The Cotton Button-Down I Always Reach For

Okay, so this button-down isn’t actually borrowed from the boys.

But its silhouette is.

And that’s exactly what makes it so good.

I’ve owned a lot of button-down shirts over the years.

Some too stiff.

Some cut too narrowly.

Some that only worked with a very specific outfit, on a very specific kind of day.

The one I reach for now is none of those things.

It’s relaxed.

It’s unfussy.

It’s made of beautiful cotton that looks good even when it’s a little wrinkled.

And its silhouette is exactly what I look for in a wardrobe staple:

A slightly oversized button-down shirt with room through the body and ease in the cut.

The shoulder seam drops just past the natural shoulder — relaxed but elegant.

The cotton is lightweight and breathable.

Soft from the start, and better with wear.

The kind of fabric that really ruins synthetic fibers for you.

Once you start wearing natural fiber clothing like this, it’s hard to go back.

Classic wardrobe staples earn their place by staying useful.

This one works across seasons and settings.

I often leave the bottom buttons undone and tie it at the waist with high-waisted jeans or trousers.

In summer, it’s perfect worn open over a tank and shorts.

It doubles easily as a bathing suit coverup.

In cooler months, it layers cleanly under a sweater.

It dresses up when you need it to.

It dresses all the way down — tied around your waist, thrown on without a thought — when you don’t.

This is what I mean when I say clothing can be beautiful infrastructure.

The beauty is in the restraint.

The cut.

The fabric.

The way it wears in, rather than out.

It supports movement.

It supports transition.

It supports a full life.

This isn’t a shirt to replace next season.

It’s one to reach for again and again — and keep.

I don’t think about this button-down much once it’s on.

And that’s the highest compliment I know how to give.