Thrift Day. In Praise of Silk Shirts

Silk button-up shirts broke through my writer's block. I feel so inspired, I could write a thesis for my masters on why silk shirts are awesome. I will spare you and give you the I Should be in Bed version instead.
Silk shirts are awesome because they feel great.
Silk shirts are awesome because they look great.

I have worn them tucked into a high waisted skirt.

I have worn them layered with a crop top.

I have worn them in a colour explosion.

But most often I wear them with my Gap jeans and an interesting piece of jewelry. My go-to outfit. We never get pictures because if the moment requires a go-to outfit, I am undoubtedly running late already. I always roll the cuffs and unbutton the first 2, maybe 3, buttons at the neck. In the world post-Lady Gaga, 2 buttons undone have lost their shock value, so I am currently pushing the boundaries at 3 buttons.
You can get yourself a beautiful silk shirt for a few hundred dollars or you can get yourself a beautiful silk shirt for a few dollars. It's your choice, I am not going to tell you how to live your life (I leave that in the capable hands of Tyra Banks) but I am going to tell you that thrift stores are full of silk blouses. Silk blouses that are ready to move on from their memory of being a choir shirt and start a new fashionable adventure. Since I have started my little silk shirt collection, I have rarely gone to a thrift store (be it big city or small town) without finding a few to try on. Though I already have at least 5 silk shirts, I wear them so much that I am actively looking to add more colours to my little slice of the rainbow. They breathe, skim the body in a flattering way without sticking to your tricky bits and tuck in rather cleanly.
The key to finding them in a thrift store starts with label reading but once you get the idea of what silk looks and feels like, they can quickly be spotted on the rack. It's hard to put in words exactly how silk feels different from polyester, but I always describe silk as feeling cool and smooth. Your fingers don't stick to the fabric and it you crumple a part of the shirt in your hand, it will leave a wrinkle.
Try different sizes of shirts on as well. A larger drapey style can fall of the shoulder a bit (scandalous) or a smaller size can tuck into something high waisted. Often clothes that are way too big can hide your figure but a larger silk shirt still hangs in a flattering way. Silk blouses skim the body but they will never cling to the body. That should be their tag line. Unfortunately if they are available for $4 at thrift stores everywhere, there isn't enough of a price mark-up to cover my cost as marketing director. Which is a pity because I would love to write a post encouraging people to buy silk button up shirts at the thrift store... but I just can't do it unless I get paid.