One White Button Down, Three Ways

One White Button Down, Three Ways

Lately all I seem to want to wear is black and white. Not in a creepy Kris Jenner way, but it seems to be what I gravitate toward. Lately I'm particularly excited about crisp white button downs. They have to be soft, cover the butt, and not show a bra underneath. I like the thicker ones like men wear but that are harder to find for women sometimes.

Here are three ways I suggest you wear a  basic white button down (upper left) this fall.

Under a dress like a jumper. It's amazing how different a dress can look with a shirt underneath it. I've loved this look before with a collar shirt, but I thought it also worked well with a collarless. If you like this look but aren't sure what shirt/dress combinations to use or what shoes to wear it with, look at Boden for styling inspiration. You'll see this idea also works well with a basic long-sleeved tshirt. I think this combination is dying for a bold necklace or a skinny belt around the waist, tights when the weather turns, and a low brown bootie or knee high boots.

Under a stiff sleeveless shirt. I was playing around with the textures so the bottom two shirts look fairly similar; however, the bottom left is quite stiff. Using a stiff sleeveless shirt over a button down is a great way to wear it beyond the summer and show off a fun texture or embellished neck. I'd love something like this Boden sleeveless top over a basic button down with so-called "cigarette pants" like these from TopShop, these from Lane Bryant, or these from Asos. Add shiny tie up shoes or leopard print flats, and you're done.

Under a flowy lace shirt. This is the opposite end of the spectrum, but it still works and may be a way to wear lace to work without looking too casual or too sexy. It's also a way to take a shirt (like this) that you might already own that reads as very sweet or slightly Western and make it a little more preppy.  On the flip side, it also adds a boho feel to an otherwise stiff shirt.

In Praise of the White Jacket

In Praise of the White Jacket

Recently, I helped a client to take a fresh look at her closet. She's a mother of three, one four year-old and two twins under a year old, and she was transitioning from being home full-time with the twins to working from home part time. In what she called her "other life," she had worked full-time in an office where fashion was queen, and her closet was full of dry clean only, precious pieces. They were not working for her current life.

What we did was cull through her closet to separate out anything that was dry clean only; we stored it in a separate closet for special occasions. Then, we pulled out pieces that still felt young and fresh but could be Oxy Cleaned and thrown in the washer.

One of the things she had that we got a lot of mileage out of was a white blazer. I can't recommend more highly that you look through your own closet to see if you have a jacket or blazer that fits you well that you have been under-utilizing. In Debbi's case, she thought of the two piece white suit as impractical, which it was!

But, when we ditched the skirt and kept the jacket, we found that she could wear it in a more professional way for lunches or video conferences with clients and over a casual baseball tee with jeans for a kids' birthday party or other family outing. Since it was easy to clean, she wasn't worried about getting it dirty.

Here are two of the many ways I styled it for her.

You might do the same with a light colored jacket or blazer, or even a navy one for the fall. Black can be nice and provide some edge, but it can also read as very corporate, so try this first with a jacket that's not black. 

If you're on the market, I like this cropped linen open jacket on sale from Loft, or this twill moto jacket for a bit of edginess,  this doubleweave cotton for a more feminine fit, or any number of these Asos jackets, including curve sizes.

And if you're wondering whether a white jacket will serve you after Labor Day, the answer is of course! That fashion rule should only be heeded if you're looking for an excuse to buy something that's not white. Otherwise, a white jacket can-and should-be worn year round.

I'm linking up to the Fashion Informant!

How to do a Closet Cleanse: Part II

How to do a Closet Cleanse: Part II

I'm so excited to talk with you about how to organize your closet! I got to spend some time with the creative genius behind Love Always Hannah this weekend, and, as always, the world will never be the same. At least her closet won't be, that's for sure! Her closet started off like this:

(check out that Wear White After Labor Day outfit we created on Skype the other night for her hanging on the left!

And after about an hour of checking to be sure that only items that fit her and didn't need repairs were allowed back into the closet and of hanging outfits together on hangers and sorting sorting sorting...

We ended up with this-a color-coordinated, rainbow-hued, approachable closet with space to move hangers and to breathe. Phew!

I think she was pleased. This is our actual Gchat conversation about it:

Me: Thanks for taking closet pictures!

Hannah: Are you kidding me? You changed my life in a morning! Let me know if you want a quote or something.

I think that will do just fine!

Here are two tips:

• Use all one color (preferably white or those black fuzzy ones) hangers. It makes the closet look more cohesive, more like a store. Since we're trained to like the way clothes look in stores, it helps our brains to be more excited about our closets when they're organized. That means more fun in your closet!
• Organize your clothes in a way that works for you. I like rainbow because I wear too much black, and it helps me to realize how many other colors I do have. I put all of her black up top in her closet because it's an easy color to use and doesn't need to be highlighted. She knows it's there to grab if she wants it. Having colors coordinated helps you to dress effortlessly in monochrome as well as to mix colors and patterns in new ways.

If you'd like more tips, you'll have to have me over to your closet! We'll get you ready for fall fashion in no time!

P.S. I'm pretty intrigued by this company, Twice, that lets you Buy and Sell used clothing. Has anyone used it before?

UPDATE Shop Your Closet: How to Wear White After Labor Day

Shop Your Closet: How to Wear White After Labor Day

I have to admit, I never think of this "rule." It just doesn't occur to me-from winter white to patterned white, white is just like black in my mind: seasonless. But, I'm often reminded that folks do feel obligated to relegate their white clothes to the summer months. I'm here to change that.

Recently, Hannah from Love Always Hannah recruited me to help her meet her goal of no shopping for six months. We had a Virtual Closet Consultation over video the other night, and we made an important discovery together: she didn't feel confident wearing white after Labor Day. So, we've decided to pair up over the coming months to tackle that old feeling: "I have nothing to wear..." despite a full closet. Starting with bringing her whites into the fall/winter seasons is an easy way to shop less (or not at all!) but still feel excited to get dressed in the morning.

Looking at the white clothes in Hannah's closet in a different light means that she'll be less tempted to buy new clothes for the fall and winter, and she'll look gorgeous. Win for the No Shopping team! Here's what I suggested she do. Check out her plan not to shop for 6 months here. I'll update once Hannah posts the looks we created for her.

UPDATE! 

I'm beyond thrilled to share Hannah's "Shop Your Closet" looks. This, my friends, is how you not only wear but WORK white after Labor Day!Isn't she gorgeous?

Visit Hannah's site for more looks and a breakdown of how we created her new signature "Who me? Of course I wear white year-round" look.

Keep reading for more of my tips!