Ask Belle: Basic White Blouses
Oct 22, 2015
Hi,
I am in desperate need of a sleeveless, cap sleeve, or short sleeve neutral blouse to wear under a suit, or cardigan. I have tried looking at my go-to shops for work, J Crew, BR, and Ann Taylor but the blouses are either too low cut, or have too many frills. Do you have any suggestions of where to look?
Thanks! RR
When I need basic blouses, I always check ASOS first. Mango always has some nice options. And when looking for basics, department stores like Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom are always worth a look. Here are some of the tops that caught my eye in misses, petites, and plus.
Ann Taylor Wrap Front Blouse ($55, also in petite)
Forever21 Short-sleeve Top ($18)
Max Studio Roll-Sleeve Blouse ($25)
Mynt Plus Size Inset Blouse ($128)
Everlane just released new silk which includes a short sleeve shirt. They also have sleeveless button ups in silk and cotton.
Just kidding the “short sleeve” is comically long, but their other blouses are lovely if you want affordable silk.
I have the Vince Camuto shirt in regular size and adore it. Seriously. and Nordstrom’s line “Classiques” typically has simple silk shells that I routinely buy and adore.
I have the Ann Taylor Wrap front blouse, and if you have anything in the way of boobs I would not recommend wearing it to work. I have to use fashion tape to keep from exposing myself when I wear it for weekend events – it’s way too low cut and not stable enough for me to chance it at work.
Just looking at these pictures makes me think of my great frustration with white and ivory blouses: all of them are see-through! I do not understand AT ALL why stores where women typically buy work clothes — AT, BR, etc. — can’t make a light-colored blouse that isn’t see-through! It is so frustrating. I realize one can wear a cami, but they don’t always suit every blouse. And frankly, I don’t want to have to wear one! Also, if you have curves or a problem spot in the midsection, tucking in a second layer is not always that flattering. It seems ridiculous to me that companies can’t (a) think about this and (b) make something that isn’t see-through.
Ugh, for real. The problem is even worse in the winter when I’ve got tights to add another layer, so we’re talking blouse, cami, skirt, tights, and underwear all layered on my most problematic area.