Sunday 7 – The Good Shirt Edit

Hello, hello…

Good news: January seems to be flying by!

Why is that good?

Well… it means the days are getting longer… in daylight terms, obviously.

And slightly lighter mornings, as well as brighter afternoons are quite simply, good for the soul!

So, as far as these Sunday 7 posts of mine go… there’s generally no rhyme or reason as to what’s taken my fancy of a particular week, so sometimes the Sunday 7’s jump around from one thing to another, and other weeks, it’s a specific piece of clothing which I’ll be obsessing about.

And from the title of this post you’ll note that my current obsession is shirts.

I’ve really enjoyed wearing some of my shirts recently… and after including this Topshop Colour Block Western Shirt (£36) in last week’s post – but missing out on it (it ‘s sold out in my size only, all other sizes still available though), I figured I’d show the good old shirt a little blog love.

I will be deviating a little from my usual format though – instead of styling up looks for a Wildcard, I’m simply going to offer up some of my own shirt-wearing photos as different styling options.

{sorry if you look forward to the wildcard of the week – it’ll be back next week!}

So, here… in no particular order, are 7 shirts which have taken my fancy:

7. HM – Striped Cotton Shirt (£17.99)

H&M do a variation of this shirt pretty much every season – I have one from the summer in a slightly more faded red stripe, and… it’s really good value for the price.

I wore mine a lot over the summer, and it was especially useful during my holiday in France as a poolside/beach cover up.

Because my version of the shirt is the summer one, it’s slightly thinner than H&M’s current offering, but as I say – it’s good quality (from H&M) considering the price!

The shirt is also available in plain white, a light pink/white check, blue/white stripe and a light orange/white stripe.

6. Cos – Slim Fit Cotton White Shirt (£45)

You really can’t beat a crisp white shirt with jeans for a cool, classic, understated-cool look… and like most, I’ve been on the hunt for *my* perfect white shirt… forever!

This Cos Slim Fit Shirt ticks a lot of boxes for me with it’s simplicity:

However, the truth is, I have a feeling that the smallest size at Cos, a 34, will be too generous on me across my shoulders / under the arm… just as the 34s in Other Stories are too generous on me.

And then there’s the £45 price tag: it’s not unreasonable, but I wonder… will it really be *that* different to this H&M Fitted shirt which is just £12.99?

I’m sure it’s probably the quality / weight of the cotton, but, in reality there’s no telling until you’ve washed the shirt and have to iron it.

The only white shirt I have currently is over a decade old, from my office days, and it’s a pretty crap quality one to be honest… the only reason I have it still, is that it comes in handy for the rare occasion I might fancy a white collar showing over a crew neck sweater, but the reality is, it’s one of those low quality cotton shirts where the sleeves are impossible to iron the washed-in creases out of.

So what to do: go cheap with H&M or try the Cos one?

On the other hand, there’s also the option of picking up a vastly reduced one from the J.Crew Sale section which has this White Petite Stretch Perfect Shirt reduced from £75 to £35 (available in limited sizes and in other colours as well as in Petite, Tall and Regular).

Hmm… I’m gonna sleep on that one.

5. Mango – Puffed Sleeve Blouse (£49)

I know… another white shirt?

But this is different… it’s not a crisp, white shirt… it’s a flowy fabric, big-cuffed, longer-collared blouse of a shirt… which is an entirely different thing to a crisp white shirt.

Now in an ideal world, the collars would be slightly longer… more 70s, but… this Mango blouse is an acceptable dupe (and definitely more a more palatable priced version) of the satin Rouje Chloe Chemise which seems to be permanently sold out, and well… it’s really too pricey for me.

H&M also have this Light Beige Shirt which has more of a satin-sheen to it, but the pockets give it more of a utility vibe rather than an elegant vintage 70s feel.

4. ASOS – Levi’s Modern Western Denim Shirt (£70)

If you don’t have a denim shirt in your wardrobe, you really, really do need one.

They are brilliant for layering over tees, under sweaters, wearing open in the summer over a vest, or knotted at the front – whether with trousers, shorts, skirts, over a dress…

My preferred style of denim shirt has always been a fitted cut with press-studs (or poppers) in mid-blue denim.

However, this Levi’s shirt, (available at ASOS), which I have no doubt would be a good investment and great quality but, well… it’s still kind of pricey, don’t you think?

I picked one up in GAP at the end of December for a bargain £17.

I didn’t blog about it because they only had size XXS small left and after I bought mine it seemed to be sold out.

However, GAP always seem to bring a version of a western shirt out most seasons, but currently they only have paler, looser fit denim shirts available.

Oh and just quickly, because there’s no Wildcard this week, I’m throwing a few extra Beany-Bonuses into this post, including this ASOS Denim Western Fitted Shirt in Washed Black (£25)

Looks like a great fitted, western shirt option and the washed black would work well with most colours, including blue jeans.

And it’s just £25!

I reckon though, if you hang fire for a bit, perhaps until February, there will be more options of blue denim western shirts at the budget end.

{That’s probably a no-no for a blogger right? Telling you not to buy yet, wait a bit?! Oh well…}

3. Pepe – Bow Tie Shirt (£65)

I really adore this one.

Even though it’s got frills.

And I don’t really do frills.

There’s even one across the back:

I’m clearly not just obsessed with shirts, but obsessed with being a cowgirl!

Sadly, this pale, pale pink would do nothing for me at all.

And neither would the pale blue version:

But it’s such a super cute shirt: I really wish there were some deeper colour options available in it.

In terms of sizing, I’m gonna lay it on the line for you: I haven’t bought from Pepe for YEARS… you?

But, I just get the feeling that their XS in shirts would be a true size 6.

And judging by the sleeve lengths on the models… the sleeves would be just right on most, possibly a fraction too long on any tinies like me, and of course, too short on anyone taller than 5’5″ I reckon.

But that’s just me, making a crass judgement based on nothing else other than the website images.

And… in case you’re wondering why I was even on the Pepe website… well, it was a google search for a petite fit, longer line coat which led me to their site…

{and I have to say, they have some reaaaaallly nice coats in their sale: I really want to order this Check Wool Coat (£100) which comes in an XXS as well as this ‘Belinda’ Red Wool Blazer (£88); it’s worth a look}

2. HM – Flannel Shirt (£17.99)

I must admit, I don’t own any flannel shirts nowadays.

Actually, that’s not strictly true… I do have one of my 16 year old niece’s cast-offs, which she’s grown out of but no doubt will still be baggy and roomy on me.

However, there’s something reassuringly comforting about wearing this style of check shirt and though the look has that ‘Jack Wills Uni Student’ vibe about it, don’t be put off buy that.

If you like a flannel shirt, you should wear one.

I bought a tartan print Zara shirt dress a couple of months ago – though in truth, it’s so short (even on me) it’s really no more than a tunic-length at best, never a ‘dress’!

Anyway, I really liked how I felt in the tartan print… which I know, is not the same as most checked print flannel shirts… but it’s not that far off either!

1. Rouje – Chloe Shirt with Dots ($145)

I really do love the cut of this shirt.

The colour.

The print…

Adore it!

I also adore it in the deep green as well.

But alas, I won’t be buying it anytime soon… I’m being sensible about my shopping and trying to ‘stay in my own lane.’

{by the way – I have no idea who it was that did a post about ‘staying in your own lane’ on instagram – but a few months back, one of my followers alerted me to the phrase and it stuck with me: if you’re reading, ping me a message or comment and I’d be delighted to edit and credit accordingly. Thank you!}

There are of course other spotty shirts available including this larger white spot on black Other Stories Silk Blouse (£79) through to this budget £17.99 Stradivarius Polka Dot Shirt which is available in 4 colours and looks to be a good buy, but as ever, until you actually get to see a piece of cloth in the flesh, touch the fabric and get a feel for the fit, and just as importantly, how well it washes: it’s tricky to truly know if it’s good value or not, isn’t it?

So those are my 7… with the odd extra thrown in to compensate for the lack of Wildcard this week.

However, there’s still Stinker of the Week: Topshop Organza Striped Shirt (£39)

The fabric… the organza… it doesn’t work for me.

And perhaps it’s the styling of the shirt, with a very visible, plain white short sleeved tee underneath…?

Either way, I can’t see myself in it… I can’t see it being a massive hit, but no doubt there’s going to be someone out there who loves this shirt.

That person’s not me though.

In the absence of a Wildcard item this week… I’m doing that scary thing of uploading a bunch of photos of myself, which hopefully show the versatility of a shirt, though frankly, none of it’s exactly revolutionary… but still, if you’ve shied away from knotting a shirt over a dress for fear of looking a bit silly, or unsure about how a shirt and pleated skirt would work together, then, hopefully, this will give you a little inspiration:

{please note, most of the items are from previous seasons, but if they are current and available, then I will link to them}

Top Button Done

Buttoning your shirt right up to the top button makes for a great preppy look, which works really well with a crew neck sweater like this H&M Cable Knit (£17.99):

This look works equally well without a jumper:

And of course, doesn’t need to be worn with trousers:

Knotted Shirt

Try knotting the front of your shirt for a cool, laid-back summer style… tying a knot often means tucking the back of your shirt under a couple of times – make sure you’re neat about this or you’ll end up with an uncomfortable, lumpy looking top!

Here I am wearing my tatty old white shirt knotted over a maxi dress:

Knotted over a vest top and worn with a pleated skirt:

And of course, great with jeans or shorts:

Turtle Neck Layering

I do love a good turtle neck layered under a shirt, and am very attached to my Uniqlo heattech’s at this time of year (I have several, mainly in white and black.)

I usually find it’s best to wear a v-neck jacket/cardi over the top of this look, as above with my Teddy Jacket or below with my H&M Cardi:

If you don’t have any Heattech’s, a fine knit turtle neck works too:

Shirts with Collared Jackets

Having said I prefer an open-neck or v-neck style of jacket when layering a turtle neck under a shirt, wearing double collars works pretty nicely if you are just wearing a crew-neck over your shirt:

Beach Cover Up

I’m reluctantly posting this pic, but… it’s already been on my Instagram, so I guess it doesn’t matter *that* much, it’s the only example I have of an open shirt over your bikini or cossie as a cover-up:

Gaaaaaaawwd! I can’t wait to go on holiday again!

The Half-buttoned Shirt

A variation of the knotted shirt for those times when you don’t feel like tying your shirt – or if it’s just not very ‘you’: instead, leave as many buttons of your shirt open as you are comfortable with, layered over your vest/tee and tucked in to your skirt/shorts/jeans etc:

I hope this has given you a little inspo to reach for any shirts you have lurking at the back of your wardrobe which you never wear because… well, let’s face it, they need ironing, right?

However, I’m a big fan of the preppy look from winter layering with a shirt (not to mention the warmth from the extra layer!) and of course, a half-open or knotted shirt in summer provides a little extra cover if you’re not a fan of flashing the tops of your arms in vests, or again, a little extra layer against the elements if like me, you still feel the chill in Summer.

I had hoped to include this Topshop Floral and Spot Shirt (£36) in my 7 today – after using it in one of my looks last week:

But it seems to have sold out over this week!

I’m pretty pleased I placed my order last Sunday night – the shirt arrived on Friday, but I haven’t had a chance to try it on yet…

I would normally pop a review post up mid-week, but I’m not sure how the next couple of weeks are going to pan out because I have some actual, real paid project consultancy work lined up…

With the husband doing the school run at 8.30, I will need to leave before the boys to fit a dog walk in, be at my computer from 9-3pm and will then be keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t get stuck behind a tractor so that I make it to school for the 3.15 pick-up.

Millions of mums around the country do it everyday, so I will just have to get on with it too!

It’s only for a couple of weeks though, and though quite terrifying given I’ve been out of the job market for 8 years (and working on frenetic paced ‘chat’ systems which didn’t even exist when I last worked…) it’s good to be challenged every now and then, right?!

So – no promises, but… if I can find a moment to photograph my Topshop order, I will pop a mid-week post up, otherwise – see you next Sunday.

In the meantime, would love to hear whether you’re a shirt-fan like me… or is the after-math of having to iron too much effort?

Leave a comment & I’ll get back to you.

Thanks for reading.

Bx