The denim shirt goes with everything. It pairs well with solids, prints, even other denim. You can wear it with a pair of pants, a skirt, or shorts. You can wear it over a dress. You can can roll up the sleeves to your forearm. You can bring those sleeves up above the elbow. You can wear sleeves down to the wrists. You can wear short-sleeved denim, or cut off those sleeves entirely. What a versatile shirt!
One thing's for sure, though--you should wear a denim shirt with snaps. Snaps are the best. Pearly white snaps with silver trim are coveted things. If you have to settle for buttons, make them interesting, at least. A basic white button on a denim shirt does not do it justice. The denim shirt is the queen of shirts. She deserves some snappy pizzaz.
Here's another pro-tip. Try to find a denim shirt with some stretch. Denim shirts shrink after washing, and the shoulders and sleeves can feel a little too tight once that happens. Without the stretch, the denim shirt might feel like a straightjacket. With the stretch, you are free to move your arms as normal.
Another tip: choose your denim weight carefully. Some denim, like the jeans we love, is thick and rugged. That kind of shirt might suit your needs. Or not. Maybe you want to go with a lightweight denim so that you don't feel like you are wearing a jean jacket, but an actual shirt.
Choosing the wash/color of your denim shirt is up to you, of course. Denim comes in all colors, but the ones I like best for a shirt are shown above and below. I have many shirts in this shade. Some have more wear or distress than others, but this hue is a good match for most separates.
See below the shirt I wore yesterday, as well as the striped skirt I wore. I actually picked out the skirt first and then thought, "what the heck am I gonna wear on top?" Oh, denim, of course!
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Denim Flashback
When I was a youngster I remember my dad having a couple of Wrangler denim shirts. If you don't know the brand, it's made for cowboys, farmers, and the like (or at least it was once upon a time). My dad's shirt looked like this:
This shirt is a classic. It has the pockets on front with the trademark W's. It has the western yoke and stitch on front. It has the pearly snaps. It is everything a denim shirt should be. The thought of my young dad wearing such a shirt, herding the cows makes me nostalgic. Maybe that's why I love denim shirts so much. Maybe it's not really that they go with everything--although that's an excellent reason for wearing them. Maybe it's that they make me think of my childhood and the farm, an idyllic past and a man who has worked hard his entire life and modeled such behavior in his kids. Or maybe I'm just getting too carried away.....
Want to know more about the history of the denim shirt? Go to Jack and Jones' blog to learn more.
