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| Clockwise from top: Brett Shirt | Everlane Silk Blouse with Rounded Collar | Slim Signature Blouse |
Many women consider silk blouses an indispensable part of a professional wardrobe; silk blouses may even find themselves on weekend rotation for those who apply a lean approach to wardrobe management (I personally wear silk blouses with everything so my opinion is biased).
Two questions I receive with some frequency: which brands do you recommend and are Equipment blouses worth their two-hundred-dollar price tags?
My answer to the second question is: only if you can buy them on sale. Equipment silk blouses are more substantial in weight and more snag proof than many of their more inexpensive mall counterparts but there also exist comparable styles with more reasonable retail prices.
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| Signature Blouse / Size XS / Nude Shoulder: 17.5″ | Underarm to Underarm: 21″ | Length: 30″ | Sleeve Length: 24″ |
I won’t bore you by detailing my personal likes and dislikes of each style but will instead provide some generalizations about the three styles reviewed here.
The Signature Blouse is loose-fitting to the point of oversized but because the silk drapes exceptionally well, it doesn’t overwhelm in a way that other shirts in a similar cut might. The length makes it challenging for shorter people (loose on its own can be a merit but looseness in combination with excessive length is an obstacle) so I would only recommend this style to someone who is average height or taller.
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| Slim Signature Blouse over Signature Blouse |
The Slim Signature Blouse is a sleeker if slightly more uptight iteration of the original Signature Blouse. As the picture above illustrates, it’s noticeably slimmer and shrunken in fit, making it a more suitable option for those with shorter torsos or statures.
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| Slim Signature Blouse / Size XS / Natural White Shoulder: 15.5″ | Underarm to Underarm: 18.5″ | Length: 27″ | Sleeve Length: 22.5″ |
The Brett Shirt is an even slimmer (however marginally so) option to consider if you prefer a snugger fit for loose silk blouses. It and the Slim Signature Blouse are not unlike identical twins in adulthood–still similar but there are slight variations throughout.
The Brett also has only one breast pocket.
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| Brett Shirt over Slim Signature Blouse |
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| Brett Shirt / Size XS / Bright White Shoulder: 15.5″ | Underarm to Underarm: 18.5″ | Length: 27″ | Sleeve Length: 23″ |
Equipment blouses are lionized for good reason: great quality silk and a classic design. If you can find a way to chip away at some of the brand-derived markup, Equipment blouses have a place in most closets.
I will also share a post comparing Equipment blouses and the Everlane Silk Blouse with Rounded Collar (worn here) in the near future.
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And a note about an ASOS sale with 250 awesome items now 50% off.
My picks: Pencil Skirt in Leather, Sweat Dress with Laser Cut Appliqué, Breton Stripe Dress, Skater Skirt in Leather Look, and Peplum Top with Color Block Insert.
