Building A Wardrobe: Spring and Summer Shirt Essentials

This week I'll be continuing my Building a Wardrobe: Spring and Summer Addition. On the first day I discussed layering essentials, next I discussed pants and shorts, then dresses, and today I'll share my thoughts on essential shirts to add to your wardrobe this Spring and Summer. Here were my thoughts on Fall and Winter essential shirts, if you want to take a look.

When it comes to adding shirts this Spring, I think it's important to think about buying shirts that you can wear alone or layered.  I tend to steer clear of thin tank tops as I get older because I just don't feel comfortable wearing them alone anymore.  Instead I tend to buy short sleeve and sleeveless shirts.  Here are the one's I suggest adding:

• Purchase a few bright colored tops that have some sort of detail to make them special. like lace, a pretty collar, or stitching details to make the shirt stand out.  Shirts like this can be great for work or weekend and you can wear them without any layers and still feel put-together. Get these in coordinating colors to other pieces you're adding, these will be bases you can pull from often, so make sure the colors match your wardrobe.
• I'd also recommend getting a white and/or cream top with details too.  I prefer this to a standard tee, although there is nothing wrong with that either.
• I'd also recommend a couple of striped shirts, black and white is great.  I really like the sleeveless one's as they'll be great under blazers for work or cute on the weekend with a pair of bright ankle pants.
• Lastly, I recommend a sleeveless chambray.  Chambrays are such great classic pieces and having a sleeveless version will be very versatile this summer.  
• After making this I realized I didn't add in any print tops. I would suggest get a great floral or print top to too.  Since layers don't always work during the Spring/Summer a great print can really make an outfit stand out.

stripe shirt / navy top / cream top / coral / chambray top / shripe sleeveless shirt

Today I'm wearing one of the options listed above, a bright colored shirt.  I recently found these cobalt pants at Loft for $4. Yep, in Loft.  $4.  Thank you to whoever returned these bad boys after letting them hang in your closet all winter.  I really liked them, but didn't really want pants, so I altered them into ankle pants instead.  Then I went to my Pinterest board and looked for some inspiration for styling.  What do you know, Tara knew exactly how to wear these.  I love how this look came together and am so happy to have these pants in my closet. 

Blazer: Cynthia Rowley (TJ Maxx) similar

Top: Express: same

Pants: Loft similar

Necklace: Edith Marie same

Bracelets: Style This Life  same c/o and Stella and Dot

Heels: Nine West same