Style Diary — Casual Chambray

Happy Friday! It's the best day of the week in my book! We recently saw Lord of the Rings 2 with some friends and have been dying to see 3 since; so tonight we're hosting a movie night to watch it! What fun plans do you have?

I have been growing more and more obsessed with ripped jeans lately! I think they look amazing paired with flowy, feminine shirts and heels! (insert allll the heart-eyes) Today though, I wanted to share with you a different way to style them that's super comfy and perfect for running around in over the weekend! Plus, it involves chambray. I don't think I need to say more. (maybe just insert more heart-eyes)

Whoever invented chambray was a genius. Seriously...a material that looks like jean but is usually thinner and softer!? Well, fun fact (which we all probably should have guessed), it was invented by the French. Quite a while ago, too. Chambray, also called Chambrai, Chambric, and Batiste, originated in the French town, Cambrai. While most people just think of chambray as a type of denim, it is actually a different type of fabric. It may look and sometimes feel like denim, but it's different in the way that the cloth is woven. They both typically have a colored (usually blue) warp and a white weft, but chambray is woven in a (plain-weave) criss-cross pattern, while denim is woven in a (twill) diagonal pattern. If you take piece of denim and chambray and turn them over, it's very easy to tell the difference. Denim is much lighter on the inside and the diagonal lines are easily visible, while the inside of Chambray tends to be close to the same color as the outside and the pattern is still criss-cross.

Some brands do chambray better than others, and New York & Company is definitely one of them. This shirt is so soft, it's snuggly! When I first ordered it, I didn't realize it had an elastic waistband. I almost didn't try it on because of that (I know, way to judge a book by it's cover...), but I'm glad I did! It's one of the softest chambrays I've felt and I actually like the waistband now! It allows you to easily create that 'loose tucked-in' look without even tucking the shirt in. Or if you do want to tuck it in or half tuck-in, it makes it easier and looks better.

When combining textures and patterns started becoming a thing, it was only a matter of time before denim (or chambray) on denim became popular as well. And what an amazing and great-looking trend it is! I'm loving combining my chambray top with denim bottoms. I especially love how the light blue chambray looks on these black ripped jeans! New York and Company recently collaborated with Jennifer Hudson to create a new line of jeans that fit well and are super stylish. When I checked them out, I was very impressed with the wide selection of styles and colors, as well as with how unique some of the jeans were! There were beautiful colors like pastel pink and coral, as well as unique details such as zippering and embellishments. While I was bummed that not all of the styles come in petite sizes, I loved this pair enough to get them anyway, although I'll definitely getting them hemmed soon so I can wear them for less casual looks. They're very comfortable with a nice stretch and have great ripped detail. Plus, all of their jeans are currently on sale for $29! Hard to beat that! The sale, which also includes this top and most of what's their site, won't be lasting long, so don't wait too long to check it out if you're interested!

{Outfit Details Below}