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When it comes to wardrobe staples, it doesn’t get any more classic than a silk shirt. It’s a bit of a fashion no-brainer and every woman needs one in her wardrobe. No matter the occasion – a serious day in the office, date night, drinks with friends – its versatility is undeniable as it moves seamlessly from 9-5 to after 5.
I’m sporting the Everlane Clean Silk Relaxed Shirt in blue and white stripe. While it’s more of a relaxed cut, it has all the features you’d expect of a classic silk shirt – ie. traditional point collar, front button placket. Recently, I’ve been relying on this shirt to elevate my work-from-home style as it provides the perfect amount of polish for a day of back-to-back video calls.
Everlane silk shirt* styled with Scanlan Theodore skirt (sold out, similar here, here and here), Dior slingbacks (pre-loved here), Celine bag (preloved here) and Ray Ban sunglasses
Fit & fabric
The fabric used in the Everlane Clean Silk Relaxed Shirt is crepe de chine silk which has a matte look and is velvety to the touch. I much prefer the finish of crepe de chine as opposed to the glossy lustre of charmeuse silk (I’m not huge on the satin-like finish). Another added benefit of crepe de chine is that it’s less prone to creasing. On that, because of the stripe print, creases aren’t as visible on my shirt – one of my biggest bugbears when wearing a white silk shirt after sitting at my desk for a couple of hours.
As far as fit is concerned, the relaxed cut is my preference. I’ve previously owned slim-fit silk shirts but I found that they didn’t drape as nicely over the torso. Personally I find the relaxed fit offers more styling options and looks great when worn loose and when tucked in. I’m wearing a size 2 and I’m a true AU 8 (FYI – I’m 158cm/5’2″).
I’ve been mostly folding the sleeves up to my elbows and tucking my shirt into whatever it is I’m wearing down the bottom, but the round hem on the shirt means it looks great worn untucked as well. As for the sleeves, when not folded up, they fall past my wrists. I usually just cuff them once on the days I feel like wearing the sleeves long.
Care
While the care instructions say to dry clean only, if you’ve read my post about caring for your clothes, you’ll know that I’m a bit of a rebel and will launder most of these items myself! When it comes to washing my silk shirts, I’ll pop them into a delicates bag and put them through a cold hand-wash cycle in the machine, with reduced spin. It saves on dry cleaning costs and is a much gentler way to launder, ensuring your silk lasts longer. Silk is one of those fabrics that can last for years if you maintain it well.
Before wearing the shirt, I’ll usually give it a quick steam to freshen it up. It takes less than a minute and not needing to iron is always a plus – I try to avoid ironing wherever possible!
Shop silk shirts
Verdict
Silk is so luxurious and there’s an increasing offering of accessible high street options given the hefty price tags on high-end silk shirts. Back in my mid-20s (when I treated my income as completely disposable!), I bought myself a few Equipment silk shirts to wear to the office. They’re still in great condition today but I honestly cannot tell the difference in the quality of the silk used in the Equipment and Everlane versions. Equipment shirts retail for upwards of ~$380 AUD (~$250 USD) but Everlane’s silk shirts are priced from ~$137 AUD ($98 USD), a fraction of the price and much more accessible. The shirt I’m wearing retails for ~$154 AUD ($110 USD), with a small premium added due to the print. I think the Everlane shirts are great value in light of the quality of the silk and the fact that they’re well made.
I’ve been getting a fair bit of wear out of this shirt since being stationed at home. I’m on a fair few video calls throughout the day so my blouses and knits are getting a bit of a workout! This shirt looks effortless when paired with denim or my relaxed trousers but I’ve also loved playing around with ‘clashing’ prints by teaming it with my checked skirt as you can see in these images. Wherever you choose to draw inspiration from when styling a silk shirt, there is one thing that’s certain – whatever you want it to be for you, it can. Be it polished, casual, effortless, tailored, smart or masculine, it is the chameleon in your wardrobe.
I hope you found my review of the Everlane Clean Silk Relaxed Shirt to be useful. Thanks again for stopping by!
P.S. My most worn knitwear of A/W 2020 and four ways I’ve styled my white jeans.
