These 12 Outfits Show a White Shirt Is One Item Everyone Should Own

When it comes to particular wardrobe classics, there is a hierarchy of importance for me which goes accordingly: blue jeans, white shirt, black roll neck jumper. I have discovered over the years that my favourite blue jeans depends on the style I love the most at the time (sometimes straight-leg, sometimes cropped flare) and my favourite black roll neck came into my life four years ago courtesy of Ganni, which I snapped up in the Net-a-Porter sale. So, that just leaves the white shirt. I have a very uncomplicated view on this item. It should be oversized, cuffs not so long they engulf your hands and material thick enough so that it doesn’t show your underwear. However, despite my clear criteria I haven’t always been successful in my shopping endeavors. There have been the ones that gapped open at my chest, despite plenty of material below. Or ones that have been so oversized, I have looked like a toddler trying on a parent’s clothing. But this month I discovered my favourite white shirt for far: the men’s button down from Arket.

Elinor wearing the Arket men’s white button down white shirt. It is thick enough to stop any lingerie colour showing through, oversized so that it’s comfortable but just fitted so that you don’t look swamped. Of course, the other important part of owning a white shirt is knowing how to style it. Call me old fashioned but I’m partial to a black blazer, blue jeans and a pair of black Converse. However, recently, I’ve seen so many other ways to style a white shirt on Instagram which I had to share with you. I even reached out to some of the women wearing my favourite looks to tell me their best way of styling a shirt. I spoke to Aysha Sow, Fisayo Longe (founder of the super cool Kai Collective) and Aïda of Basics Touch, to tell me about how they style theirs.

“I love wearing white shirts, they should be a staple in everyone’s closet because they pair with anything. You can dress them up with a corset or a blazer, a pair of heels, a sleek hairstyle and a bold lip and you are ready for a night out. Or you can dress it down with a pair of jeans or a pair of trousers and some sneakers or even boots for an everyday look. I think they are so versatile and can be worn with pretty much anything, and they are always a safe item to go for if you don’t know what to wear!”

“Right now, I absolutely love an oversized white shirt. I plan to wear loads this summer always with a loud pop of colour in my earrings, shoes or bag. I also love a white oversized shirt and wide leg jeans that looks a bit like I’m swimming in the clothes. For me, it’s about the cleanness of the white against a bright pop of colour.”

“Most of the time I get my shirts from the men’s section (I feel like they’re more comfortable, right?)”

If you’re inspired by the above looks, keep scrolling to see how more of the coolest women on Instagram have styled theirs then keep going to shop the best white shirts.