Photographed by: Carolina Ramirez
Remixing is a great way to save money, be creative and imaginative with your wardrobe. As much as I enjoy buying new clothes and expanding my closet, I like to re-wear an item as many different ways as possible. For this contest, I picked this white shirt with black piping on the collar and sleeves. When I saw this shirt at Goodwill, I knew I had to buy it for the piping and it was only $2! Since I knew the contest is to style an item three different ways, I wanted to style three very different outfits, pairing the shirt with a skirt, shorts and trousers.
1. Roman Holiday: The first look is inspired by Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. This shirt has a masculine quality, so I wanted to make it more feminine by wearing the shirt with a mid calf length polka skirt, which was a popular hemline in the ‘50s. To enhance the European flair of my outfit, I wore this straw boater titled on top on my head. Black tights are essential to completing the classic European look. The expected shoes to wear with this outfit would be heels, but I chose loafers for practicality’s sake. If I were on a holiday in Rome, I would explore the streets and alleys of Rome, so I would definitely need to wear a pair of comfortable loafers, instead of heels.
2. Adventure Day: For the second look, I paired the piped shirt with a pair of knitted striped shorts and belted it to create separation between my torso and legs. This look is the perfect Parisian/nautical look for a day in the park or on the beach, so a big floppy hat is necessary for these kinds of excursions on a summer’s day. Since the weather is so unpredictable in San Francisco, it’s always wise to carry a jacket, in my case a draped blazer, around for those unexpected gusts of wind.
3. No Place Like Mode: The third look is inspired by an outfit Ugly Betty wore in the Blackout episode. I noticed that I had all the elements to that outfit, so I created my own version with this piped shirt. This time, I didn’t tuck in the shirt unlike the first two outfits, instead I belted it with a bow belt, which emphasized my waist. I rolled up the cuffs of the pleated trousers to show off my ankles and ruby red suede wedges, which is the unexpected element of the outfit. The expected shoes to wear would be oxfords or loafers, but instead I added the feminine touches to the outfit through the choice of shoes.
Don’t underestimate the versatility of a white shirt, especially if it has unexpected details like piping. The piping makes this shirt special and there are so many looks you can create with this shirt. For future remixing opportunities, try to experiment with layering, accessories and shoes. My favorite accessories are bags and hats, they can really change up the outfit. Wear feminine shoes with menswear inspired outfits and wear menswear inspired shoes with dresses and skirts. I enjoy creating looks that incorporate both masculine and feminine touches and it’s always good to start off with the perfect button down shirt.
