, I like a bit of prep myself, so that comment certainly wasn't meant in a negative way. I was just trying to figure out how this would work in your wardrobe. I think you knew what I meant though, I hope.)

Lynne

Veteran

Sarah, if my memory serves me correctly, you bought the BR Martin black pants a while back? How would they be with this shirt and a jacket?

Heather

Veteran

Okay, I am back!

Sarah, you can totally rock this blouse for work and play! Like I said before, wear it with your olive skinnies, wear it with trousers for work and a nice blazer, rock it with denim and tall boots, rock it in summer with your white bermudas and roll the sleeves! Pair it with a pencil skirt and pop a sweater over it letting the collar peek out....have fun with it. This will be a seasonless piece for you!!

Lisa

Veteran

Great suggestions here already. This is a fun shirt. I like gingham when it's layered and a bit of the collar and sleeves peek out. Or from underneath a blazer. When it's warmer, it stands alone nicely with simple bottoms. For this color: gray, dark or light denim washes, and black will look great. Nice shirt!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I am thinking bright blue skinnies. Do you have any of those? For a bold look, kind of edgy preppy. I really like this shirt on you and I do think it is "you."

Lynne

Veteran

Sarah, do you wear Converse sneakers? A pair of dark purple would make an outfit out of this shirt plus just about any skirt/pants/shorts.

sarah

Veteran

Ah, Denise - you're right. Cobalt skinnies WOULD look great with this top. Alas, I have none.

Lynne - I'm actually wearing cons in the photos - but they're grey.

Anyway, I've got lots of ideas to work with now! Thanks everyone!

Heather

Veteran

Hooray! It's a keeper!