guest post: style school with katie

hey there! i'm very pleased to introduce my first ever guest post on this blog, and by a very special person, no less. i've invited my sister to give us a little style schooling for the upcoming spring months. now, most of you don't know my sister but take my word for it, she is one beautiful, amazing, and stylish lady and, i think you will find, a very entertaining writer! for the past few years we've lived very far away from each other, and as any of you who have a sister who's also your best friend know, this is not fun. i love that we live in an age of internet where my sister and i can connect through this blog and others and basically chatter and gossip like we're sitting down with a cup of tea and the latest issue of "us weekly" (almost). today she'll be discussing one of those wardrobe staples that, while insanely simple, can be like the holy grail of even the most basic wardrobe. so without further adieu... cats and kittens... i introdue you to my sister, katie...

Greetings lovely Sallieoh readers! (I will admit to feeling a bit like I'm on a blind date here... I'm kinda nervous and debating just how much of my neurosis to reveal in this first beauty beat post... too much and I'll scare you off for sure, not enough and I run the rist of sounding like I'm writing a term paper. Though to be honest, I always had a hard time writing in that awkward 3rd person style required by academia, so I think it best to jump in assuming that our mutual love of Sallie will bond us - we'll all be like internet sisters! Hurrah!) And so, sisters of style, I hope this finds you feeling fabulous and fashionable... Wouldn't it be great if we felt that way every day? Ah, if only.

This time of year I have an exceedingly difficult time getting dressed, which often leaves me feeling less than fab. I'm hoping I'm not the only one whose been in the awkward position of standing in front of a pile of your clothes, feeling less than your best, staring in desperation and wondering what in the world to wear. This quest will often lead, more times than not, to a bed full of haplessly tossed clothes, frequent mirror check-ins, desperately formed outfit combinations (for the record a head scarf never ever works on me) and in my case; an irritated third party observer. If this hasn't happened to you, I beg you not to tell me of your triumph. I've convinced myself (and my husband) that every woman goes through this ritual... only their closets are bigger... and the process would take longer. But for those of you who can stand in solidarity with me and have also felt that helpless feeling that you were one outfit away from showing up to work in your birthday suit I give you: The Plain White Tee.

Yep, that's what I'm writing about today. Shocked? Don't be. I'm full of surprises! The T is so simple - but that's why it works. The plain white tee is my go to, my staple. It's the answer to breaking up the monotony of grey and black that was my winter wardrobe. It adds a little spring to my step, and it happies up my closet. It's what I turn to when everything else seems to be too much and it's what I turn to when everything else seems to be not enough. The white tee is classic, iconic, versatile. No other wardrobe staple allows itself to be dressed up or down in endless combinations. The white tee says I'm a clean, confident, and put together woman - something I very rarely feel and few other clothing items can help me get there.

denim short set via stacy-gustin at polyvore

striped skirt set via abbeyjb at polyvore

blazer and scarf set via bluehydrangea at polyvore

to view all other image sources and see more t inspirations click here

Take a look at some of these snazzy style options. Of course we're all familiar with the jeans and T look, or for when we're feeling a wee bit prep, the khaki's and T. But we often underestimate the T's ability to sit back and take any pop of color that we throw in its direction. Yellow? Perfect. Pink? Bring it on. Feeling bold - rock it with some red - or just stick with the laid back James Dean kind of cool and let the T speak for itself. Keep a blazer handy should an impromptu meeting arise and you'll show up looking like the confident, creative cat that you are.

black maxi set via katie distefano at polyvore

yellow set via chic-geek at polyvore

to view all other image sources and see more t inspirations click here

No less powerful, but seldom explored is the T's ability to accompany a more formal look. Last year's runways were flooded with see-through gals in white T's and maxi skirts exuding an effortless glamour. This means, style sisters, that the rest of us can rock the trend this year. Heck, if J.Crew is selling wedding skirts along with their classic T - we can wear a T to a cocktail party! I personally think that the raddest thing you can do with your T is wear it with a long chiffon skirt and a denim or leather jacket. Add a funky statement necklace, muss your hair a bit and you are guaranteed to outshine the rest of the gals at the soiree (should you care about that sort of thing) and arrive on time (should you care about that sort of thing).

So are you with me on this one and nodding in agreement that the T just may indeed be our fashion savior? Oh good, then let's move on to the next conundrum; navigating the sea of tees that stock every shelf from Target to Saks this time of year. All tees are not created equal, yet there are so many tee's at so many price points that we are sure to find the one that is perfect for us. Now you should know that I have spent a fair portion of my formative fashion years perusing the style mags - I memorized Lucky's shopping manual and In Style secrets of style and I'm pretty sure this makes me an expert in the field of tee shirts. Fashion Friends, here is what I've learned while earning my prestigious Tee Degree, my three degrees of T's, if you will: (Sleeves, Neckline, and Drape)

1. Sleeves: Capped sleeves are difficult to wear after high school unless you have the upper arms of Madonna or Michelle O'Bama. Opt instead for a sleeve that falls straight from your shoulder and close to the body, without flaring.
2. Necklines: I'll make it simple, sisters: show some skin! The high crewneck makes those of us who are well endowed in the chestal region look larger, and those who are not look like our belly button sprouted some eyes. Have fun with that mental image while you instead experiment with the scoop, low scoop, v-neck, and boat necklines. The deeper the angle of the scoop and v the more slimming these shirts are - so show some sexy collar bones sisters!
3. I dream in drape. I am partial to a thinner T that falls close to the body without clinging to my love handles. It should be snug-ish without being active wear tight - can you see the outline of your bra? Size up or go for another style. The perfect drape in a T can make me feel 5 pounds thinner - which is a fantastic thing for someone who hates exercising. Still, my number 3 degree is a tricky one. Don't judge the T on the table and if at all possible find the time to try on the darling before you purchase. Too stiff, you run the risk of looking like you're wearing your high school fundraiser tee and you'll find yourself wondering if it's still okay to knot the shirt on the side with a hair scrunchie. Too flimsy and you'll feel like you're one degree away from a wet tee shirt contest and will be forced to add a base layer which completely flies in the face of the T's ease of dressing.

And there you have it... my three degrees of T's - go forth and find thee the perfect T! What's that? You'd like my advice on where to start?!? I'm honored that you asked and I'd be happy to help. It just so happens that I've been doing a bit of research on the topic of late because this is the time of year that I like to stock up on my plain white darlings. In the past, my motto when shopping for T's has been buy cheap and buy often. Thankfully this is one wardrobe necessity that cheap doesn't necessarily denote crappy. I'm currently rocking the Target boyfriend T (image 6 below) and love it. But I do realize that you may not all share my thriftiness and may, in fact, like to up the style anti a bit. Pictured below are 6 stylish shirts that strive to meet the 3 degrees of T's. (Click on the links below the image to go directly to the retailers sites). Other fabulous options are the Gap Favorite V-Neck T ( which considerately makes itself available in regular, tall, petite and plus sizes) and the very luxurious Basic V-neck by Juicy Couture.

1. j.crew 2. j.crew 3. alternative apparel 4. michael stars 5. isabel marant lali 6. target

Just one more thing before you go, lovely ladies (and any lurking gentlemen). I hesitate to mention this, as it may fall into the category of TMI and we've only just met, but... well... you know those nasty underarm stains that these shirts tend to get after a month or so of wear? Well I thought I should pass on my keeping it clean secrets... It takes a bit of elbow grease and a few minutes of your time, but in case you don't subscribe to my cheap and often philosophy for buying shirts I thought you may want to know how to protect your investment.

1. Prevention is the best medicine. The clever chaps at Real Simple offer up this bit of wisdom: Sprinkle baby powder on the underarms of your shirt, then iron to prevent sweat stains on white shirts. Supposedly the powder forms a barrier that keeps our lovely lady body oils from leaking into the pits of our T.
2. Sock it to 'em: Already stained? Try this super amazing cleaning tip that I fortunately stumbled upon a while back on One Good Thing by Jillee. This was quite fun and I had a bit of a mad scientist meets thrifty pioneer woman taking it to task. Mix a 1:2 ratio of Dawn dishwashing liquid with hydrogen peroxide then a dash of baking soda for good scrub-itude. Use a small laundry brush (or nail brush if you're like me and were shocked that they made laundry brushes) to work your potion into the stain for a few minutes. Let it sit for an hour then launder away the yellow. Good as new!

And so, sallieoh sisters, that brings this plain white post to an end. I hope you can benefit, as I have, from this simple style option and can circumvent the piles of clean (and most likely dirty) clothes strewn about your room and instead choose to don the T. You are guaranteed to look calm, cool, collected and totally rocking. Do you have a favorite T look? Share it with your fellow sisters in the comments... Is there something you'd like us to explore for a future post? We'd love to hear that too. Until next time, keep being fabulous!

hugs,

Katie