7 Ways to Wear a Button-Up/Oxford Shirt

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It wasn’t long ago that I had a whopping ONE button-up shirt in my closet. Then this magical thing happened: I joined Pinterest. I started pinning outfits from the blogs I followed (this was before I had my own blog) and I realized that a lot of those outfits included – you guessed it – a button-up shirt. Or is it a button-down? I guess it depends on where you start the buttoning.

Since then my collection of buttoned, collared shirts has grown and I’ve played with lots of ways to wear them. If you’re like I used to be and think oxford shirts are plain and boring, I recommend looking for prints. I’ll link you to some options for your shopping enjoyment at the end of this post!

So without further ado, here are 7 ways I’ve worn my button-up shirts!

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Layering an oxford under a sleeveless dress is great for in-between weather, and it’s like making a whole new dress! Boom: wardrobe multiplied.

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There’s something about the juxtaposition of a tough leather jacket and a prim and proper button-up that I really like.

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Try to find shirts that are a little long so you have room to tie the ends right at your waist. I love this option in the summer especially.

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Oxford-under-sweater is probably the combination I’ve done the most. If you have a few button-ups and a few sweaters, you have endless combinations. Well, not exactly endless but I don’t feel like doing the math. Above are a couple examples with jeans and below are some office-appropriate options.

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Let’s not forget that it’s perfectly acceptable to wear this classic shirt on its own. We don’t want it feeling insecure from always being covered up.

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Besides leather jackets, you can also let your oxford peek out from under any jacket or blazer. At the risk of looking like a frat boy circa 2008, I’m in favor of a popped collar in this limited situation.

Want to add to your own oxford shirt collection? Check out the options below!

oxford shirts

Shop here: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Comfy Chic

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What a great outfit for a Saturday night, right? Yeah. Except I wore this on Tuesday night. OK, here’s what happened…

I wasn’t going anywhere fancy or dressy (a pub then a comedy club), which is why I wanted to change out of the pencil skirt and cardigan I wore to work that day. The temps had climbed to 80 by the late afternoon, so I knew I wanted to wear a skirt. This skirt might look constricting, but it’s actually really soft and stretchy. Bottom: picked.

So then I thought, hmmm…I should wear a top I haven’t worn in a while. But something loose and comfortable. Top: picked.

Finally, I needed to put something on my feet. Since nearly every day of the past 4 months I’ve had to go to either work or school (or both), I thought I’d wear a pair of shoes I wouldn’t wear either of those places. Shoes: picked.

I put all this on, looked at myself in the mirror and thought “Where are you going, Sarah? It’s Tuesday.” But hey, I thought I looked pretty good, and I felt super comfortable, which is what I was going for. The fact that I looked kind of dressed up was just an accident.

Here’s my advice for when you feel overdressed: just strut with confidence like you’ve got somewhere really important to go later, or like you’re visiting from a much more sophisticated city. Everyone will think you’re awesome. Or at the very least you will think you’re awesome, and that’s what counts.

similar Skirt (on sale) // similar Top // similar Shoes // similar Bag (on sale) // Lipstick “Pourpre Preview”