THE GREAT WHITE SHIRT

By Kim Parrish
A West Virginia native and former Miss West Virginia, Kim is a TV fashion commentator and the designer and creator of the Kim Parrish Collection available through HSN and HSN.com.

It’s on every fashionista’s “must-have” shopping list for the season, a wardrobe staple she can’t live without, and you probably already have one hanging in your closet.    There’s nothing more fresh than a crisp, white button-down shirt.   

Diane Keaton first brought the button-down into the spotlight as Woody Allen’s androgynous “Annie Hall,” but she’s kept the look alive today by pairing it with wide-buckle belts, décolleté-covering scarves and menswear-inspired pantsuits.   

Who can forget Sharon Stone walking the red carpet of the Academy Awards wearing her then-husband’s white button-down shirt with a Vera Wang skirt? She proved this simple basic can go from daytime to evening…or just about anywhere!

You can’t flip through the pages of the leading fashion magazines without seeing ads for Ralph Lauren’s white shirt coupled with menswear-inspired suits or Tommy Hilfiger’s cotton top with washed-out cargo pants and distressed leather belts. A recent ad campaign for Tiffany and Co. used the basic blouse as a backdrop for a luxurious, oversized, 18K white gold chain. 

Miss West Virginia 2006 Tiffany Lawrence said her wardrobe must be current and trendy, yet always classic. “My best investment thus far is my white button-down shirt.  As I criss-crossed the mountain state speaking with everyone from school children to executives, I found it easily could be paired with simple jeans or khakis, or layered underneath a suit or blazer.  What a great piece with so much versatility.”

That’s the key to the basic button-down: versatility.  It’s the most useful item in our closets.  Worn with a pair of jeans on a carefree day or to the office under a blazer, it will work in any environment from casual to corporate without breaking any dress codes.  It’s the chameleon in our closets.

As for summer’s fashion trends, there’s still time left this season to enjoy the basic button-down with all your favorite essentials.  Wear the white top over Bermuda shorts and add a woven belt to achieve the most talked-about style of the year.  On vacation, the button-down tunic can be worn at night with slacks and by day as a beach cover-up.  It’s the perfect travel piece!

The button-down won’t be saying farewell this fall. This trans-seasonal piece is the building block for the menswear look – the hottest fashion trend hitting the stores for Fall 2007.   By coupling the same summer favorite with vests and blazers you’ll be in step with style.  

“You'd be surprised how many ways a great white shirt can be worn,” said Hilda Batayneh, New York Fashion Designer.  She suggests buying a few key items to work with it.  “A black belt to be worn at the waist, a neutral-colored, cropped jacket with a trapeze shape, and a vest all can be worn with your classic, white shirt.  Be unique and have fun.”

The white button-down shirt is an element no wardrobe should be without. Its reliability and functionality set it apart from all others.  Its loyalty is like an old friend, and its comfort is a security blanket, wrapping us in its affection and projecting confidence to the world.  It’s the one item that can be worn by all.

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Contact: Kim Parrish
Publicist Contact: Dede Crough, NouSoma Communications,
Editor Notes: Photo Credit – Dean Stobbe
Photo Caption:
 
Summer Resort Wear:  Hanna Law, of Grantsville, wears the white button-down cotton voile shirt over brown Bermuda shorts from the Kim Parrish Collection for a breezy fresh look.  Top it off with a long, beaded necklace and chunky bracelets! (Photo Credit: Dean Stobbe)