5 Ways to Style a Silk Shirt
Happy day, dear reader!
Whew, this is a crazy week! A good crazy, but still crazy. Because of that, I have my post scheduling all out of order. My apologies. This week you get another Ways to Style post, hot on the heels of last week’s 3 Ways to Style Colored Jeans. My goal was to do one of these every other week, but sometimes plans don’t go as, well, planned…
So, on to our unintended topic! Sometimes we get so wrapped up in thinking about an item’s refinement level, that we forget to think about other ways to style it. In this case, a silk shirt. I’d like to say I don’t have that forgetting problem, but that would be a lie. I picked up the shirt I’m styling today on clearance from Land’s End more than two years ago. I loved it, but struggled. I don’t wear collared, button front shirts often, and the delicate fabric of this one felt “fancy” to me. At the time, I wasn’t finding much use for a silk-shirt-and-trousers look, so it hung there, loved and yet unworn. Do you have pieces like that in your closet? Maybe I was getting up the courage! How do I like to work in something new and scary? Wear it with an old favorite. For me that means jeans; in this case two very different jeans looks!
Silk Shirt + Jeans + Neckerchief + Booties or Sandals
The opportunity for its outing came the day my husband and I went to brunch at a lovely place in Aiken, South Carolina. I’ll tell you the messy part of the story in another post coming up about caring for your clothes. Here’s the outfit before jumping on the motorcycle to ride to the hotel…
Yes, I did say motorcycle (That’s part of the treat!), so that determined the outfit parameters. I needed to wear jeans and sturdy shoes, so I topped them off with my blush silk chiffon blouse, and a neckerchief. For the ride, I threw on my white denim jacket, but I didn’t need that for brunch! Normally, I would have chosen hoops with this, but they don’t fit comfortably under a motorcycle helmet, so a much smaller dangle was the order of the day.
The blush shirt disappeared for a season (It didn’t feel wintery enough), but when I added it back to last spring’s ? capsule wardrobe, I was determined to start wearing it more. Here it made an appearance in a much lighter look, with white jeans and blush colored sandals for my bloggiversary.
I don’t know why, but something about silk chiffon requires a scarf! Yes, the balloons are my favorite part of the outfit. Because, BALLOONS! Always an amazing accessory! This was the day I fell in love with this top, and started looking for more reasons to wear it. Because-It-Makes-Me-Feel-Beautiful is a good enough reason!
Finally I had the opportunity to try out the tried and true silk-shirt-and-trousers look. I must admit, I love the soft, feminine drape of the silk in contrast with the slim trouser. The blush and teal is a color crush that I look forward to getting back to this coming spring.
Silk Shirt + Trouser + Heels or Loafers
Silk Shirt + Skirt + Scarf + Ladylike Bag and Heels
Nothing unusual about styling a silk shirt with a wool skirt. That’s been a classic work look for generations, but the red and blush pairing may not be the most common. I loved this look, and hope to wear it again when the skirt is a little less snug than it is right now… Sigh.
Silk Shirt + Jeans + Pullover + Heels
And now back to styling it with jeans. My old cropped and frayed Levi’s 501’s feature in both these looks, but each has a very different feel. I love the juxtaposition of the elegant chiffon with the jeans, and the exposed shirt tail keeps the vibe casual. The heels, silver tote, and jewels add the polish. This one needs a revisit!
Silk Shirt + Jeans + Blazer + Pumps
This jeans look goes up a notch by adding a blazer. Seriously. You can take any look up a notch with a blazer. That’s why a great jacket is one of my Style Staples! Folding back the cuffs over the jacket sleeves makes all the difference here. Wearing the shirt collar out is a throwback that feels fresh and new again!
If that’s not enough, the shirt also makes an appearance in that post about styling colored jeans!
What do you think? Did I miss your favorite way to style a silk blouse? How do you style it? Do you wear silk, or does the fear of cleaning keep you from adding it to your wardrobe? Let me know in the comments below! I love to hear from you…
Stylishly yours,
Classics, Trends, and Fads Redux!
