Day 31: Now you see me, now you don't

^ ..and that applies for my outfit posts as well! The nice ones amongst you will have noticed that I was AWOL yesterday (I did say that might happen!), so Day 31 continues with the khaki trend. I've always wondered how khaki helps to camouflage - Katy Perry seems to do it rather well in her "Part of Me" video, but I've had no such luck with the white shirt + army print combo. I didn't manage to sneak up successfully on anyone or stay hidden from annoying people. Shame.

Today I'm wearing:

• Khaki midi skirt from "Best Mountain Collection" (Google informs me that it's a French brand)
• Vintage white shirt

Since starting this blog, I've received quite a few more questions about what I'm wearing - and I'm happy to say that usually there's a story behind it! Today's interesting (I think) fact is that the skirt was a hand-me-down (no shame in that, ladies) from my auntie, and when I received I instantly thought "Oh God isn't that skirt hideous?". Not one to refuse free clothing, I took it anyway and then after storing it in the bottom of my wardrobe for months, I woke up one day and realised that it is actually a nice skirt. It has nice embroidery and is an interesting length you can't really buy in shops these days anymore. And as long as you wear it high-waisted with a plain top, it works (I think).

Also, on the note of hand-me-downs, a lot of people also say that I own a LOT of clothes. That's true. But I don't buy a lot of clothes. I love digging through (literally) my mum's wardrobe and picking things that she's long forgotten about, and finding new ways to reinvent them. After all, that's the challenge. And you should all know by now that I like a challenge!


Bev x

Day 30: What a month it's been!

WOW. 30 whole days of white shirts!? I originally set off to challenge my wardrobe for a month, and I've had a lot of fun :) As I mentioned a week or so earlier, I've had such a blast with it that I will be continuing it past the 30 days (not necessarily every day though!). I've also seen a lot of the white shirt in the press and in magazines (Kate, Duchess of Cambridge was wearing one just yesterday I think!) so I'll be doing a bit more blogging on that side.

I usually like to just throw on whatever spontaneously (takes way less time and it helps to avoid exact outfit repeats - I'm a mixer-and-matcher)... but, today I wore something I wore exactly in September at London Fashion Weekend. Obviously, ordinary people like me can't blag a London Fashion Week ticket, but you can buy Weekend tickets for a catwalk and shopping experience. Fab girls' day out so I recommend it highly. Anyway, I did put quite a bit of thought into that outfit, and it consists of a white shirt, so it'd be a shame if I didn't include it in my 30 days. 

Today I'm wearing:

• Vintage white shirt (it's older than I am)
• Zandra Rhodes handbag
• Marks and Spencers tartan kilt - "vintage" as it's 20-ish years old!
• New Look faux fur coat, draped not worn. (Thou shalt not harm the animals)
• Clarks wedge heels (don't ever diss Clarks. They make the comfiest shoes I've ever worn.) 

So... that's the 30 day challenge DONE. Please do continue to come back as it's not over yet! I'm sure there are still many, many, many more ways of white-shirting it and I am definitely game on finding out - and I hope you are too.


Bev x
 

Day 29: Something old, something new

Don't worry, not getting married just yet guys! Like I would have a wedding without blogging some wedding dresses first... (#thewhitedresschallenge).

Today is all about mixing the young and the old, the past and the future, the teddy bears and the ladylike dress.

Today I'm wearing:

• Vintage (old label "In port") waistcoat 
• Black chiffon skirt from Bay
• Marks and Spencers white shirt

I know, I know - it's a bit of a strange combination. I mean, who wears waistcoats these days? (I do, let's start a trend.) And the combination - if it weren't for the random colourful toys - could look borderline waitress-at-a-nice-hotel. But...today is a very important day to me and I felt equally compelled to pay homage to my childhood, as well as attempting to be more ladylike. Well, we'll get there in the end...

Bev x

Day 28: Making waves

 It's another maxi skirt today, and it's one I haven't worn in quite some time (at least a year or 2 I think). The reason may be that whenever I wear it and walk, it swishes uncontrollably. Walking down the stairs...swish. Crossing the road...swish. Trying to make my way through an annoying crowd...swish. (Which kinda makes my intentionally grumpy face very, very tame.) Anyway, I thought I'd give it another try today...swish. It's not all bad though; I'm making waves.

Today I'm wearing:

• Vintage white shirt
• Purple vest
• (Do you remember that clothes shop called "QS" which then became "NAFNAF"?) Maxi skirt with shiny velvet effect from NAFNAF. 

I'm absolutely rubbish at street language etc but isn't "naf" slang for something that's uncool and bad? No wonder it no longer exists....Oh well.

Bev x

Day 27: "Are those shorts!?"

Hello! Yes they're shorts. They're kinda bubbly, and you'd be forgiven if you saw them and thought, "what are those!?". But yes they are shorts.

Today I'm wearing:

• New Look shirt and vest (I'm cheating just a little today as the whole top is just one piece - but it looks like a white shirt so why not?)
• Bubble grey shorts
• Brown weave belt which came with the shorts

I know I'm going to bring up the weather again, but this was to combat the rain and the wind; shorts will not blow everywhere in the wind and the material won't let water (from the rain) cause embarrassing wet patches. It's only logical...

Bev x

Day 26: Frill me up, buttercup

Cause this is friller, friller night!

Frill my little world right up, right up...

(Ok that's all I've got at the moment. It makes a short-lived but very fun game. "Replace lyrics with FRILL".) 

I know what you're thinking: that's so random. 1) It's been 26 days, you should be used to it by now! 2) It's actually quite relevant as today is all about the frill.

Today I'm wearing:

• Purple cardigan with waterfall-type frills - unlabelled gift from a family friend
• White lace frill shirt - vintage. 
• New Look floral midi skirt (you've seen this before)

 

I wouldn't usually combine two powertrends (frills, and floral patterns) but I was feeling...random. And the skirt was the first thing I saw peeking out of my wardrobe! 

Bev x

Ps. Got another one - "Infect me with your love and frill me with your poison." Not a typo. Katy Perry.

Day 25: Flying with wings

The above isn't terribly relevant but I'm wearing a cape-shaped cardigan and it's the most inventive thing I could think of. It is a Monday after all! (Not that you can see it very well in this photo. Whoops, my bad.)

Today I'm wearing:

• New Look cape
• Next cord skinny jeans
• Next white shirt

I've repeated an item of clothing (other than a shirt) for the first time so I think my wardrobe's getting drained!

Oh well, more draining tomorrow :)

Bev x

Day 24: Lady in red

All hail the bow tie! I may not be Matt Smith but I sure do love a bow tie. Last Sunday, I was very, very blue (go see for yourself, Day 17) and today I am very, very red. And colour-coordinated. 

Today I'm wearing:

• Red bow tie from Sara Berman for ASOS (originally a belt, so I took off the bow and put a safety pin on it. DIY brooch!)
• Forever 21 white shirt
• Red dress from Apricot (worn as skirt)
• Primark red satchel
• (You can't tell in the photo, but also Miss Sporty red lipstick in "Malaga". It's important to colour code!) 

And nope, tomorrow is not yellow/green/pink/purple/etc day. Don't hold your breath.

Bev x

 

Day 23: Sink, swim or float?

I've been a bit weather-obsessed this week (in other words, British) but this ensemble totally defies the pouring rain. Wouldn't recommend it, but I stayed in all day so...

Today I'm wearing:

• Floaty tie dye maxi dress (gift from my Auntie so I have no idea where it's from)
• Next shirt

You may have noticed I quite like tying my shirts (it adds shape to an outfit) but today I thought I'd tie the ends up at the back, making a bolero/shrug type thing :)

Bev x

Ps. The answer is "float".

Day 22: It's not over yet!

I wore a sign today with a link to this page, so if you are new and are here due to a scribbled note hung on a piece of string, HELLO! (and who needs to pay for advertising when you can just wear a sign around your neck eh?)

The piece of paper, however, prompted a lot of questions (namely "what on earth are you doing Bev!?)...for which the answer was "for fun. For a new and different challenge." Call me crazy but I am having a lot of fun, and for this reason I've decided to continue the challenge past the 30 days :) (this is the point where you stand up and shout "hip hip hooray!". I'll pretend I heard it.

Today I'm wearing:

• Forever 21 white shirt (for this look it looks best with the top button done up)
• Asos camel-coloured culottes

Upwards and onwards!

Bev x

Day 21: Week Three

Three weeks of a white shirt!? How the heck did this happen? Ah. Ok, anyway. The weather was 10 times worse today (and I thought yesterday was bad!) so I went for the safe option of jeans. Add a cardi and there's your totally casual outfit. Add an umbrella (Everyone: optional. UK: compulsory).

Today I'm wearing:

• Topshop jeans
• Marks and Spencer's white shirt
• Floral cardigan from Kew (but a proud charity shop find of mine)

Don't forget that umbrella! (Ella,ella,ehh)

Bev x

Day 20: A leopard can change it's spots

Evening! So today in England was a miserable day, weatherwise. You'd think by mid April it would be safe to bring out the pretty dresses but oh no - wet and windy is latest trend. Anyhow, I felt like wearing a skirt today - even if it isn't a floaty happy one. Better than wearing jeans in the rain, and it's a skirt that won't actually fly up with a gust of wind. Life saver. (the maxi skirt, that is...)

Today I'm wearing:

• Silk vintage shirt
• New Look leopard print maxi skirt
• Karen Millen wool and leather jacket
• H&M skinny belt

A loose shirt and maxi skirt alone us very frumpy and unflattering so don't forget the belt!

Bev x

Day 19: Call Me Maybe?

Ok I have a confession: the title has absolutely NOTHING to do with today's post. I just have the song on repeat in my head, and if I reverse psychology it in some way, it will finally leave my head....maybe? 

Anyway, today is all about orange. Blink and you'll miss the white shirt. (But it is still there.) The smart but oh-so-colourful look. Here it is...

Today I'm wearing:

• Marks and Spencer's orange cashmere V-neck jumper
• Vintage silk shirt
• Skirt from H&M

I just met you and this is crazy but here's my number so... (argh)


Bev x

Day 18: Read the small print

I'm a fan of tribal, Aztec-ish print, and I'm also a fan of bright colours (did you not gather that from yesterday!?) so this dress is one of my favourites. It's been designed to have multiple patterns, so in my eyes it doesn't clash! That's one way to liven up a Monday morning...

Today I'm wearing:

• Next white shirt
• Bag from Spitalfields Market (haggled my socks off on this one)
• Print dress I bought on holiday in China

Bev x

Day 17: When the world leaves you feeling blue...

...you can count on me....

As you can gather (hopefully), today's theme is Blue. It wasn't intended as a statement or anything; I literally just saw bright blue jeans I haven't worn in forever and thought it was time to give them another go. And if you can see it, you should recognise the necklace - or maybe not, as it was worn the wrong way round last time! Ever resourceful, I am...

Today I'm wearing:

• Topshop strappy top
• Blue jeans from New Look
• Vintage white silk shirt
• Orelia necklace
• Primark clutch bag (big enough to store virtually everything though.)

Bev x

Ps. It's S Club 7's "Reach". In case you're still wondering about the title.

Day 16: Today I don't feel like doing anything

Hello! Firstly can I say THANK YOU if you are reading this. I never thought I would get so much support on this challenge, so whether you are in the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, Russia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Ireland, THANK YOU.

As gathered from the title, this is a very lazy white shirt outfit. Simply pop over a dress of your choice and tie it up with the ends instead of doing the buttons. Simples!

Today I'm wearing:

• Brown midi dress borrowed from Mum's wardrobe
• Next white shirt

Also, huge thanks to Virgos Lounge for designing gorgeous clothes (just looking at their dresses could be a dangerous new hobby for me), and for their support - the responses to yesterday's feature have been superb :)

Bev x

White Shirts in the News

Ok so I have a slight compulsion to check the Daily Mail website almost, well, daily. Most of the articles are so outrageous they annoy me (like the whole Samantha Brick thing!?) yet I keep on going back, mainly for the latest red-carpet appearances and outfits. And one red carpet trend that I've spotted three times today alone is the white shirt. Hip hip hooray, it's almost as if Lily Collins, Kristen Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow have been reading this blog! :) Yesterday happened to be blazer day as well, so it's a coincidence they've all opted for the black blazer.


Whilst Lily looks absolutely stunning and sophisticated, Kristen's got her usual edgy vibe and Gwyneth is smart and lovely as usual. My favourite would probably have to be the first though - it's a very very tough look to pull off and everything from the make-up and colour and hair and shoes and bag go well. Minimalistic but makes a huge statement. Well done Lily! (But kudos to Gwyneth for the daring white shirt look - I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to undo so many buttons...)

Right, which celeb's next to rock the shirt?


Bev x

Day 16: What the blaze(r)s!?

First things first, Day 16 and we're over halfway there! (and living on a prayer.)

Today I'm wearing:

• Punkyfish lace blazer
• Bershka black parcel shorts
• White shirt from Next
• Orelia necklace (worn as a neck tie)

The one look you can always count on with a white shirt is the blazer+shorts combo. I bought the necklace from Britain's Next Top Model Live (was a really fun day out, I'd recommend it to everyone) on sale for only £1! It's worth checking out Orelia - they have some really gorgeous dainty jewellery. It's also probably the only necklace I can wear back to front and not look completely odd.

Hmmm I wonder...what about wearing the shirt back to front?? Tune in tomorrow to find out! ;)

Bev x

Style Spotlight: Virgos Lounge

I absolutely love finding out about new labels which bring something completely – well, new – to the market. Sometime last year I was flicking through Look magazine and two absolutely gorgeous dresses caught my eye. Which led me to discover the beautiful, beautiful clothes of Virgos Lounge. 

Judging from what I’ve already seen, I’d say their speciality is embellishment. I recently bought an evening dress from them and I’ve never seen embellishments quite like it – I am officially head over heels in love. So how is this relevant to my White Shirt Challenge? Well, they make white shirts too! :)

The Millie shirt (or I should say “blouse”) is sequiny and sheer – a combination which will turn heads and stand out in a crowd of white shirts. I’d probably wear it with a vest top underneath though! 

Continuing on with my Virgos Lounge infatuation, it would look great with the Daffy jacket (more embellishments, yum) and leggings, OR tucked into the Poppy skirt (I don't think I've ever seen a nicer skirt!).

Label lust or what? Also, remember the pastel trend I was talking about the other day? Well they have an amazing new Pastel Spring Collection aaand if that wasn't good enough for you, you can get 10% off EVERYTHING (yes, everything) this weekend by using their discount code "SWEETTREAT" (there's more on that on their Facebook page). But yes, seriously, I am in love with Virgos Lounge.

Finally, here's a picture of the Raina dress I bought. (No particular reason, really. I just like it a lot!)

 http://www.virgoslounge.com

 Bev x

Day 15: The Girl in White

According to the latest Marie Claire, the all-white look is in, so I thought I'd give it a try. Now white head-to-toe is quite an out-there look which I'm not too keen on so I'm not sure I'll be repeating this outfit anytime soon. With white, you have to be careful it's doesn't go see-through, make sure that you don't sit on grass/mud/dirt, that you don't look like a wannabe bride sending messages......

Do you remember the girl who won the latest Young Apprentice? I don't really, but I do remember her white dress. She wore it Every. Single. Week. (let's just say I was not a fan..) So the lesson to learn is that the white dress is not to be overdone, folks! From today I've learnt that it's nice to make a statement in white, but if it's a fashion statement you're looking for, well...there are better ways!

Today I'm wearing:

• Vintage white dress
• Forever 21 shirt

Bev x

Ps. I hope you've noticed the whole page revamp! I'm going with the Polaroid theme -you get all these lovely fashion blogs with outstanding photography out there, and there's just me with my trusty iPod! But I think the outfit Polaroid photos are far more interesting to look at now, thanks to the app on my trusty iPod!

The High Street White Shirt Invasion

 

From top, clockwise: Topshop, H&M, Topshop, H&M, Forever 21, Forever 21

Ok, I promised you a High Street search of white shirts when I went into town earlier this week, and here it is. Apologies for the bad quality (iPod standard!) but I think it's very clear from the photos that they are in fact, white shirts :)

The three stores I picked out were: Topshop, H&M, Forever 21. I'd never been to Forever 21 before, despite hearing about it ALL the time from fashion enthusiasts and American celebs. It really does live up to the hype: cute hairbands from just over £1, colourful summerwear, lovely dresses, a wide range of pretty much anything a girl dreams about, and it's all super-affordable. I'd say I was more impressed with their prices than those at Primark! I found about 4 types of white shirt - one with floaty sleeves that didn't really count as sleeves, one with strange buttons, a short-sleeved one, and the one in the photo. All were under £20.

H&M was even cheaper and offered your standard staple shirt - if you're looking for a simple bargain, H&M is where it's at. Topshop's main white shirt was £45; it was obviously very nice and chic but I just wouldn't be prepared to pay that much. Even if I am wearing one every day! 

I think you can tell by my gushing that Forever 21's shirt was the winner in my eyes, and I am wearing it right now, and you'll notice from previous posts that I've been wearing it quite a lot! I'd say the High Street has lo-o-ots of lovely shirt offerings - and I say this quite a lot: come winter, spring, summer, autumn, it won't go out of style/stock. It just won't. 

Topshop

Style: 8/10

Value for money: 4/10

H&M

Style: 6.5/10

Value for money: 9/10

Forever 21

Style: 8/10

Value for money: 8.5/10

Bev x

Day 14: Hey mama welcome to the 70s

(wo-oa-oa-oah). That was a "Hairspray" moment there, by the way. Hairspray geeks will be screaming, "it's the 60s, you idiot! Duh." Yeah. I know that.

The 70s feel is flares and large floppy hats - and what a coincidence - they go rather well with a white shirt. I can't believe I've been doing this for 2 whole weeks already. And I can't believe you haven't gotten bored of me yet!

Today I'm wearing:

• Denim flares from Next
• Forever 21 shirt
• Wide-brimmed sunhat from Sainsbury's (but where's the sun gone!?)

I repeat: where's the sun gone!?

The sun will come out tomorrow. (Having an "Annie" moment. I'm on a roll!)

Bev x

Ps. Bet your bottom dollar that song's in your head now.

Day 13: A splash of (pastel) colour

If you open any magazine's fashion section you are guaranteed to see something pastel. Ditto for every clothes store you walk into. I'd like to think I was ahead of this trend as I already own quite a lot of pastel in my wardrobe! Pastel + white shirts = :)

Today I'm wearing:

• Primark lace skirt (a black elastic waistband on skirts works well for every body shape)
• Brand new white shirt from Forever21

Yay new shirt! I can give borrowing from other people's wardrobes a short break. And check back later for my White Shirt High Street Report from my shopping trip yesterday :)

Bev xxx

Day 12: Tea and white shirts

Tea, glorious tea! Today I had afternoon tea for the first time, at a very very nice hotel. Deciding what to wear was definitely an issue, made trickier by the fact that it had to include my white shirt. In the end I went for a simple LBD (my take on Breakfast at Tiffany's) over the shirt. No need for a peter pan collar or cardigan. Sometimes simple is better!

Today I'm wearing:

• Vintage shirt
• Vintage black dress
• Handbag by Zandra Rhodes

Bev x

Ps. The tea and cakes were yummy!

Day 11: Wild horses

I don't think you can see the dress very clearly from the photo, but the little pattern figures are horses! (any horse lovers out there?) I'm a little bit in love with the dress - lace panels, lucky horseshoes, Alexa-ish vintage style..AND I got it on sale. What's not to love?

I have to admit something... I don't actually think a white shirt particularly matches this outfit, but I do love the dress so I wore the shirt as a jacket. I accesorised with a satchel from Primark (not seen).

Today I'm wearing:

• Yumi horse dress
• Vintage white shirt

(close up of the dress in navy)

Yumi is one of my favourite places to shop in because the dresses are so cute and gorgeous. I first heard about it as a favourite of Fearne Cotton's so it definitely is in tune with her quirky style. And the sales are good too! You can usually find decent dresses reduced from £50 to under £15.

Also, I'm going shopping for a new white shirt tomorrow so I'll keep you informed on white shirt hotspots!

Bev x

Day 10: Flower power

Greetings :) apologies for the late blog, but as long as this gets posted before the end of the day, it's alright!

Today I'm wearing:

• New Look flower midi skirt
• Marks and Spencer's shirt
• My trusted Zara mac

The first photo was taken before I went out, and the second when I came back so the mac was an unintentional addition to the outfit (but I now think it actually goes quite well).

Flower power FTW.

Bev x

Day 9: Preppy woman / About a boy

Hooray for sweater vests :) Apparently I'm going for the schoolboy look. Well, here we go.

Today I'm wearing:

• Marks and Spencer's shirt
• Oasis sweater vest (women's section, not the schoolboy one)
• Grey shorts (they have a very odd shape though)

Bev x

Ps. Totally couldn't decide what to name today's post, so have two :)

Day 8: Life in Black and White

Monochrome is a trend where I believe less IS more. Yes I do realise yesterday's outfit was black and white too, but this time is a smart monochrome (yesterday's was more lazy). It's ideal for the office and I'm a big fan of the bag as it will literally fit EVERYTHING you need it to fit. Kind of like a TARDIS. Smart, too. As for the shirt, it's another firm favourite as the lace and frills mean you don't really have to try hard with the rest of the outfit.

Today I'm wearing:

• Vintage white lace shirt (short sleeves this time)
• Skirt by Armani
• Bag from Matalan - although at the time I bought it from a charity shop as I thought it looked leather and expensive!

Bev x

Day 7: Supersize me...

...I'm talking about the shirt!

It's no secret that men's shirts are larger than female shirts so I've been wardrobe raiding today to do the "oversized shirt" look. Its not just t-shirts that can be baggy, y'know... Baggy white shirts can do wonders for hiding bumps n' imperfections and won't look frumpy/school-boy-ish as long as you match it with leggings or skinny jeans.

I've never been confident with wearing leggings outside the house without them being accompanied by some sort of skirt/dress though, so when I went out I swapped them for black cord skinny jeans. And if you really want to commit 110% to the look, I say get out a dark tie and glasses too!

Today I'm wearing:

• Men's large white shirt from M&S ("borrowed" from my dad's wardrobe!)
• Black shiny leggings / black skinny jeans from Next
• "Geek" glasses (I think they're more "chic"..) - if you don't own any, pop out the lenses of an old pair of 3D glasses

Make sure you undo the top few buttons and wear it with open cuffs too! This is not the sophisticated city worker look (though I'm sure we can try that out another day!)

Bev x

Day 6: Bargain hunter Bev

My hair is a mess today, so this was my attempt at going incognito in public! It looks like a pathetic attempt at a disguise (I'm not a criminal mastermind, promise) but that's not the intention :) It was sunny for a while and this was actually the first time I've worn a sunhat so we're making improvements weather-wise too. Well done, sun.

Today I'm wearing:

• Topshop pink dress (£45 to £15 I believe)
• Next white shirt
• Boat hat from Bershka (£15 to £2)
• Sunglasses from Bik Bok (£12 to £3)
• Floral satchel bag from a local charity shop (£? - £3!)

(apart from the white shirt, all of the above were purchased at sale prices and very big discounts! I certainly love a bargain, and who's to say you can't buy fashion at a budget?)

Another bonus of the white shirt... It can never ever ever go out of season. "that's sooooo last year" may apply to your leather trousers or pastel dresses someday but not for the shirt!

Woop woop.

Bev x

PS. I think tomorrow it may be time to raid my dad's wardrobe! Oversized men's white shirt, here we come.

Get the look: Kirsten Dunst

I have quite a large magazine collection at home and the one celeb outfit that keeps reappearing is Kirsten Dunst's Rodarte yellow blazer + white shirt combo - she wore it in January and everyone's still raving about it. Because it was a pretty stunning (daring yet demure) outfit and I'm not just saying that because I'm a campaigner for the white shirt!

Tell me - doesn't she look amazing!? It's a perfect transition from day to night, office to party...and now you can get the look too, without the hefty price tag.

Yellow's quite a tricky colour to pull off; it works well with Kirsten's sunny hair and fair skin but a more universal colour like pink is a little bit safer for us non-Hollywood superstars. (This works in EVERY colour as long as you colour co-ordinate!)

Blazer - H&M, £19.99

 Trousers - ASOS, £33.50

 Shirt - Next, £28

 

Clutch - Yours Clothing, £12

And voila! Pretty in pink. And if the trousers are a bit too out-there, pair it with dark skinny jeans instead. Don't forget to tuck the shirt in and do the top button up, and the heels as well! H&M also have an impressive range of affordable blazers in an array of lovely colours so it's worth checking out as well.

Thanks for the inspiration, Kirsten!

Bev x 

Ps. All prices were correct when this was posted! :)