I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. All this work week and next, I’ll be using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and the clothes (all thrifted)– here.
Day 3: You may be getting tired of this Tahari by Arthur S. Levine dress coat (coat dress?) but I’m not! It goes with everything:
Sandals by Clarks (retail); shirt by Banana Republic; pants by Vince Camuto; bracelet by Monet; necklace = heirloom
I actually thought about wearing my grey marled Merona blazer pictured in the post mentioned above, just for some variety; but the grey in it is juuuust different enough from the grey in these Vince Camuto pants that I wasn’t feeling it. There goes my idea to pair its pattern with these solid pants for a “casual suiting” look! (Don’t worry, the blazer will still get plenty of wear in this 10×10, paired with skirts and my dress.)
The action shot – long-haired people, you know that move where you untuck your hair from the coat/jacket/cardigan you just put on?
Without the coat:
This is the “Soft Wash Shirt” by Banana Republic – a mix of linen & cotton. I love how soft it is and how it combines that softness with some clean lines – see those seams on either side of the placket? They give it a little polish that brings its relaxed linen texture from “weekend” to “work wear”:
And check out the roll-tab sleeves (y’all know I love a good roll tab):
But. (Why does there have to be a “but”?!) The “fitted” look those seams give it is just not fitted enough for my torso:
Meh. Now we’re back in weekend territory.
See the difference when I pin it behind my back? Don’t know why I didn’t see this in the dressing room.
It’s not terribly noticeable (especially when I’m wearing a coat/blazer), but not ideal. I’m not sure if I should re-donate it as-is so someone else can enjoy it, or take it to my tailor and see how expensive it would be to bring it in a little. With a spot of tailoring it could be a wardrobe star this summer when Atlanta hits 90+ degrees and 90 percent humidity every day.
My overall feeling about this outfit? The color palette is right in my wheelhouse, and I love the way the coat looks over the blouse. I am not happy with the fit of the blouse, but since I included it to get a better feel for how it plays with the rest of my wardrobe, I see that information as a win. I’m looking forward to pairing it with a skirt next week to see how it does tucked in, since the fabric is stiffer than the blouses I usually tuck.
What do y’all think of the outfit? Would you donate the shirt or take it to the tailor? How’s your remix going?
I love how the blouse fits you, but you prefer your clothing to be more body con. It’s probably a generational thing. I don’t want my clothes to just hang, but I like my pieces to be loose enough to hide a multitude of sins. Since this blouse doesn’t suit you, and the extra seams will most likely make tailoring a bit tricky, this may have to be rethrifted. But, I’m not a seamstress, so if you love the feel, the color, etc., I would take it to the tailor and see what they say.
My remix has been a gigantic flop this time around.
Sorry to hear it’s been a flop, Sandi! Any particular things you’ve learned from the flop?
Your comments about fit actually made me think about this blouse differently. Because it has a “fitted” style (i.e. lines that follow the torso, those seams), I’d like it to fit me better. However, most of my blouses are made of more flow-y fabric and are cut tunic-style so that they skim my torso (or look sort of blowsy when tucked into a skirt) and don’t really conform to my shape. I like that, because like you I’m not particularly excited about things clinging everywhere or not having much give if my weight fluctuates (a concern if I get this shirt tailored). I used to have more form-fitting button downs and have given them all away! So I think it’s not so much a question of getting this shirt tailored but rather looking for a muted red shirt that has the cut/flow I like in a light cotton or linen mix.
Thanks for helping me clarify my thinking! :)
I have that shirt; in fact I have four of them from BR Factory a couple of summers ago. It’s the only long-sleeved shirt I can tolerate in Tampa Bay heat. I tried mine on to remind me of the fit and it is definitely more fitted on me than yours is. It would be easy to take some in at the sides — just run a seam starting at the original side seam at underarm, then gradually take it in further towards the middle (at your waist), then gradually lessen towards the original seam as you get to the bottom of the shirt. You can easily approximate this with straight pins to see if it does the job for you (and you can easily sew by hand). Another couple of ideas if you’re not ready to give it up yet — wear over a close fitting white/navy/black/striped tank and tie together in a knot at the bottom leaving the shirttail out in back. You can leave as is, or button up towards the knot. I tried it and really liked how it looked. Or wear as an overshirt, again over a tank, cami or shell. Tie on a small silk or chiffon scarf (or bandanna) at the neck. If I’m wearing something as wrinkly as linen and cotton on top, I try to make sure my bottom is immaculately tailored and relatively wrinkle-free fabric so I don’t look like a wrinkled mess. But, if you still find yourself not wearing, or trying too hard to like, it’s probably not the shirt for you, nice as it is :) I really enjoy your blog (I’m a former BR manager, sewer, thrifter).
P.S. It would make a great weekend shirt to wear with your jean shorts also!
Kristin – how cool is it that you have this exact same shirt? And great styling suggestions – I feel like I have a stylist!
I’m not sure I’m brave enough to sew it by hand (or by machine – I have decent-ish machine skills but have never used the old one we have at home), but tying it at the waist or wearing on weekends gives me more time to decide while getting good wear out of it. ‘Cause that nastily humid weather is right around the corner…
Thanks for commenting!