the White shirt (with a capital W)

This is the White shirt. With a capital W.

Capital why? Because it is all you need in life. Think it, dream it, live it, worship it. Say it with me, "this is the White shirt." Dramatic? Maybe. Inaccurate? Absolutely not.

It's fall coming on winter, so we all know that go-to sweater that always looks good and is super comfy. Or that go to scarf. Or hat. Or jeans. Basically, you have that something that you know you can depend on. That you know won't let you down. One time, I left my go-to in a hotel and I was lost for a good two weeks. It was so sad.

I think we've all browsed Pinterest here and there, and saw that awesome article of clothing that would be "so cool to have but I would never actually buy it." You feel me? I can probably list them off, but I won't. I'll save that for another post. I'm here today, as a work-in-progress fashion blogger, to motivate you to get that piece of clothing. To rock that awesome outfit with the perfect shoes and the perfect hair and the most totally completely 100% perfect confidence. That's what I'm here to do. I'm not going to tell you exactly what you need to do always, but I will share what I've learned and provide you with thought starters.

So, that being said, let's talk about the overlap between the "go to" and the "so cool." Go To: comfy, basic, fits well, flattering, safe. So Cool: unique, potentially patterned, interesting material, different. Now, ready for me to blow your mind? What if you could combine the go-to-so-cool into ONE PIECE OF CLOTHING?! Ready for it....

You may have guessed it....

the White shirt, with a capital W, because it is THAT awesome. It is THAT unique, and cool, and comfortable, and flattering. I've recently discovered MY White shirt. It's a slightly oversized white button down. It has a slight A-line fit, especially in the back. I got it at Urban Outfitters, BDG brand.

So, what makes the White shirt that amazing? Um, the fact that you can basically transform it into anything you want. If it's the right size (a little bit past your tush) and has the right neck (opportunity to open the neck a bit), it will change your life. I've found that a splash of white is always refreshing, so I've decided to transform the "white accessory" into a full-on piece of clothing.

You may think, "I have SO many white shirts and have no idea what the heck I'm supposed to do!!!!" Well, funny you should ask my fashionable friends, I've explored a few different ways to wear the White shirt. And because you are awesome and I love you, I'll share my little secrets...

Under another button down.

Woah, woah, woah. Yeah, that's right. Put that button down, under another button down. For me, I find that plaid works really well with the White shirt. There are so many colors in plaid, so a stable white typically looks bolder than you may think. The key? Buttoning the plaid shirt higher than the White shirt. You don't want it to look like you are stuffing a white shirt underneath just anything. You are purposely hiding the top & revealing the bottom.

Tucked into a mini skirt.

Think: big shirt, little skirt. Now, you can do this two ways. You can tuck in the White shirt all the way around, or simply tuck in the front only. If you tuck in the front only, you want to leave about two buttons undone, but no more, because otherwise when you tuck the shirt in it will look too much like an unflattering parachute.

With an oversized scarf.

The shirt may be a little baggy, so this style may seem a little intimidating. For people like me, that don't always wear really baggy clothing, I typically think I can only wear one baggy item. But here I am, telling you that the oversized scarf will work with your oversized White shirt. So what color? Start with a semi-nude colored scarf. Something that is easy on the eyes. The White shirt will be soft and flowy, so a scarf of similar color will look fresh, smooth, light. The best part of the oversized scarf is that you can wear it wrapped around or simply draped down the sides of your shoulders.

With skinny jeans, a skinny belt, and a high little bun.

Skinny jeans will compliment the semi-baggy White shirt. I personally love my white shirts with my super dark navy jeans. I typically like to match my belt with my shoes. So if I am wearing brown shoes, I'll match a little gold belt or a cheetah print belt. If I'm wearing black shoes, I'll likely pair it with a leather black belt. The high little bun brings the entire look vertical. It is clean, sharp, attentive. Just like every detail of your outfit. And similar to the skinny jeans, the little high bun will compliment the semi-baggy White shirt once again.

Once you try these styles, play with shapes, patterns, colors. Live the White shirt, love the White shirt, be the White shirt. Don't call me dramatic until you try it out yourself.