Tuesday
10Jun
Phillip Lim/Gap White Shirt
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 12:10AM 
I finally got my Phillip Lim white shirt from The Gap's 2007 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund collection of specially-designed blouses. I've had my eye on the collection for a while, but they're now on mark-down and totally worth getting to know.
I must say, I have long been a fan of the classic white cotton blouse. I suppose I learned it's easy well-pressed and dressed crispness in grammar school when white oxford shirts were de rigeur. Ever since they've been one of my favorite staples. Some are basic, some designed, some vintage, some so boring you wouldn't remark on them. But now I have this one...
I'm not really sure what to make it it, to be perfectly honest. I saw it on one of my colleagues the other day and thought it was chic and lovely, deciding then that I had to get one myself. Now that I have it and have worn it, I like it well-enough but I do have some fleeting hesitations.
First, there is something mildly straight-jacket-ish about it. The high, tied-collar, the tailored bodice... It's a bit of a struggle to shrug it over one's head and pulled into place. Maybe that nice orderly will help me the next time, but it's not easy alone, especially when trying to keep makeup off and hair in place.
Second, (and this could totally be my fault,) I feel a little bit nurse-y wearing it. It's all buttoned-up. Official, even. Or maybe it's just a bit prudish. Worn with hair pulled back in order to show off the front detailing, I looked a bit like my lovely Anouk Aimée as Luisa Anselmi in Fellini's 8 1/2. The stiff, suffering, un-sexy wife. This is especially so in my dorky heavy-rimmed Prada eye glasses. The resemblance was alarming. I almost had to smoke cigarettes all day to complete the look. (Okay, so I totally don't have Anouk's cheekbones, but you get the idea.)
Will my hesitations prevent me from enjoying this piece? Ahhhh...no. The compliments poured in all day long. There's something to be said for a garment that tries very hard to not be sexy: more often than not, it ends up being even more sexy and alluring by being so strange and demure. Don't you think so?
The shirt is everything I saw it was on first impression: crisp, chic, distinctive. I'm likewise very impressed by the quality of the fabric and sewing. The topstiching is gorgeous and even, and the little eyelet lines in the front ruffles are absolutely perfect. This is no ordinary basic Gap white blouse. This is definitely designer-quality.
While more and more designers are jumping on the mass-market bandwagon, it's very nice to see that one of them isn't compromising their quality just to get a simple wardrobe staple out to the hoi polloi. Phillip Lim and The Gap got it right.
Now...who's going to design the 2008 collection?
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One person's sale item is another's treasure...