White is right

I believe the white shirt, classic or modern, can save any outfit. Or should I say when nothing else seems right, it always comes through. Paired with anything from tailored slacks to a short, fitted vest, it’s essential, workable and fresh. So whether that means splurging – one of my personal favorites is a ruffled Yves Saint Laurent I bought a few years back – or simply spending time looking for the right piece, you should definitely own one. Or two or three.

In the market for a new shirt myself, I decided to peruse the sites for styles that standout. My first stop was Neiman Marcus where I originally found the aforementioned YSL. Unfortunately no white shirts under said label, but I did happen upon this cute number by Elie Tahari. The high ruffled neck and fitted lines are perfect for the spring/summer season while the short sleeves give it a slightly modern edge. Following this jaunt I peeked through J. Crew and stumbled upon white shirts galore. (I also stumbled upon a fantastic striped jacket, a polka-dot sun hat and amazing patchwork dress – but that’s for another time.) Besides sweet lace, linen and scallops, there was a particular short-sleeved tuxedo I was especially fond of. Still though, none of these were truly classic –- in the sense of clean and simple lines.

So I continued my search, banking on either Michael Kors or Theory until I remembered that Anne Fontaine -- a beautiful French company that specializes in blouses – had a store at our local mall. Wondering if they had an online catalog, I found that they did, and the offering was stunning. I saw not one or two, but at least five that I needed. From longer silhouettes with bell sleeves, to deep v-necked version, the options were endless and the designs inspiring. I decided after much thought to shelve the simple white oxford and instead spend my money on something with detail. After all, a classic doesn’t have to be boring to be beautiful, right?

In other news, The Gap launched a new exclusive line of white shirts called The Design Edition. Touted as a way to get people back into the spirit of their label, the promotion revolves around one of fashions favorite pairings: big name designers and accessible labels or companies. The collection called upon bright names like Doo-Ri Chung, Thakoon Panichgul and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy, to create their own designs in homage to The Gap’s classic white shirt. So talked about are these shirts that the newest cover of Vogue included them -- paired with fancy ball skirts and satin trousers – as a front-and-center feature. I have to say I like the shirts. They’re clever and chic and have details worth mentioning like pleats, ties and long, attached scarves. Definitely check them out if you have time.