How to Wear a Chambray Shirt Five Ways

One of the first things I learned after becoming a mom is that over half my wardrobe was not nursing friendly. Those first few days I would just stare at my closet, trying to figure out what pieces I could wear and how to make outfits that made it easy to breastfeed in public. Thankfully, with time I’ve found which pieces work best, bought some adorable new clothes (that I’ll share in a future post), and learned the beauty of finding staple items that make pulling outfits together a piece of cake. I quickly came to realize that a chambray shirt is THE perfect nursing friendly piece of clothing to have in your closet (whether you’re breastfeeding or not), and have been wearing it quite a lot recently.
Lately I’ve found myself reaching for a lot of the same types of clothes and finding new ways to style them (like in today’s post!), which got me considering the idea of having a capsule wardrobe (again, more on that in a later post). This post is a stepping stone towards that. 

Today I’m sharing five ways to style a chambray shirt and I am SO excited. I love how cute and classy a chambray shirt looks, and it has the added bonus of being nursing friendly, so this mama is all about it! A chambray shirt is so versatile, and works well for every season depending on how you style it. I got mine last fall at Old Navy and cannot tell you how perfect it is! I sized up and got a large so it would be looser and longer, and am so glad I did. They have them for sale again this year and if you don’t have a chambray shirt yet, I highly recommend you grab one of theirs. They are super soft, good quality and reasonably priced… What more do you need? ;) 

How to Wear a Chambray Shirt Five Ways

With leggings and riding boots

This outfit was one of the main reasons I sized up when I bought my chambray shirt last year. I wanted it to be long enough to wear with leggings, and I LOVE the way it looks paired with tall riding boots. This outfit is easy, comfy and looks oh so cute. To add a little summin-summin I tied on a cute bandana scarf from Sseko and WOW. So cute, right?

Layered with a cardigan

When the temps start dropping, I start layering. It not only helps with transition from the cold outside to the warmth inside, but is perfect for the days when temperatures fluctuate a ton from morning to evening. Rather than putting on one article of clothing that is super warm, I love layering so I can slowly peel off clothes as the cold ebbs off. For this look I layered my favorite LuLaRoe duster cardigan with my chambray shirt and leggings for a warm, effortless look. 

With jeans and booties (and a scarf!)

It took me a while to give this look a try, and I’m sad I waited so long! I blame the early 2000s on that. You know… when we would dress in matching denim shirts and jeans cuz it looked “cool”. Just me?
To pull this off, I recommend wearing a darker wash jean so they aren’t matchy-matchy, and skinny jeans are a great contrast to the flowiness of the shirt. I paired this outfit with my FAVORITE booties from Sseko (read more about Sseko here). Now that they are broken in, I wear them all. the. time. *cue the heart eyes*
For a fun layered look, thrown on a cardigan or a scarf! 

Unbuttoned with linen pants

The minute I put on these linen pants from August Cloth, I was in love. They are so comfy and flattering on my postpartum belly. This is one of my favorite outfits, because I love how put together it looks while still being super cozy. I wore my favorite nursing camisole (from Target) under the chambray shirt and my Sseko ribbon sandals (because it was still pretty warm in Texas when we took the pictures #reallife). I’ve also worn these pants with my Sseko booties, and it looks oh so cute like that too! 

Tied with a high-waisted skirt

When I want to dress up a little (or feel more like a human being…) I like to tie my chambray shirt over a high-waisted skirt. I am really digging the below the knee and midi lengths lately, and have added quite a few skirts like this to my closet. Since I can’t wear dresses anymore – something I never thought about before I started breastfeeding – this is a great way to feel cute and feminine, yet still have the functionality that I need! My favorite high-waisted skirts right now are the Madison skirts from LuLaRoe, the Emily skirt from August Cloth and the Sierra Mom Skirt from Little Cottonwood. 

As you can see there are SO many ways to wear a chambray shirt! It’s a must-have piece for your closet, and I can’t wait to hear how you style yours. Tag me on Instagram (@beccasuehicks) so I can see, or drop a comment below telling me your favorite way to wear it. :)