Five Tops/Five Days: A 100% Silk Shirt
May 7, 2019
Over the years, a few of you have mentioned a growing frustration with the number of retailers who only sell poly-blend fabrics. For those who miss real silk, there are few retailers offering 100% silk clothing. Luckily, Boden has a classic silk shirt in colors and patterns that are sure to please.
This Boden Silk Shirt comes in ten colors and patterns, from basic black to the red and pink print above. The shirt is 100% silk, and can be hand washed or dry cleaned. It’s also very well reviewed by previous purchasers, but if you don’t like it, the return policy gives you a full year.
I chose this bright print for summer because it works nicely for weekends and casual work days. For weekend, I would pair it with a pair of white jeans and a simple flat sandal. For work, I would choose a navy skirt with a red cardigan.
Looking for other 100% silk tops? Cuyana has some lovely tops. For something under-$100, try Everlane. Plus-size? Go Silk has a few options.
I had amassed a collection of 100% silk, long-sleeve blouses from various brands – Vince, Equipment etc. But without fail, all of them developed holes at the elbows because I spend most of my workday at a laptop typing with my elbows resting on chair arms. I very reluctantly switched to poly blend shirts. Is there anything I could have done differently to save my shirts – short of not typing of course.
Would one of those rests for in front of your computer help lift your elbows off the desk?
Tried that but didn’t work. Apparently I have very sharp and pointy elbows. I might need to get creative if I want to wear silk again – if you see a trend of leather elbow patches on silk shirts, you read it here first 🙂
My dry cleaner said that silk eventually wears through. This was in response to the back of my black everlane blouse eventually becoming see through after 4 dry cleans. Pry won’t buy silk again.
I love silk. I just can’t bear with the sweat stains and the delicate wash laundry or dry-cleaning. I prefer to love from afar.
I love silk shirts! I like to find them secondhand, because I figure if they held up well enough to be thrifted, then they’ll probably stand up to a few more years of hand washing. I have several nice J. Crew button downs, although I’m unsure of when they were produced originally.
I very recently bought an Everlane shirt, at your suggestion, Abra! But the first day I wore it I was disappointed to discover it wrinkled VERY QUICKLY and then looked a bit sloppy. Is that normal for silk?
That’s not been my experience – did you steam or iron it before wearing?
Um, this shirt reads as orange and white to me?
Obviously in bright prints, so not for everyone, but Lily Pulitzer has a number of 100% silk offerings.
I LOVE the cuyana silk tshirts, especially under suits (I am a lawyer). They are spendy, but I feel the most confident in them for my federal court appearances. (Though I agree with other commenters that the constant drycleaning is annoying).
+1 and I am also a lawyer! I now have five, all in different colours, and they are by far my favourite blouses. Even the white isn’t see-through.
AH, HAVING ALL FIVE IS MY #WARDROBEGOALS! lIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOU. AND, AGREE RE THE WHITE, IT’S MY GO-TO WHITE TSHIRT FOR WORK BECAUSE IT IS TRULY NON-SEE THROUGH.
whoops, had the caps lock on and didn’t realize it, haha. Well, it certainly captures my enthusiasm for the cuyana silk tees, in any case!