Timeless and versatile for the wardrobe, the white button-down shirt transcends both season and dress code. It can be sexy or professional; this is a great choice for weekend runs, a trip to the beach, or a black tie event in equal measure. A soft oversized number can even work as pajamas.
The White Button, or WBD as I like to call it, also happens to be one of my favorite keepsakes to bring back from a trip – not just because they can squeeze in overloaded luggage, but because putting one at home allows me to momentarily return to where I have been and who I was when I visited.
In my closet, tucked between the slightly crumpled oversized button-down shirt I’ve worn all summer and the vintage Ralph Lauren “borrowed” from my mom in 2008, is another favorite, lightly textured with a clean button placket and stash bought while visiting friends in New Delhi. Another, crisp and collarless, was recovered during a book tour in Mexico City. Then there’s the WBD with a perfect tiny pleat bib widely worn when my luggage got delayed on a trip to Florence. The newest and whitest member of the closet was purchased closer to home in Paris from Chloé Stora on the eve of the back to school (in French, “the return”, an expression used to designate the return of the country of the summer holidays to work, to the school and to the routines of the first week of September).
I have relied heavily on the uniform role of the WBD as I slowly venture out into the world, with an emphasis on wearing brands owned or managed by women. The ease and satisfaction of reaching something classic, familiar, and fashion ticks all the essential boxes with minimal mental elevation and acts as a balm for the anxiety of what to wear. As a friend of mine recently described to me on the WBD, “put one on and you’re dressedâ€.
I have a weakness for white buttons which are loose with a nice drape, subtle design touches – an oversized collar, unexpected embroidery, particularly rollable cuffs – and machine washable fabric. A non-negotiable white button-down shirt, whatever it is, is taken from the mix: a good stain stick and, hopefully, a suitcase with just enough room to bring another home. Below are some of the white shirts that I regularly pack.
