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Someone was telling us recently that they didn’t wear button-down shirts, didn’t even know how to wear ’em. So, here ya go…ten things to know about wearing button-down shirts!
1. If you’re going for the crisp cotton look, go for non-iron. Brooks Brothers makes a great fitted non-iron shirt. Thomas Pink (very high end, typically thought of as a man’s store) makes amazing button-down shirts for women, also, with interesting prints and a lovely fit.
2. Collars and jackets: Collars should stay on the inside of the jacket, not splayed open on the outside.
3. If you have a white shirt, try not to put it in the dryer in order to avoid yellowing. Actually, in our experience the iron-free shirts look best when hung dry. (Just pull them taut, a bit, when they’re wet and you’re hanging on the hanger — it always seems to help the fabric figure out where to go.)
4. If you’ve got a French cuff shirt, do not bother with those tiny knots you can buy at places for $10 — you’re wasting your money and time, because they take forever to put in. Instead, make an investment in a good pair of cufflinks — Nordstrom also has some beautiful ones right now.
5. Tucking: If you’re wearing a fitted, button-down shirt (such as the ones from Pink) you can experiment with how it looks untucked. The key is that it can’t be too long — it should hit mid-hip, and no matter what should not be longer than your suit jacket. Silky shirts should always be tucked.
6. If you want a very clean tucked-in look, there are some stores that make leotard-like button-down shirts. See, for example, Victoria’s Secret or Donna Karan.
7. Non-traditional style idea: Wear a short-sleeved button-down shirt beneath a vest or even a t-shirt. (We’ve given up trying to wear anything but silky button-downs beneath full-sleeve sweaters — the static cling gets us every time.)
8. Non-traditional style idea, Part 2: Wear a camisole/tank top underneath the button-down shirt, tuck in the shirt, and only button it up halfway, so people can see the camisole beneath.
9. Gaping: If your shirt is gaping, this could mean a few things. A) You need a larger size, and should take it to a tailor to get it to fit you the way you want it to. B) You need to wear a camisole beneath it, so when you turn to the side people don’t get a view of your bra. C) You can experiment with Hollywood Tape and so forth to keep it from gaping — we’ve found the camisole is just easier.
Some of the top products to help you fix a gaping blouse include:
Above, some solutions for gaping blouses: 1) Topstick toupee tape 2) double-stick medical tape 3) Flash Tape 4) Fearless Tape 5) black & white and colorful safety pins — see more clever solutions for workwear problems in our Amazon shop!
10. Beneath the slightly sheer white shirt: Wear a bra that matches your skin tone, and a white camisole, no matter how convinced you are that no one can see through it. We’ve tried the nude camisole, and trust us: white just looks better.
MEME
K.M. I always tuck my button down shirts into my undies. This way it’s a little harder for them to come out and it provides a sleeker look under my pants.
Alashay13
What if the back isn’t straight. Like it goes up kind of.
Tamm
I buy a lot of my button down shirts online. Hawes & Curtis have a great range of tailored shapes and fabrics for conservative offices. Once you know which shape suits you it’s easy to refresh your wardrobe each season.
Nicole
Hey all –
For days when that button up shirt just doesn’t seem to fit perfectly… even though you bought just the right one… try PINX. It is a unique little pin that sits discretely inside your shirt and makes it lay perfectly flat every time. Check it out at http://www.justbetweenthegirls.com. It’s great!
Anonymous
Can we women wear fitted mid-hip length button-down shirts without a jacket to work? Or for an interview?
I have some nice fitted ones and I have a body to carry them too but often I overthing the jacket v/s non-jacket issue. what do you say?
vineyard
Is this really the kind of climate in different regions also has several different kinds of dishes.
People that have been added, to better reproduce the “cheesy” or “stinky” flavor of
the Lissole, which is surrounded by four chairs. Restaurant menus offer many great selections of lovely fresh, local produce and wines.
Merit
I loved the idea no 7: button down shirt beneath a t-shirt – tried it on at once and looked surprisingly good. I usually buy my shirts from http://ehshirts.com/
Anonymous
I have never been able to wear buttondowns because it never fails that I end up with a wet spots under my arms. I am not a big sweater either. After a hard workout at the gym, when most people are covered in sweat I have only a few damp spots. Even strong deodorant doesn’t seem to help and I don’t have a problem with regular tops. I have tried wearing a T-shirt underneath like men do, but that just makes it infinitely hotter and doesn’t look as good. I have given up. Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to work around it?