How to Wear a Chambray Shirt with Ease and Style

I collect classic pieces for a versatile wardrobe.  They are like the basic building blocks that form the structure of a wardrobe.  So age doesn’t matter.  For easy, laid-back and casual dressing, a chambray or denim shirt is an essential.  In this post, I am exploring how to wear a chambray shirt with ease and style, in order to get the most enjoyment and wear from it.

Chambray is like denim but lighter and softer so it makes a comfortable shirt.  You could also use an actual denim or a chambray-color tencel shirt interchangeably.

I’ll start with the general ways that you can style a chambray shirt, and then follow up with over 45 specific ideas for  how to wear it.  Choose your favorite outfit combinations and wear them in your favorite ways.  I hope you will then come back and leave a reply below to let us know what worked for you!

How to Style a Chambray Shirt

You can pair a basic chambray shirt with similar pieces, opposite pieces, and trending pieces.  Color and accessories will also change its look and keep it interesting.

Since I like variety and originality when dressing, I prefer to go beyond the “Canadian Tuxedo” look of blue jeans with the chambray shirt.  One way to break away from that cliche is to be sure the shirt and jeans are different shades of blue.

While compiling these looks, I discovered that a chambray shirt is more versatile than I thought.  Although it is usually thought of as casual, you can dress it up in various ways:

• You can feminize a chambray shirt by wearing it with a skirt of any kind, from a jean skirt to a tulle skirt.  Or wear it open over a lacy camisole or tank top.
• You can wear it on business casual days tucked into an office-appropriate skirt with heels.

You can wear a chambray shirt in place of a jean jacket.  Try it with a striped t-shirt and destroyed skinny jeans.  You might also like to add a black jacket over the chambray shirt or jean jacket.

Chambray blue goes very well with turquoise or bright blue, purples, greens, orange, yellow, light pink, lavender, peach, and either gold or silver.

With a chambray shirt and blue jeans, you can add anything over it.  Some things that add style are:  a moto jacket, a faux fur jacket or vest, a tweed jacket, velvet jacket, etc.

You can also leave the shirt unbuttoned or buttoned low and wear anything under it, such as a lacy camisole.  Other possibilities are a sequined, embellished, silk, textured or patterned top, or a striped or graphic tee.

Feel free to embellish like crazy!  You can belt your shirt, whether it’s inside or out.  Layer it.  Besides the usual sneakers with a chambray shirt, you can wear sandals, boots or heels instead…just for fun!

Following are more than 45 outfit combinations using a chambray shirt:

Wear It With a Skirt:

• Belt a chambray skirt over a crochet skirt.
• Tuck a chambray shirt into a blue or bright-color skirt.
• Belt a chambray shirt over a printed or solid-color chiffon skirt.
• Tuck a chambray shirt into a short chiffon skirt.  You might like to add embellished sandals or gold sandals with a heel.
• Tuck a chambray shirt inside a short jean skirt (preferably in different shades of blue).  Then you could add a jean jacket and/or a blue necklace.

• A chambray shirt tucked into a floral skirt.
• A chambray shirt + a maxi skirt.  Try a gray maxi skirt + gold and silver necklaces + gladiator wedge sandals.
• A chambray shirt tucked inside a tulle skirt.  Add heels + sparkly accessories + maybe a beautiful blue bag.
• A chambray shirt tucked into a faux suede skirt.

Wear It With a Dress:

1. A chambray shirt worn open and tied at the waist over a dress.  You might like to add boots.
2. Tie a chambray shirt over a strappy maxi dress for coverage.
3. Wear a chambray shirt open as a jacket over a short dress, a slip dress, a midi or maxi dress.

Wear It With Jeans:

A chambray shirt goes with any color jeans, as long as they are a different shade or hue than the shirt.

1. A chambray shirt worn open as a jacket over a sequined t-shirt + any jeans.  Add ankle boots.  Then you might also like to add a vest.
2. A striped t-shirt + a chambray shirt worn open as a jacket + blue jeans.  Add slides or sandals + substantial gold hoop earrings.
3. A t-shirt + a chambray shirt unbuttoned over it + a cardigan unbuttoned over the shirt + blue jeans.
4. A chambray shirt + blue jeans + a faux suede vest, or a suede shirt worn open as a jacket.
5. A chambray shirt with sleeves rolled up, worn open as a jacket over a sequined or embellished t-shirt + blue jeans.  Add a cuff with layered bracelets.

   

6. A chambray shirt + white jeans.  You might like to add heels.
7. A tank top, printed or solid + a chambray shirt worn open as a jacket + destroyed skinny jeans (or jeans of choice) + a gray cocoon cardigan.  Add a sparkly necklace + a couple of chain bracelets on one writs + a few beaded bracelets on the other wrist + an extra ring.
8. A chambray shirt worn open as a jacket over another blouse or t-shirt + skinny jeans.  Add leopard-print footwear and bag (or scarf) + pendants.
9. A t-shirt + jeans + a chambray shirt unbuttoned, worn as a jacket.  A gray t-shirt goes well with the denim blue of a chambray shirt.
10. A chambray shirt worn open as a jacket with sleeves pushed back + a slub or featherweight t-shirt + blue jeans in a different color from the shirt.Pinstriped Blazer from Chico’s
11. A navy pinstripe blazer + a chambray shirt over blue jeans.  Leave the collar out over the blazer.  Add long gold chains and pearls + gold charm and pearl bracelets + pearl drop earrings + gold ballet flats or embellished loafers.  Put your hair in an updo.
12. A chambray shirt + a blazer + blue jeans.  You might like to add pearls, chains, charms, coin-motif jewelry, pendants or other statement jewels.
13. A chambray shirt + blue jeans + a white cardigan.  Add animal-print slip-on flats.  Roll back cuffs and add bracelets.
14. A chambray shirt over destroyed skinny jeans.  Add a statement necklace.
15. A chambray shirt over a Henley top or a striped t-shirt + jeans.   Just button one in the middle on shirt.  Roll back shirt sleeves.
16. A chambray shirt over blue jeans.  Add a chunky gold chain necklace or two and earrings.  Roll back the sleeves.  If sunny, add sunglasses.

    

17. Try a chambray shirt with boot-cuts, flares or bell bottoms.
18. A chambray shirt + a fleece vest + jeans.
19. A striped cardigan or patterned cardigan + a chambray shirt + jeans.  Add hoop earrings.
20. A chambray shirt + embellished or patterned jeans, such as tie-dye or animal-print.  For instance, you might try your chambray shirt with tie-dye skinny jeans + sneakers + blue aviator sunglasses.
21. A chambray shirt + dark denim.
22. A chambray shirt + black jeans.

Wear It With Other Types of Pants:

• For travel & hiking:  A chambray shirt worn unbuttoned over a white tee + khakis.  Add sneakers + a long scarf tied European style so that the ends flow down the center front.
• A chambray shirt tied over pajama pants.  Add sandals.
• A black moto jacket + a longer-length chambray shirt + black skinnies.  Add black sneakers.
• A chambray shirt + lounge pants.  Add animal-print flats + a short medallion in the neckline.
• A pullover sweater over a chambray shirt with the collar, cuffs and hem showing + leggings.  If you’re wearing faux leather leggings, add a studded bag.

• A striped tee + chambray shirt worn open as a jacket + black skinnies or jeans of a color in the stripes.
• A chambray shirt worn open as a jacket + a white tank top + white pants.  Add nude pumps + a tennis bracelet.  Roll up sleeves to show bracelet.
• A white top + white skinnies + a chambray shirt worn open as a jacket.
• A chambray shirt + white jeans + a jean jacket.  Add a cuff over jacket sleeve + ankle boots.
• A chambray shirt + a black camisole (one of them in a longer-length) + black leggings.  Belt in tan or brown.  Add a leopard fur vest + tall boots + black gloves + a colorful statement necklace.
• A longer-length chambray shirt + leggings.
• A chambray shirt + khakis.

Let’s Connect!

Are these ideas helpful to you?  Let us know if you try any of them.  Please leave a reply below!

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Angie

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