This piece is a shortcut to chic, one of the longest surviving staples in your wardrobe and as the SS17 collections draws to a close even the most avant garde of fashion editors were still reworking this classic until the bitter end, it is ladies and gents the White Shirt.
Carolina Herrera coined her style trademark for “dressy-day” in the early 80s pairing the white shirt with evening wear, Uma Thurman gave it some sex appeal in 90s cult film Pulp Fiction and now, Jenna Lyons has claimed the ‘Jenna Roll, which has been mimicked all over the world.
It’s no longer about what you wear it with, but how you wear it. Here are 6 easy tips to reworking this classic in a 2017 way:
1.Buttoned to the top to showcase a statement necklace as you take on this preppy look. This looks great layered under a round neck knit or a shift dress.
2. Flash some skin by rolling those sleeves to a cap-sleeve and unbutton the neckline, perhaps one button lower than you should. Pair with a pencil skirt for some ladylike flair.
3. The Parisian half tuck, works best with skinny jeans. Tuck the front into the waist of your jeans and let the back hang loose, I find it has a certain je ne sais quoi!
4. Jenna Lyons owns the scruffy roll, which is a lot harder that it sounds – fold the unbuttoned cuff to the elbow, roll half twice then pull up creating a messy roll a la J.Crew.
5. Achieve the sassy knot by unbuttoning the last button and knotting – straight on or on the hip. This looks cute on a full skirt or high waisted jeans.
6. And last but not least, the trickiest of them all – the unbuttoned off one shoulder. As this has a real undone vibe, unbuttoned cuffs will compliment and it’s got to be an oversized fit.
Simple boxy shapes work best, large cuffs and lapels are optional whilst a longer hem is preferable to avoid any flashing mishaps! Avoid pearlised or decorative buttons, this staple is borrowed from the boys after all, which gives it some sass.
Don’t be afraid to contrast, after all opposites do attract so try the unexpected, just look at Sharon Stone at the 1998 Oscars in a GAP white button down. Nearly two decades on and she would still make the Best Dressed list. Timeless.
So like its masculine siblings; the trench, tailored trousers and boyfriend blazer, go for classic and without sounding like too much of a detergent advert, keep it clean, keep it crisp and keep it cotton.
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