The top in question: A $20 Old Navy ruffle-front button-down tie-hem chambray!
1. With black skinnies, blue converse, chunky gold hoops, and a structured shoulder bag for a night at the movies with your boyfriend (plus slouchy comfy sweater for the cold movie theater air conditioning). And we saw Moonrise Kingdom. And yes, I was overcome with love. Never loved something more. Nothing could E-V-E-R top Royal Tenenbaums, but this tails it as close as something ever possibly could. I am so in love with Bruce Willis and Bill Murray, and the mini Lana del Ray lead.
2. With a navy blue, silk, high-waisted, pleated, full skirt + flat sandals + orange-red lip + mustard tote for a 6 p.m. stroll through Philly.
3. With oversized vintage denim shorts (I roll them because they’re big, and sometimes I like the big look and sometimes I like the rolled look), for iced coffee in the morning to explore the city of Philly all day.
4. With studded gladiator flats and Mexican striped cloth shorts to wander around your OWN city all day.
I don’t mean the shirt is the most innovative thing in the world, or that my outfits with it were innovative– they weren’t. I paired it with black skinny jeans, a full circle skirt, neon pink Mexican stripe shorts, and oversized vintage denim shorts and like zero accessories because that’s how I dress. Because I don’t wake up on a Thursday in my real life and dress like I’m in a magazine editorial or being photographed outside of a show at Russian fashion week. As many of you who’ve read previous treatises I’ve written on my style know, it’s simple-as-fuck. My point with the shirt is that it basically goes with anything. I could have paired it with zebra-printed high-waisted trousers, or a bright purple pleated maxi skirt, or a leather pencil skirt. It’s the bomb because it’s like…..AS versatile as a white tank top, but it’s not a white tank top. It has visual and textural interest because it’s chambray and has a ruffle-top and a tie-knot at the waist. But it could be the base to A-N-Y ensemble in the world.
Lately I have been SO SO SO SO all about staples and basics. I haven’t been buying anything that’s not a comfortable, simple, can-be-worn-a-GILLION-ways staple. But not because I’ve been TRYING to, as a philosophy, like “I’m not buying anything that’s not a staple”, it’s that I’ve been unintentionally drawn to things that are staples. Like without realizing it, the last 6 purchases I made were just really really really STAPLE to a wardrobe– a simple but interesting chambray top that goes with everything, the PERFECT black skinny jeans, the PERFECT neutral+metallic flat sandals, the perfect black-and-white striped slouchy tank. And then I’ve just been REPEATING REPEATING REPEATING, with different staples. Like the skinny jeans with the chambray top for day, and a silk top + bold lip and heels for night, etc. Like this. These super super cute cropped black DL 1961 skinnies with chambray tie-hem top by day (same outfit above), and by night in New York City last weekend with an evening-appropriate blousy silk tie-hem top. (I’m so all about the tie-hem these days).
Maybe it’s summer. I think the season begs for simple staples that can be remixed and repeated. Like music.
My original top is now on sale from $19.94 to $12.50, but they are sold out of chambray, but have two super-cute Paisley options (I love the white).
ALSO, they have this chambray tie-hem top, which is different because it doesn’t have spaghetti straps or ruffles but it looks really cute.
you’ve thoroughly convinced me that I NEEEED this top!!
Where is your full skirt from? Love all the different looks!
Hi Samantha you are so sweet thank you!!! I checked out your blog and you’re so cute and I like your style. The full skirt (which I am obsessssssssssssssssed with and have worn like 400 different ways since I bought it) is from a boutique on Elizabeth Street in Soho called “Babel Fair.” They have these cool lines from like..Japan and Australia and at REALLY reasonable prices! Not reasonable like Target or Forever 21 but like $40 – $150. : )
love all the different looks & i wantttt this top.!!
&& i really wanntt the mexican shorrts… if you dont mind spillin, may i ask, where in the world did you get those shorts??