I HAD A WARDROBE FULL OF PERFECTLY GOOD SHIRTS. WHY DID I NEVER WANT TO WEAR ANY OF THEM?
Six little things about a grey dotted-line blouse that reminded me looking put together doesn't have to mean dressing up.
I am 67, I live in Sydney, and at the beginning of spring I decided to have a proper sort-out of my wardrobe. Not a dramatic clean-out, just a few hours with the windows open, a pile for the op shop and the radio playing downstairs.
By lunchtime I had made a rather embarrassing discovery. I owned more plain shirts than I could reasonably explain. Grey, white, pale blue, another grey one that looked exactly like the first. I kept buying them because they went with everything, then standing in front of the wardrobe wondering why nothing made me feel particularly nicely dressed.
I was due to meet two old friends for coffee that weekend. I held up one of those plain shirts and sighed. My daughter, who had been helping me fold things, asked, “Mum, are you keeping these because you like them, or because there's nothing wrong with them?”
That was the problem, exactly. There was nothing wrong with any of them. But there was hardly anything about them I actually liked.
I didn't want a top covered in enormous flowers or a colour I would feel self-conscious wearing. What I wanted was something quiet, but not dull. Something that looked like I had taken a little care, even if I was only going out for coffee.
That evening I found the Pernella in Perth Boutique's Vintage Buttons collection. It was grey, like so many shirts I already owned. But running all across it were little dotted lines, scattered almost like tiny marks drawn by hand. It had a neat pointed collar, buttons down the front and sleeves with easy rolled cuffs.
It was familiar enough to wear with my old trousers, but interesting enough to make me look twice. I ordered it and, when it arrived, laid it across the bed beside the plain shirts I had been sorting. The difference wasn't loud. It was in all the small details.
I wasn't trying to become a more fashionable woman. I just wanted to stop choosing clothes because they were merely good enough.
Looking at the blouse, I began to notice six reasons it made more sense to me than another plain shirt that would sit on the hanger. None of them was extravagant. Together, they made the sort of difference I had been missing.
1THE DOTTED LINES MAKE GREY INTERESTING AGAIN
The colour is a soft, useful grey. What makes the Pernella different is the all-over dotted-line pattern. From a distance it still looks understated. Up close, the little lines give the fabric texture and character without covering it in a busy print.
I liked the thought of wearing it with black trousers or cream jeans, without feeling the need to fetch a patterned scarf to make the whole outfit more interesting.
I didn't want to wear something louder. I wanted a quiet blouse that didn't disappear.
2THE COLLAR AND BUTTONS GIVE IT A PROPER FINISH
There is something pleasing about a pointed collar and a tidy row of buttons. It gives an otherwise relaxed shirt a little structure. I could see myself wearing it to a morning appointment, then heading straight on to lunch without feeling I needed to change.
It is the sort of design that looks complete with small earrings and the shoes I already own. A practical detail, perhaps, but a very welcome one.
The buttons and collar do what I used to try to do with scarves and extra accessories.
3THE RELAXED SHAPE DOESN'T NEED CONSTANT ADJUSTING
Perth Boutique describes the Pernella as having a relaxed, slightly oversized fit and a soft drape. That was part of the appeal. I didn't want another stiff shirt that looked smart only when I stood perfectly still.
The hip-length shape and straight hem look easy with trousers or jeans. I would still check the measurements carefully, but the silhouette is the sort I can imagine wearing for a long afternoon rather than taking off as soon as I get home.
I prefer a blouse that has its own shape, rather than one I'm rearranging over coffee.
4THE ROLLED CUFFS MAKE SPRING DAYS EASIER
Spring in Sydney can begin cool and turn warm before lunch. The Pernella has long sleeves with rolled-cuff detailing, and that gives it a more relaxed look than the very formal shirts I kept buying by habit.
It looks right hanging neatly in the wardrobe, but also draped over a chair with a handbag beside it, ready for an everyday outing. I like clothes that don't seem to demand a particular occasion.
I like a shirt that looks sensible in the morning and still feels suitable when plans change.
5IT GOES WITH THE TROUSERS I ALREADY OWN
One of the things I have learned is that a new purchase is most useful when it makes the things in my wardrobe easier to wear. The Pernella's grey and discreet pattern work with white denim, tailored trousers or a simple skirt, just as Perth Boutique suggests.
That means no emergency search for a new handbag or a second pair of shoes. I wanted to put on one interesting blouse, pick up my usual bag and go out to meet my friends.
Sometimes one thoughtful addition is nicer than buying an entirely new outfit.
6IT IS MADE FOR ORDINARY WARDROBE ROUTINES
The product page describes a lightweight, smooth fabric with a soft drape, and it lists the blouse as machine washable according to the care label. Those details are useful to me. I have owned pretty things that demanded so much special care they rarely left the cupboard.
The Pernella is listed in Grey, in sizes S through 5XL. I would check Perth Boutique's measurements for the size I needed, rather than guessing an Australian numerical conversion. A good everyday blouse has to work for your wardrobe, not just look lovely in a photograph.
Pretty is good. Pretty and practical enough for real life is better.
THE PERNELLA, AGAINST THE PLAIN SHIRTS I KEPT BUYING
There was nothing wrong with my old shirts. But they never quite made me pleased to get dressed. Here is the difference I was looking for.
ABOUT THE PRICE
Perth Boutique currently lists the Pernella™ | Casual Dotted Line Pattern Blouse at A$71.99, reduced from A$239.00. It is part of the Vintage Buttons collection, which includes other patterned and button-front blouses at their own listed prices.
For me, a useful new blouse is one I can imagine wearing with the trousers, jeans and skirts already in my cupboard. What appealed to me about the Pernella was not one dramatic feature. It was the small pattern, familiar collar, soft shape and easy sleeves working together.
Perth Boutique advertises free delivery across Australia. Check the product's current size guide, price, availability and the store's delivery and return terms before ordering.
The shirts I kept during the clear-out are still perfectly good. But I have changed my mind about what deserves a place on the hanger. “Nothing wrong with it” is not quite the same as “I look forward to wearing it.” At 67, I think that distinction is worth making.
Maggie
