Navy Linen Blouse + White Denim Skirt

I received this linen blouse from Uniqlo with a challenge to style it any way I wanted as part of their Uniqlo Lifewear campaign. It seemed simple enough- easy color, straightforward shape, recognizable material. Yet for some reason I stood in front of my closet for almost an hour trying to figure out what to do with it. For most people a collared button down shirt is a staple in their closet, but I have very few. A button-down shirt seems to signify a classy, put together woman, of which I do not identify with. Not that I’m exactly the opposite, but I’ve never been the girl with perfect hair and makeup with the perfectly hemmed pants and pearl earrings. I am moreso the girl that arrives with lipstick on her teeth, her hair in disarray, and carrying three different necklaces with her in case I change my mind mid-day.

So my resolution to the problem was mussing the shirt up a bit. Instead of tucking it in nicely with this skirt or heaven forbid ironing it, I rolled the sleeves and tied it Daisy Duke style, which added a little skin to balance out the more covered-up proportions of the white denim skirt. I wore it to grab lunch with Mr. R in Madison Square Park, and it ended up being the perfect way to dress comfortably without feeling like a conservative imposter. I also added this fun flag scarf for a little Memorial Day support which is sure to get a lot of blog air time over the next couple of months.

What do you think? What other creative ways do you have to style a simple button down?

Uniqlo linen shirt (c/0), H&M white denim skirt, Old Navy flag scarf (c/o, also like this version), London Rebel embellished flats (sold out, similar here), Coach striped studio tote (old), AJ Morgan sunglasses, bracelets- DIY and souvenirs from Mexico