How to Wear Chambray

Hey everyone! Hope your week is going well! Only 2.5 days til the weekend! :D I am currently halfway through my first week at a new college, and so far it's going well!

Last week I posted my outfit that included a chambray shirt. I wanted to follow up with a post about wearing chambray, because it is one of the most common trends you will see right now, and also one of the hardest to wear well. Chambray shirts, being denim, are automatically on the masculine side. It takes a little effort and knowledge to make sure they stay sweet and feminine. So here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Drape. This is a sewing term that describes the way cloth falls and flows. For example, a thicker cloth like, say denim, will be stiffer and have a less drape. Chiffon, though, which is sheer and flowy, has a lot of drape. If you wrapped a piece of denim around your body, it would pretty much hold its shape. If you wrapped chiffon around you, however, the fabric would mold to your body.

Keep drape and thickness in mind when you choose your chambray shirt. A thicker chambray will have less drape and hold its own shape. A thinner one will fit more to your body. In my opinion, a thinner chambray is more flattering. It keeps your look from being too boxy and shapeless, and complements your shape while still being modest.

2. Shoulders. Make sure that the denim shirt fits your shoulders well. My first chambray shirt  was a tad too big around the shoulders, and if I wore it as a jacket, the extra fabric around my waist coupled with the roomy shoulders added to all-out unflattery :o). This shoulder rule is also a basic fashion rule: if a shirt or jacket (especially one that zips or buttons) does not fit your shoulders well, the rest of the garment, however beautiful, will just end up looking frumpy. 

3. Color (or wash). When you buy a pair of jeans, the wash or color is important. The same goes for chambray shirts. I personally prefer a darker wash. It is more slimming and flattering, and looks a tad more polished. But it is up to you to decide what would work best with your wardrobe.

All right, now that we have some basic rules in mind, let's look at three different ways to work chambray shirts into your wardrobe! I put together three collages using the same chambray shirt to show how versatile one shirt can be. The shirt, you may recognize, is the same one I wore in my post, which I got at Maurices and absolutely love!

Option #1: With a Dress

This is my favorite way to wear chambray shirts. I love wearing dresses, but when I want to tone down the dressiness (or cover up some spaghetti straps!), I simply throw on my chambray shirt, and ta-dah! An instantly sweet but casual outfit. 

Option #2: Tucked into a Skirt

This is great for a feminine, elegant, and yet relaxed look. A belt adds a special pop and eases the transition. Another, much more casual way to to this is to simply knot the bottom of the shirt in lieu of a belt.

Option #3: With Jeans

This seems odd at first, because technically this is a Canadian Tuxedo (that term, by the way, makes me laugh). This combination of jeans and a denim shirt was very popular in the 90s. Let's not relive that, okay? To bring this gracefully into the 2010s, just make sure that the washes of your two denim pieces are different. You can see that the chambray shirt is darker than the skinny jeans. (You could also do it vice versa). In my opinion, you should make sure that the drape (refer to Chambray Tip #1) of each piece is different. The shirt here has more drape than the jeans, so there is some variation that keeps you from being a wall of walking denim (who wants that?). The shirt can be either tucked in or left out (I've seen it both ways, and it's lovely either way), and worn with flats or heels. Statement jewelry, like this necklace, adds a really nice pop. 

This is by far the most adventurous way to wear denim, but if you're up for the challenge, let me know! I'd love to see how you work it into your wardrobe! 

So I hope this helped clear up some qualms you may have had about chambray. These guidelines are only the beginning. If you are new to denim shirts, start here and then experiment! Chambray is so versatile and limitless. It is honestly one of my favorite trends, and I can't imagine what I'd do without my own  little denim shirt. It adds another dimension to my wardrobe!

Any questions or remarks? Let me know in the comments below! :o)

My 1950s Dress

Right now I am at school and really busy with the myriad activities of Welcome Week. So I thought I'd post about an older outfit. Throwback Thursday, if you will.

These are pictures I took a while back when I first finished making this 1950s dress. I got the pattern from Sense and Sensibility Patterns. All the patterns from that site are based off of real vintage clothing, so it is genuine and true to period while being doable enough for the modern sewer to replicate. The pattern for this dress is simple and so easily customizable (is that a word?). It's perfect for a beginning sewer who loves vintage fashion, or an experienced sewer who loves easy vintage fashion. Just anyone who loves vintage fashion.

I modernized it a bit with a belt and shoes. I kept the accessories minimal because the dress, with its full skirt and 50s silhouette, is quite a statement in itself (and because I'm not very brave. I'll have to play around with it :o).

It was tons of fun to wear such a classic dress.

This is the way I wore it Easter Sunday, with a cardigan, muslin sash and nude heels (and red lipstick, of course!). This is a very 1950s way to wear it. I felt quite glamorous :o). I also ended up playing a friendly one-on-one game of basketball in the dress after Easter dinner (no heels involved, of course). I must say, if you're going to play basketball, do it with style!

And here is a closeup of the print. It was a simply darling cotton calico, cornflower blue with white polka dots and hints of mint. I'm a sucker for mint!

Dress: Homemade using the Sense and Sensibility Ladies' 1958 Dress Pattern

Brown Belt: Maurices

Brown Flats: Payless

Mint Cardigan: Maurices

Nude Sash: Handmade

Nude Heels: Hand-me-downs from a friend (but originally from Wal-Mart, I believe)

Coffee Shop Chic

I wore this outfit to meet my old out-of-town friend at the coffee shop this morning. It's a simply gorgeous day outside, with tons of sunshine, blue skies, a lovely breeze, and a tinge of chill. Autumn is on its way, which is a tad sad because we didn't even have a decent summer. But I do love Autumn :o)

I love the combination of loose shirt and skinny jeans. It's super comfy and simple, but just add jewelry or a scarf and cute shoes and you've got the perfect casual fall outfit! It's great for transitioning from hot to cool weather. 

Mint Tee: Aerie
Ice Blue Crinkle Cami: Maurices
Jeggings: Maurices
Flats: Rue 21
Jewelry: Maurices

I finished the outfit with one of my favorite pairs of flats. I always have a hard time knowing what to put these with. They're adorable but I already have a lot of florals that I wear, and I don't want to over-florify. :o) But this outfit is simple enough (and the mint and dark denim are in the same color family) that the little pops of color in my shoes, necklace, nails, and lips add nice contrast without being over the top. Flats are my favorite, and I love how the red floral pattern adds a bit of fun. Do you have a fun little item that you love to add a pop with? Let me know!

Have a great weekend everyone!