In Praise of the White Button-Up, the Endlessly Versatile Shirt You’ve Been Wearing All Wrong

The white button-up shirt can come off as a little precious, like fancy dinnerware you reserve for when the in-laws visit. Job interviews, weddings, first dates, court dates (yikes)—these are the situations it thrives in. Which means there’s probably one in your closet right now, still wrapped in plastic from the dry cleaners, on ice until your next formal occasion demands its services. Which also means you’re probably not rocking it on a regular ol’ Tuesday, let alone for a casual link with the homies. But you really should be.

So consider this the PSA you weren’t waiting for—don’t treat the white button-up like fine china. Instead, wear it the way you would any other shirt in your closet: often, and with absolutely everything. The right one can add polish to a dull look and turn a throw-away outfit into a grid-worthy ensemble. Crisp and pressed or rumpled and with the sleeves rolled, a pearly collared shirt will never steer you wrong—and its abilities to elevate your every fit extends far beyond the occasions you’ve been relegating it to.

If you’re not convinced, start off by pairing one with the sartorial equivalent of a skeleton key, the default garment that unlocks every head-scratching outfit: jeans. Try baggy jeans with an oversized button-up left wide open to show off a sick graphic tee or a svelte ribbed tank. Or channel Austin Butler and wear one under a blazer, tucked into straight-leg jeans anchored by slick boots.

Don’t like jeans? (Do you also not drink water?) Take a page out Hugh Grant’s playbook and pair a crispy poplin joint with your chinos—bonus points if you leave the top three or four buttons undone. It helps if you’ve got the hair of rom-com royalty, sure, but a novelty hat will also set the whole thing off splendidly. We’re not saying you always have to spotlight the white button-up shirt, either. Layer one beneath a sweater vest and a swanky topcoat; let it play a supporting role to a wild cardigan. And come summer, rock it with wide, billowy shorts and strappy leather sandals like you’re strutting down the Lemaire runway.

We could go on (and on, and on), but honestly, we’d rather be playing dress up. So instead, we gathered a murderer’s row of unquestionably stellar white shirts to help rejuvenate your rotation, too.