WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: HOW TO WEAR A WHITE SHIRT

Sometimes, the basics are the hardest to style. One of the wardrobe basics for many of us is a white shirt. It can be dressed up or down, and for many, can be a staple in their dressing. 

However, when it comes to styling a white shirt, it may be a bit of a hit and miss. Depending on the shaping, styling, and accessories, you too can try out this wardrobe essential! 

Make sure you’re selecting the right shape for your body type

First and foremost, the best way to make a white shirt work for you is to understand your body shape and the styles that will work for you. 

Here’s a simple guide to inspire you: 

• Hourglass: v-necks or sweethearts, as well as crew necks are great for balancing your top and bottom. You will also want to look at a fitted blouse to enhance your waist. Structure fabrics are recommended if your features are more angular (neat hourglass); softer fabrics are better if your features are more curvilinear (full hourglass);

• Rectangle: look for simple styles, and structure fabrics (like pipeline cotton) that will accentuate your waist without adding unnecessary colume and opt for patterns like vertical stripes that will optically elongate the bust; consider a peplum style to create the illusion of a defined waist;

• Triangle: open necklines, macro prints, and details such as ruffles, frills and pockets are great for you, as well as puffed sleeves are also a great option to make your shoulders look larger and focus the attention on your top; make sure your blouse doesn’t stop on your hips, instead tuck it into high waisted wide-legged trousers or skirts, to highlight your waist and elongate the legs; 

• Oval: Hip length tops with an open neckline, as well as vertical or slanted stripes to optically elongate the bust. Opt for fluid fabrics, such as silk and viscose, to complement your natural curves. Go for simple lines and avoid details that add unnecessary volume at the torso, but also horizontal stripes or bold patterns;

• Inverted Triangle: simple lines and shirts that have minimal volume at the shoulders. Opt for crispy, structured fabrics to complement your angular features. Closed collars, peplum styles and wrapped shirts are great styles to explore for you. 

Now you know the style and shape that could complement your figure in the best way, here are some ideas to inspire you to style your white shirt. 

What to pair with your white shirt 

Styling a baggy tee and jeans is a classic “cool girl” outfit seen regularly on streetwear to high fashion runways. 

Source: The Zoe Report

If jeans and a tee aren’t in alignment with your personal style, you could try out wearing a white shirt under your casual spring midi dress for a layered look that covers your shoulders from the sun. Change up your dress by popping your shirt over it too, and crop the shirt with a belt or tying with a hair tie. 

Source: Mujerde10

Try out the dungaree trend with a classic white shirt underneath, with a pair of combat boots or DM’s to punk up the look. 

Source: Who What Wear

If you have midi-skirts in your wardrobe they go perfectly with a boxy white shirt, as well as a more romantic vibe of a peplum shirt. Wear your favourite sandals to embrace the summer heat and why not try out a straw hat to really embrace the summer vibes! 

Source: Who What Wear

For summery cool looks, pair your shirt with the go-to trouser of the season – a wide legged option. Whether it’s jeans or more formal black trousers, you can elongate your legs with a pair of heels or platform trainers in the same colour as your trousers. You can bring in your waist with a belt, and layer up the look with a cardigan over the top and a crossover body bag for the finishing touch. 

Source: Style Bee

How to style your white blouse

If a white tee is not up your alley, never fear – a white blouse can be an excellent solution. Still an essential in any wardrobe, this can be paired in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas: 

Pair your white shirt with a pair of kick flare, dark wash jeans with heeled boots for a 90’s-gone-2024 vibe. Flares are an excellent option for triangle-shapes, and go a long way to elongate your legs. 

Source: Buzzfeed

For a cute nighttime look, you can pair your looser fitting blouse with a mini skirt and heels (or boots if you want to protect those ankles). Try out a trend-setting metallic mini skirt to really elevate the look and stand out. 

Source BeSugarandSpice

Just like with a white tee, you can style a dress over the top of your white blouse for added layers and reusing your wardrobe items throughout the year. For example a summertime mini dress can be used throughout the year with a long sleeved blouse and tights for warming up during the spring/winter months. 

Source: Sarah Christine

Finally, if you’ve been craving trying out the denim maxi skirt look, there’s nothing quite like elevating the casual style of the skirt with a tucked in crisp white blouse. Depending on your body shape, make the look feel more sexy with a deep v-neck or unbuttoning the top buttons of the blouse and adding a long necklace – perfect for inverted triangles or hourglass shapes. 

Source: The Middle Page

So, will you be trying out a white shirt? 

PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS: FINDING THE PERFECT JEANS AND HOW TO STYLE THEM

When it comes to the “go to” casual look for many of us, it’s got to be the jeans and tee/top combination. However, when we are looking for jeans that suit our body shapes, it can be a minefield!

Which of the countless styles, colours, rises, and shapes work for our body shapes so we can feel confident in the outfit? Well, if you are wondering which styles will best suit your body shape, this blog will help you.

Wide Legged Jeans

Wide legged jeans are back from the 90’s, and they are the comfortable, cool style we want to wear but can be tricky to style depending on your personal style type.

Depending on your body shape these can be a great option for your day to day looks.

You may already be wearing your wide-legged trousers for your workwear, so these can be an easily approachable style of jeans for more casual days. Pairing with a blouse for a chic look, pop on a blazer, and a pair of heels and your jeans will elevate this style. Match the wide-legged look with a chunky knit (best for rectangle shapes or oval shapes). Or for hourglass and pear shapes, you’ll want to bring the eye to the waist with a belt and tuck in your blouse or a vest on top.

source: StyleIdealist

How to style low rise jeans

All of us who went through the low rise 90’s and 00’s looks are gasping at these, but what if there were certain ways to style them that work beautifully? While this style of jean can be more approachable for certain body shapes, it can be quite freeing to no longer be pulled in by a tight waisted jean that is mid or high rise!

For an easier move into the style, look for a mid-rise that you can size up in so it’s more relaxed and sits below the navel. Try out the wide-legged look with a lower rise for more comfort – great for pear shapes and rectangles too! While hourglasses could work this look with confidence, a top that stops at the waist (either a cropped tee or a cropped jacket to bring in the waist) will be the best option for styling. A straight leg can be another option, paired with a looser top casually tucked to elongate those with a shorter torso.

source: SylvieMus_

Ultimately, this style of jean is meant to be all about comfort and ease – moving away from the structured pulled in styles of tighter high rises – so go for the comfort and play with the style!

How to style straight leg jeans

Straight leg jeans are as they say on the tin – straight cut! They are cut straight from the waist to the ankle. They’re a great shape for oval, rectangle, and triangle shapes. They can be more tricky for pear shapes & hourglasses, but if you style them with a waist-sinching belt this can be a good option.

Styling your straight leg jeans can be more professional due to the shape, but you can rock them up by wearing a pair of black straight cut jeans with a pair of combats, and add on a leather jacket. Pop on a pair of vintage denim straight cut jeans, a fluffy cardigan and tuck it in at the waist, with your statement belt and heeled boots, and you have a chic look ready for running errands.

source: an Indigo Day

Due to the shape, they work excellently with your cowboy boots, heels, and your chunky sneakers – so these are a great accessory to play with to make the style more or less casual.

source: Style Du Monde

How to style cigarette style jeans

Another shape often reserved for the more formal trouser, cigarette styled jeans have a slim silhouette and, unlike it’s counterpart the “skinny jean”, the cigarette jean is cut straight from the knee to the ankle. They are also, often, ankle length. They are a much more approachable slim-fit style than the skinny jeans, while showing off more of our curves than the straight cut.

source: Rag & Bone

You can style them with a pair of heels, blazer and a beautiful top for a comfortable yet sexy date night look. Punk them up with a leather jacket or trench. Or, for running around with the kids, pop on an oversized blouse and sneakers and you’re ready to go.

These are my top picks for the trends this year, and you can find even more in my guide here with more styles including flares, cropped jeans and skinny jeans.

No matter the current trends, jeans should make you feel confident and comfortable. They are a versatile staple in the wardrobe and should feel approachable.

HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT JEANS FOR YOUR BODY TYPE - PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS

Jeans are always “in fashion” but with the ever changing trends, what is the best shape for your body type? From the classic flares coming back to the catwalks, to the noughties skinnies, let’s take a look at some of the top jeans styles, and colours, and how to style them for your body shape.

Flared jeans

The best body types for flared jeans

The swinging 70’s are back and pear shapes rejoice! While flares made a small come back in the 90’s it seems they are back in full swing for us this year, and they’re great for those of us with larger hips. This is because they add a little extra volume lower down to balance out our hips. You may also love flares if you are petite, as you can hide your heels under the flare of the jean, elongating your legs!

How to style flared jeans

I prefer my jeans in a dark wash, as a pear shape myself, because they are great for adding a slimming effect. These high-rise jeans in a dark wash from Reiss are a beautiful cut and work perfectly from day to night. Try your flares with a pair of heels, your favourite blazer and a turtleneck for a powerful professional look. You can then swap the turtleneck for a graphic tee, and add a belt for definition for your evening look. For a more casual option, swap out your heels for your favourite platform trainers or sandals for the summer.

Mom Jeans

The best body types for Mom jeans

Mom jeans continue to be a comfortable, casual option when it comes to jeans. With their wider leg, yet tapered waist, they are great for hourglass figures. As they tend to be loosely fitted on the legs they do work for more rectangular body types as well as pear shapes, when the cut is right. They do tend to stop just above the ankle, so unless you specifically invest in petite sizing, they don’t tend to be the best option for petite body shapes unless you’re happy to add some extra rolls to the ankle area.

How to style your Mom jeans

With their relaxed style, Mom jeans tend to look best in a casual look, but you can style them up with the right blouse or shirt. They have a high waist, with a loose fit, adding to the casual look while showing off the waist. Dive into this classic shape and find a pair of Mom jeans in a vintage denim colour.

You can then style them up with your favourite button down or blouse, and pop on a pair of strappy heels for a brunch date. You could also wear them for errands and grabbing coffee with a pair of trainers and your favourite cropped jumper or tee. Pop on a crossover body bag, with a leather jacket and your casual yet classic look is ready to rock.

Boyfriend Jeans

The best body types for Boyfriend Jeans

Not to be confused with the Mom jean style, Boyfriend jeans are looser and tend to have a baggier area around the crotch. These are perfect for people with an inverted triangle shape – with smaller hips than shoulders, as well as oval and rectangle. Because of the baggier fit around the thighs, this will streamline your silhouette.

How to style your Boyfriend Jeans

Due to their casual and slouchy nature, these are a great style of jeans to wear out and about, rather than trying to dress them up. If you are an inverted triangle shape, style them with your favourite camisole or a tighter top to draw the eye to your waist. I’d highly recommend finding a pair of high-rise Boyfriend jeans for your body, as this will help create the waist in the perfect point. This higher waistline will also help with elongating your legs. Continue the elongation of your legs with a pair of wedges, or go all out for your date night with a clutch and a pair of nude stilettos.

If you are an oval or rectangular shape, lower rises are much more comfortable for you – and I’d recommend untucking your tops. This will help with the shape of your silhouette.

Skinny Jeans

The best body types for Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans – they became all the rage in the noughties and seem to have stayed. While skinny jeans are great for some body types, those who have larger hips need to be conscious of how skinny we go with them! They are great for building confidence and showing off your curves, and when styled correctly they can work for most body types. The thing to think about is how long they are, the wash, and the styling.

How to style your Skinny Jeans

Because the skinny jeans are so tight on the figure at the base of your body, the best outfit ideas for this is to balance it out with volume in your tops. Think tucking in your blouse into your jeans with a belt to add the waist definition. You could also wear an oversized blazer to feel a little more professional, with dark wash skinny jeans and a pair of heels. Balancing out the skinny jeans is where you will feel your best – but don’t let this stop you playing with the trendy skinny jean.

If you feel confident in this slinky silhouette – go for it!

Try out dark wash skinny jeans with a silky camisole top, drape a blazer over your shoulders and add an oversized clutch for your date night look. If you want to feel a little more rock chick, and balance out your look, you can wear these cropped black skinny jeans with your favourite combat boots, or with a pair of ankle boots to balance out the hips.

Cropped Jeans

The best body types for Cropped Jeans

Cropped jeans are the last style on my list, and you may be surprised to hear that I love these for my petite ladies! While the flares help elongate you by hiding your heels, cropped jeans make it seem like your legs are “too long” for the jeans. It’s all about discovering the perfect length – and cropped jeans come in a lot of different options. As a general rule, look for cropped jeans that hit just above your ankle.

While I have mentioned they are great for petite frames, cropped jeans work well for all body shapes – it just depends on finding the right inseam length, and styling.

How to style Cropped Jeans

Cropped jeans are a chic option for your jeans outfit, and work beautifully from day to night. I think they look beautiful when paired as part of a monochrome look. Classically French-chic, the monochrome of all white can be perfect for your day in the office when paired with smart sneakers, and changing up your jewellery you can wear it to drinks after a long day. Pair your cropped white jeans with an elegant cotton top if you are an oval shape and pop on a layered necklace to bring some sparkle to your look.

For a super-casual yet cool look with your cropped jeans, look for a pair of high-rise boot cut options. As with any high-rise jean, pulling you in at the waist will help define your physique and add a more hourglass look. Match them with your favourite slogan tee and a pair of square toed shoes for a touch of elegance.

If you want to have a more relaxed feel, find a pair of cropped jeans with a distressed hem, pop on a pair of leather ankle boots or trainers, and go all out rock chick with your leather moto jacket, or baggy oversized blazer.

While these are my personal stylist tips for discovering the perfect jeans for your body type, finding jeans that you love wear is the most important thing. I help people discover the right shapes for their body type, while also considering their personal style as a whole.

While these are my tips for helping you create outfits that you’ll love to wear with your jeans, if you are looking for a personal stylist to help you discover a wardrobe you love, please get in touch.

Stefania Bartolomei,
Personal Stylist, London

PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS: 7 WAYS TO STYLE CROPPED JEANS.

Jeans – they’re an essential part of most of our wardrobes, but when it comes to the styles we can wear, they are countless. Cropped jeans are one of the styles of jeans that is a more recent trend after years of skinny shapes dominating the fashion world, but can be tricky to style.

The first thing to think about when it comes to getting your cropped jeans is how can you style them with confidence? Here are my personal styling tips to help you discover new ways to play with your cropped jeans and perhaps add them to your wardrobe!

Cropped jeans with ankle boots

When you think of cropped jeans, you may not initially think that wearing ankle boots are a great option, but they can be super stylish together! Adding your little ankle boots, particularly when it’s a colder day, can be one way to continue to style your cropped jeans, while remaining a little warmer. I recommend wearing cropped jeans with higher boots that can hide under the jeans leg, but if you prefer to show a little space between your jeans and your boots, and your cropped jeans are the same length as your boots, then roll them up a little to show off that little bit of skin and create a break line.

A black pair of cropped jeans with black zip up boots, that have a little detail can be a great “rock chick” look to try out. However, if you’re more “romantic” in your styling, find a boot that has a thinner heel or have a quirky pattern to them to bring a little elegance or flair to your look.

Cropped jeans with a long overcoat or jacket

Layering is one of those styling additions that can transform a look, particularly for winter wear. Find a jacket or a shirt that comes to the length of your jeans and style them together to bring a complete look together. When you are looking at attending a smart/casual event this can be a great look to try as it can elevate the jeans you are wearing to a more smart-appropriate style, while remaining comfortable.

For the layering items, you can find blouses that are meant to remain open all the way or just at the top, and you can go for a fully fashion-forward look by half tucking your blouse at the front to bring an a-symmetry to the outfit. This can also be where you add your colours to the outfit, particularly if you have blue or black jeans that remain more neutral – add the colours and patterns to your outfit with a bright blouse or jacket and you’ve brought drama to your outfit!

Cropped jeans with a blazer

Now, if you know me, you know that a blazer is an essential piece I recommend to any client that wants to have an easy to add item to an outfit that brings a formal/business-appropriate addition to any item – and the same goes for your cropped jeans! Where your blazer may be more form fitting, this is where you can find a “mom” style cropped jean to your outfit or a looser fit to the bottom, that is then bringing the eye to your waist with your buttoned up or belted blazer.

For more ways to style your blazer, I have created a blog that shares a few ideas!

Cropped jeans with stilettos

With this outfit choice, you’re really going to town with the casual jeans paired with your formal or even sexy stilettos! I love bringing a heel to my jeans, so with a stiletto, go all out and make them work for you. You can have your looser fitting cropped jeans paired with your stilettos to create a sexy date-night look in a flash – with just a change of shoes! These are one of the best accessories that you can bring with you in a bag if you’re going to meetings and then seeing friends or your partner in the evening. But, with the right stilettos, you can also make these jeans work for business meetings. Find a nude or black pair of stilettos and pair them with your cropped jeans for a more work-appropriate look, that works if you are more comfortable with a smart/casual business attire.

Cropped jeans with platform trainers

Platform trainers are an excellent shoe to add to your collection – they remain comfortable, yet chic and stylish, while adding a little height. A classic white platform sneaker is a great option to add to your cropped jeans, as you can look slick and feel confident running between meetings – while remaining stylish and professional. If you want to add a little more personality, you can find platform sneakers in a range of styles, so go all out, try adding a little splash of colour to a neutral look with pink or bright blue platform trainers, while you could invest in a pair of designer platform trainers to really upgrade your look if your jeans are more budget friendly.

Cropped jeans with a shirt

You really can’t go wrong with a crisp shirt and any style of bottoms, and with your looser cropped jeans this can be another way to ensure a more smart/casual look that may work well for a more relaxed business person. A looser shirt can be a good option if you have a larger bust, as you’ll be able to tuck in your shirt into your cropped jeans to bring you in at the waist – adding a little definition with a belt can be another way to continue to bring your waist in.

Finding a cotton shirt that works for you is one investment piece I highly recommend bringing into your wardrobe, as it can go really well with many bottoms.

Cropped jeans with combat boots

Finally, one of the most rock-chick ready looks to wear with your cropped jeans is with combat boots which are another huge trend at the moment – best if you can invest in a leather or vegan leather option. With combat boots you could play with different options, from the classic punk-look of Doc Martens, to a more modern and romantic style with stiletto fronted combat boots! If you are conscious of your leg length, then matching your jeans colour to your boots is a good way to help your legs look elongated, or buy a pair of platform or heeled combat boots to add a touch of height.

While this can remain the most casual of looks, it can work well if your business style is more rocker or design-led, depending on the combat boots you try (for inspiration on how to style your combat boots in a variety of different ways, go here).

If you are planning on trying some cropped jeans, I hope some of these styling ideas have inspired you to bring new looks together! If you are unsure on how to style outfits, or want to have a professional helping hand when you go shopping, please get in touch.