It's been a long time since you've looked for a button-up shirt that wasn't tailored and fitted. The perfect oxford shirt has been the kind that you'd only find in the women's department at stores that were relatively "with it." They had to be long and slim-cut in the arms, narrow (but now tapered!) in the waist, and run long enough that they'd stay tucked into high-waisted pants. But after seeing the MSGM show yesterday, we think our philosophy might be shifting.The show was one of those rare ones that brought on both a yearning to shop and to revisit our own closets to recreate some of the great styling moments (we have our eye on those spotted dresses-over-long-sleeve-shirt hybrids, but we're going to attempt to DIY it next spring). The biggest hankerings came at the end, via the five looks that featured button-up shirts in a trim banker stripe. These shirts had big, baggy arms, were slightly oversized in the shoulders and necklines, and ran loose and long in the torso. And instead of looking dowdy, it looked awesome — we imagine it was the kind of thing that Marlene Dietrich would love loved if she were born in 1985. The perfect piece, of course, comes with an MSGM tag, but until then, we think we'll make a pit stop in our dad's closet the next time we go for a visit. We'll give it back this fall. Click ahead for some inspiration.
Fight the impulse to push up your sleeves! Let the cuffs down around your knuckles and wear a button-up underneath a pretty, sequined dress for a lovely bit of juxtaposition.
MSGM had these darling spotted mesh veils that we especially loved on top of a buttoned-up shirt. For real-life, wear a sheer, embellished tank or shirt over your oxford.
Over a pair of long, baggy trousers and under a "going-out" top, this look mimics a tenured professor silhouette, but looks fresh, not dusty.
Under a belted blazer and over a sheer skirt, an oversized button-up can be one of the more unexpected sizzling things you can wear to cocktail hour.
Do you have a really oversized shirt? Unbutton the top buttons and pull it over a shoulder, and then throw a miniskirt or an apron over it. It's a daring look that only the bravest should attempt, but the payoff looks killer.
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