I almost bought my 11th white shirt
(It will never be linen, or collarless).
I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about a white shirt that sends me into a frenzy. And if I follow that logic, I must often seem frenzied as there are SO MANY beautiful white shirts in the world.
Yes, I am a collector. I love to have all the options, 10 it turns out. But I also wear the hell out of all these shirts. They have not been bought to languish away in my sub-optimal wardrobe space (my heart beats faster just thinking about some custom joinery… a thought for another day).
So do I really need another? Let me dissect my current situation and take you down my decision tree. What do I already own? Do I wear my existing items often enough? Are there gaps (in my wardrobe, not my mind). I’m sure you’re already wondering… What is this unicorn shirt? Did she buy it? She’s out of control. She’s my shirt-wearing spirit animal. I have no idea what she’s on about.
It's like that moment when Andy laughs to herself in the run through “It’s a tough call, they're so different.” Ha.
I have tried linen - RIP to those poor almost-friends that I eventually parted with. They felt too ‘coastal’. Even when I was by the beach they felt too coastal. What does this say about me? Am I too uptight to relax into linen?! I do love structure. Linen pants, sometimes yes. Linen skirts, yes. Linen blazers - YES. A man in a linen shirt, very yes.
I’ll also never buy a shirt with a straight cut tail. I’ve never even been tempted. I think it’s something to do with a fear that it makes my already not very vertically-blessed legs look even shorter. Yes, it could be tucked in and out of sight, but then it’s just a less versatile investment. And maybe it’s also just a little bit like when you wear a hideous singlet under a jumper and then find yourself in the awful situation of feeling too hot, yet imprisoned in your own body heat lest you reveal what’s underneath. I don’t want to get caught out.
Ok, I’m moving right along…
Shirt one
One of my most worn white shirts is from H&M. Shirts don’t have to be expensive to be excellent. It has a huge ruffled collar with broderie anglaise on it. There’s elastic at the cuffs so it can be pushed up and made to look super puffy. It’s quite unexpected of me - very frou frou. I get compliments on it EVERY single time I wear it. I think it’s what I’d call a joy-bringer. It’s just light and fluffy and fun and makes people smile. I love it for this very reason. Of course, this means it also goes perfectly with all of my not-so-light and fluffy bottoms - cargo pants, thick canvas shorts, a sharp black silk skirt that skims the ankle, jeans (very original I know).
It’s obviously not available anymore but it’s like if this shirt and this shirt had a baby. And here is a cute dress version this gives off the same youthful energy.
Shirts two & three
There are the two oversized cotton poplin shirts that just make me feel ‘done’ whenever I wear them. They are just a perfect match for everything. I love them. One is a thrifted Polo Ralph Lauren (similar here but mine is more voluminous and imagine the pony), and the other is a beautiful, slightly weightier cotton that has impeccable detailing and small shell cufflinks that came with it. I bought it at a sale and it was still expensive. I can’t remember the brand but it was not one of the big ones (I often cut out tags because I find they irritate my skin). I treasure it. I once almost lost a cufflink. GASP. Don’t worry, I did find it three weeks later in my jewelry box. Phew.
I used to be scared of wearing a white shirt with black pants. I felt like I should have a tray of drinks in my hand at the same time. It felt too stiff for me, for my imagined self. Don’t worry - I worked through this. I landed on: it’s all about the proportions. I can’t wear black bottoms with a fitted shirt. But I can wear these bad boys. Which is very helpful because so many of my pants are black or deep navy.
Honestly, these should have been top of the list given how often I wear them. It should be noted - I wear a shirt of some variety most days of the week.
COS always has a great oversized shirt, same same for The Frankie Shop. Budget permitting, this length is fun.
Shirt four
Then there’s the beautiful Acne shirt with the black brushed silk bow that slips under the collar. It’s just so very chic. I wore it a few times in a PFW showroom and just felt the part. Memories. It’s slightly loose, mid length and I mostly wear the bow tied up.
Shirt five
This is my most fitted shirt, with darts that works perfectly when I’m looking for a neat tuck. TBH the neat, slim tucked in look is not high on my repeated looks list, but sometimes it feels essential, often in winter when I’m layering. But MOST of the time the tuck needs to have air - real volume. See shirts two and three.
Shirt six
There’s the sheer-ish white shirt (ok maybe this one is a little on the very pale yellow side of the color chart but I’ll include it). It’s got SHORT SLEEVES. Oh my goodness do I love a short-sleeved shirt. I love to wear this with a darker bralette underneath, never beige. I want it to look like I’m not hiding my underwear, it needs to peek through. This flirty factor gets offset by the short sleeve (I think). I wear this during the day, never at work, it’s also perfect for date night. But mostly I love to wear it during the day simply because a sheer-ish shirt is less expected. Or maybe that is no longer an accurate statement.
The last time I wore this shirt, with leather bermuda shorts and a silver mule, my very fashionable friend told me it’s the best she’d seen me look for a long time. I’ll take that as a compliment, how great are friends!
Shirt seven
A(nother) short-sleeved shirt with a cut out and thick tie at the back. I’ve worn this to death. I’ve had it mended twice (where the tie meets the back of the shirt, clearly I’m over-enthusiastic in getting dressed). It’s very work-appropriate while also being fun. The tie at the back gives the shirt a slight A-line shape which is super flattering. Mostly worn with pants as it lacks the volume I’m after when I wear shirts with skirts or shorts.
I found this long-sleeved black version on eBay and I am tempted…
Similar but long-sleeved here. The short sleeves are important for me but I know we’re not all fans.
Shirt eight (this is very new in the repertoire/armoire)
A cropped short sleeve shirt. I was inspired by a very cool friend. She always manages to look amazing and completely comfortable at the same time. I wear this shirt with all my shorts (which are mostly high-waisted) and it feels good. It took me a while to find exactly the right length - cropped can mean VERY different things and my crop is of the naval grazing variety, not the crop top grazing variety. There are lots of ‘crops’ out there that just feel mid, and boring.
Shirt nine
A silk shirt - very lady-like. I MUST be looking relatively dishevelled everywhere else to feel good in this. Maybe this is the Wrong Shirt Theory. Is that a thing?! I don’t love feeling ‘polished’ but this shirt feels almost weightless. I save it for shoulder seasons. Nothing like working up a sweat in a delicate silk shirt.
Shirt 10
Denim shirt. Oouff…I could go on a serious tangent about denim shirts. But I won’t. Not today. I wear this very very often. I almost always travel with it. To be honest, I’ve cycled through a few versions of the white denim shirt - weight is important. Too thin, no structure. Too thick and it’s not versatile enough and a bit scratchy.
There are also SO MANY on eBay at the moment for a great price, I’m quite loving this men’s Western vibe. And this.
And so here we are. Number 11.
It was this gorgeous thing that sent me into a spin.
The CUFFS!!! The back pleat. At first glance it’s very classic, but the details are all there to dazzle you oh so subtly. It feels like the missing link between shirts three and four and five. It’s giving SPRING! And summer - and of course fall. The cuffs may not be welcome come winter though…
It’s sitting on my list. Is it the missing link? Is it one too many? As a collector shopping type I’m sure some of you can sense my anguish and strained self-control.
___
On a VERY different note
sent me on a raincoat deep dive at the very time I needed it most (last week) and now I’m here with these options. HELP! You’ll see from my short list how torn I am on which direction to run in. A rain coat is a VERY important piece, and I shan't be getting 11!!1. The classic with a twist. Very wearable for many rainy seasons to come. And I’ve even found it new for re-sale.
2. The heavy investment piece - fun enough to make it feel timeless and worth the spend.
3. And THIS! But it’s sold out so I’ve added it to Carted for a restock notification.
Amazing curation - my vote is for the Silk Laundry fringed shirt. Also, always here for a big collar. I prefer to shop secondhand, but the Damson Madder Sandy Blouse has been calling my name for the last couple of months.
Rucha is a new brand for me - but am in London 😢. Need a trip stateside pronto!