It’s pretty obvious that dressing for summer can be a lot less “interesting” than dressing for fall/winter because the heat reduces our ability to play with layers comfortably. I even asked
in a recent AMA about how to add visual interest to summer outfits (which she brilliantly answered here and expounded on here). In summary, Irene is a proponent of finding warm weather clothing with impactful shapes;The biggest impact will be from adding pieces with impactful shapes and lines whether in the neckline, sleeve, body or leg.
So while I am out here purchasing another pair of (what my husband calls) weird-leg-shaped pants I stumbled upon what I believe to be a secret weapon for summer dressing. Hold your applause until the end but I really hope you all love this as much as I do.
The solution is; a trusty button-down top. BUT not just any button-down, a short-sleeve button down.
It started when
posted her Summer Lookbook (more on this to come) and I saw her expertly styling this embroidered button down.I immediately loved this and began planning on wearing a short-sleeve button down that I own. But, of course, your girl also went shopping and found some incredible options at Zara1. So while I try hard not to feel like any piece of clothing is a magical antidote to our problem, I do present to you the varied ways a short-sleeve button down (particularly from the men’s section) can provide the extra layer for your summer outfits.
I bought the shirt on the right so stand-by for my first-hand impression. But both of these shirts are cotton/linen blend so they are going to be lightweight and breathable. I feel like they would be the perfect layer for an outfit worn doing errands or a summer dinner.
A short-sleeve button down works for a casual look AND a dressy outfit.
Like, maybe I drank too much of the Kool-Aid in my own writing of this piece BUT I wear a lot of long-sleeve button downs year-round and I am shocked that I haven’t thought of getting more short-sleeve button downs to hold me over in the heat of summer.
Here are a few photos I could find that show how great a short-sleeve button down can be worn as a stand-alone layer. And the cut of the shirt *could* add the visual impact that I talked about at the top of this newsletter.
Also, I also found this incredible brand call Percival that has some beautiful options and let’s not even play like a vintage shirt off Etsy isn’t the best find of all.
As a final side benefit; even in the dead of summer, I like having something covering my shoulders inside because I can be a little bit precious about temperature and these are the perfect cover-ups!
Please don’t come for me
short sleeve button ups are incredibly tricky for me! they must be an EXACT length in body, EXACT length of sleeve, EXACT width - or they come off as too masculine looking. a long sleeve, rolled up to just above the elbow, always works! can someone explain this?
I have a few neutral, cotton and linen, femme, short sleeved, button downs. Generally, I'm not a fan of short sleeves. Not even t-shirts. Definitely not a fan of them on men. I lucked up on three similar that are classic cut with blunt hemline, drop shoulders of different lengths, and slightly plunged neckline complemented by soft collars. Perfect for summer.