The only boyfriend you need this spring
OVERSIzEd is a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many an averagesized woman. It’s off-putting, when neat and slimming is what we’re after, which may partly explain how the ‘boyfriend shirt’ got its name. It’s a masculine tailored, loose-fit shirt. But by calling it ‘boyfriend’ we’re instantly out of XL territory and dealing with something glamorous, sexy and fun.
My view is we should call it whatever it takes to get women interested, because there’s nothing in my wardrobe, aside from my favourite jeans, that I value as much as my boyfriend shirts.
What I love about them is their ability to freshen up your look: the crispness, the colour (sky blue, or a blue-and-white stripe), the neat stiffened collar and the fact that they have to be ironed (a nuisance but worth it) gives a pulledtogether, clean feel to whatever you’re wearing.
Roll up the sleeves, undo a button and you’re elegantly, comfortably chic. You can wear this shirt with tailoring for work or with shorts on the beach. Nothing is easier.
A classic shirt never goes out of fashion, but there are some years when its potential suddenly catches fire, and this is one of them.
On the catwalks — at Celine, Victoria Beckham, Balmain, Louis Vuitton — under blazers or trench coats, tucked into tailored trousers or loose over blue jeans, the boyfriend shirt turned up again and again.
THE message was: dress it up, dress it down and if you only get one thing this spring make it a really well-cut shirt.
Which brings us to the fit. As shirt fans will know, a perfectly fitted shirt is not easy to find.
Men’s tailored shirts, even in extra-small sizes, are too big on the shoulders and clunky collared, and women’s styles tend to be short in the body and skimpy in the sleeves.
So, three cheers for brand With Nothing Underneath, which has nailed the boyfriend shirt and become the shirt lovers favourite ever since Meghan Markle was photographed wearing it in pinstripe, steel blue and plain white (all £85, withnothingunderneath.com).
When someone can choose anything at any price point, you sit up and pay attention. With Nothing Underneath was founded by a former British Vogue stylist, doubtless used to having to pin the designer shirts photographed for the magazine to get them to fit just right.
The boyfriend style she designed is slightly oversized, sitting just off the shoulder and away from the body, with longish sleeves and shirt tails.
As importantly, it’s made of 100 per cent organic cotton poplin, just the right thickness, with a neat collar; as long as you don’t boil-wash it, you’ll be wearing it for life.
There is the knotty business of what to do with the shirt tail on a boyfriend shirt. You can either tuck it all in not too neatly, or leave the back out (sounds strange but looks good with tailored trousers).
Fashionistas will be wearing their shirts unbuttoned from the waist, one side tucked in at the front, one out; or they’ll leave it all out and add definition with a long-line sleeveless sweater. It takes some getting used to, but a smart shirt tail peeking out under a sweater or blouson jacket will be the height of cool once we get back out there.
Otherwise, an elegant solution to the untucked boyfriend shirt is a shirt tail that cuts up at the sides to elongate the leg, like Me+Em’s blue collared white shirt (£135, meandem.com). NRBY does an Oxford shirt in a clean blue or pink that’s slightly shorter in the body (£69, nrbyclothing. com), so easier for tucking in.
Maybe the idea of a classic striped boyfriend shirt appeals, but you’d rather it was notably different from your husband’s work shirt.
If that’s the case, Hush does a striped poplin shirt with a pie-crust collar, puffed sleeves and a frilled cuff cinched at the wrists (£65, hush-uk.com). A feminine twist on a classic — all the better for wearing with your boyfriend jeans.