How to Dress Like a WASP: Brilliant Spring Shirts
Resupply: Florals, Checks, and Stripes!
All photos of/by Muffy Aldrich.
This time of year shirting starts to take a front row seat. There are fewer and fewer days where sweaters are covering them – when the collars and cuffs alone are the stars. And the fit takes on a larger role as well. And thus, the colors and patterns of shirting need to be more precise. Spring florals, crisp stripes, and equally crisp checks.
Given this, I was more than a little excited when I saw Cordings of Piccadilly’s new shirts for spring. (Cordings has been a premier advertiser on my blog for years and regularly sends me items from their outstanding store in London that I select to show on my blog.)
For this season, here are the six shirts I selected, and why.
Ladies Liberty
The first three were Liberty patterns. Cordings always has a robust collection of Liberty shirts for Ladies, for spring and then again for autumn, with a classic and easy to wear fit. The English floral-ly and vine-y patterns in general are always a good idea and I have long been a fan of Liberty fabrics. (For many years I was seldom seen without a Liberty scarf tied around my ponytail. And from wallpaper to lampshades, even shower curtains, our house always has something. I had and loved many Laura Ashley patterns back in the 80s.)
The first two, Liberty Mono Muse (https://www.cordings.co.uk/us/mono-muse-poplin-liberty-shirt.html) and Astrid Niva (https://www.cordings.co.uk/us/astrid-niva-poplin-liberty-shirt.html) both represent my default, go-to approach for such patterns: white with just one of two colors – pink or blue. (This can include several shades of blues on white or several shades of pinks on white.)
But as with most things, there are exceptions to the white plus one. Florals can pull off an explosion of many colors. (Though, depending on the hues, I sometimes think these are best used in accessories rather than a large swaths against the skin.)
So either because this glorious burst of spring was executed so well, or perhaps it was because of our not insignificant New England winter this year, my reaction to the Lemon Blossom Silk (https://www.cordings.co.uk/us/lemon-blossom-crepe-silk-liberty-shirt.html) was visceral. (And silk is useful for those pesky but sometimes necessary more formal events.)