Kim Kardashian is having to set the record straight after reports surfaced that she bought former President John F. Kennedy‘s blood-stained shirt for daughter North West as a Christmas gift.
The rumor all started after the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star revealed she and husband Kanye West purchased two items of clothing once worn by Michael Jackson as holiday gifts for their six-year-old child.
According to E! News, they picked up the late singer’s bejeweled velvet jacket, which he famously wore to Elizabeth Taylor’s 65th birthday in 1997, as well as the white fedora he wore in his “Smooth Criminal” music video in 1988 through Julien’s Auction House.
“North is a really big Michael Jackson fan,” Kardashian told fans in one of her Instagram Stories. “We knew she would love this.” She added: “She’s so grateful and excited.”
The reality star also bought rings that once belonged to Elvis Presley for her brother Rob Kardashian.
But social media users began turning Kardashian’s Christmas gifts into a meme, claiming she and West also purchased other ludicrous items for their daughter. Some Twitter users went as far to Photoshop fake pictures making it seem the couple also bought the exact same shirt JFK was wearing when he was assassinated while riding in his motorcade in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.
One photoshopped image made it look as if Kardashian had posted “the gift” to her Instagram Story with the caption, “Along with the Michael Jackson’s jacket and hat, North also got the shirt John F. Kennedy wore when he was assassinated.” Media outlets began picking up the story on December 30, assuming the gift was real, which again prompted fans on Twitter to circulate and react to the story.
Eventually the Skims founder was prompted to respond to the “obviously fake” news.
“That is a sick joke that someone tweeted as a fake ig story that I never posted,” Kim tweeted. (One of the media outlets who originally reported it, Refinery29, has since removed the image and the excerpt about the bloodied shirt from its original article.)
There are few wardrobe essentials that we lean on more than the white shirt. It’s the real deal—a true wear-anywhere closet staple that looks just as good with your work trousers as it does with your weekend denim.
Whether yours is made from crisp cotton or soft silk, the tailored shape of a button-down makes any outfit feel instantly elegant. You can pair it with trousers and a blazer and head into work. You can tuck it into jeans, slip on sneakers, and go about tackling your weekend to-do list. Tie it up, cuff the sleeves—no matter your preferred styling or the time of year, you really can’t go wrong with a white shirt. So ahead, we’re breaking down nine foolproof outfits centered around this beloved fashion item. Read on for ideas on how to wear a white shirt for work, date night, or weekend.
For Work
Claudio Lavenia
Button up a crisp white button-down all the way up and tuck it into a pleated midi skirt. Slip into a pair of heeled boots to stay chic and comfortable all day long.
Cornel Cristian Petrus/REX/Shutterstock
Roll up the sleeves of a blazer and let those of your white-button down hang longer for a cooler take on this 9-to-5 formula.
Matthew Sperzel
On casual Fridays, when you can break out the short suit, your trusty white button-down will always look good.
For a Date
Edward Berthelot
Take the classic blouse-and-trouser work formula straight into date night by playing around with the neckline. Pull the top up and open it up around the shoulders, to show a little bit more skin in that area.
Cornel Cristian Petrus/REX/Shutterstock
Go the Meghan Markle route and style a white shirt underneath a blazer dress for a look that’s polished but playful.
Timur Emek
Flared-leg leather trousers add a touch of rock-and-roll to a structured blouse.
For the Weekend
Christian Vierig
For daytime, pair an oversized white blouse with long black leggings. Play up the look with polished accessories, like a beret and brogues.
Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
If you have evening plans, find a white shirt that’s cropped or has some sort of cinched-waist detail, to wear with skinny-fit jeans.
Christian Vierig
When in doubt, go for the tried-and-true blue denim and white cotton shirt. Style the look with everything from flats to statement heels, depending on where you’re headed.
Until recently, my lack of options for button-down tops was an accepted reality, established sometime in middle school, when I filled out a DD bra. As I became a bit more familiar with dressing for my shape—and my cup size went a few letters further into the alphabet—the only way to wear a shirt with a button front was to utilize a set of unspoken hacks: concealing safety pins behind and between the buttons to avoid gaping, styling it with camis so as to make a popped button seem intentional, buying it a couple sizes larger so I could have it professionally tailored to fit… Honestly, option three always seemed like too much work, but they’re all a lot of work for something many describe as a wardrobe staple. (Isn’t that supposed to be synonymous with “easy, effortless”?) So, when given the opportunity to test a new made-to-measure fashion brand that would, theoretically, solve this long-standing gripe, I couldn’t pass up the chance.
This past fall, Careste—a direct-to-consumer brand helmed by Celeste Markey, Elizabeth Rickard Shah, and Hilary Peterson—launched a line of shirts with the intention to provide an answer to ineffective sizing in the market. “When you look at Elizabeth, Hilary, and me, we all have such different bodies,” says Markey, Careste’s CEO. “How on earth could we ever think that a size 6 on one body is equivalent to a size 6 on another? When we tested our product and algorithm, we discovered that none of the women we measured had a body that fit within any one size on the typical size chart.”
The algorithm Markey refers to is essentially what provides the fit for Careste products, one that’s more personalized than your typical 4, 12, or 20. In order to determine your size, the brand gathers eight measurements: shoulders, bust, bust point, sleeve length, waist, waist length, body length, and hips.
“The bust is actually the number one concern above any other measurement points,” says Shah, the brand’s creative director. “The majority of brands follow mass-produced standard sizing which does not take into consideration variations in body shapes and sizes and proportion differences from shoulders to bust to waist.”
My own experience determining fit was a bit different than the norm. I initially met with Markey and Shah to check out the debut collection, and Shah offered to measure me in person. However, it’s a task that’s easily completed solo with a measuring tape—one you own or one provided by Careste in a free-of-charge Fit Folio sent to your home. Still not confident? The brand can also schedule a fit consultation over Google Hangouts to make sure you’re getting the most accurate numbers.
It may seem a bit more arduous than your typical shopping experience, but it’s only done once (pending any significant weight loss or gain.) As Shah explains, that’s so Careste can make an individual pattern for every customer, allowing its factory to produce a shirt that’s couture-quality without a single in-person fitting. And the mild inconvenience early in the process can be worth it for a proper fit—at least, that’s what I concluded.
After collecting my measurements, I simply selected a style, which currently includes a small range of blouses, mostly button-down and in solid colors. (There are some limited edition prints.) I went for the Adela, a black button-down blouse with a subtle scalloped detail on the collar and cuffs—it’s classic, simple, and frankly, a piece I’ve never owned in the proper size.
By the time I received my made-to-measure shirt (it typically takes about two weeks from order to delivery), I slipped it on right away to check for the most telltale sign of improper fit for someone with big boobs: gaping. There was none. In order to truly test it, I wore the top for an entire day to see what kind of adjusting it might need as hours passed, how comfortable it felt, how securely all the buttons stayed fastened, and if I liked the way it looked. The results were positive across the board.
Since the shirt was made to my specific measurements, I found the fit of the Adela to be a bit relaxed but still tailored. It had just the smallest bit of extra slack in the bust to make me feel secure. The waist fell at the perfect length to tuck into a pair of mid-rise jeans. Plus, the crepe de chine was a nice balance of light and soft but still opaque, and it didn’t wrinkle as quickly as other (admittedly, fast-fashion) silk tops I own. In all, it wasn’t a piece that required any fussing or extra thought on my part, which is ideal.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Gina Marinelli/@ginaalilbit.
Careste does offer one complimentary adjustment on any made-to-measure garment, which means I could have sent it back to nip in the waist or shorten the sleeves. I didn’t need that, but I still appreciate the option because, as one might expect with a practically couture piece of clothing, a Careste shirt does sell for a bit more than your average off-the-rack top: Prices range between $255 to $395 (mine was $325), placing it slightly higher than other popular button-down brands, like Equipment and Theory. Which ultimately raises the question: Is it worth it?
The answer, much like the fit of the pieces themselves, is very individual. For myself, this button-down is the best fitting one I’ve owned to date—and if we’re talking price per wear, for a timeless article of clothing, the small investment (in money and in time) seems worthwhile. If button-down tops aren’t your thing, Careste plans to eventually expand its business and algorithm to dresses, trousers, and more in the future.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Careste.
Careste’s Holloway top, $345, available at Careste.
As Markey describes it, the made-to-measure fashion business—which also includes brands like Fame and Partners for occasion wear and Margaux for shoes—is a new take on luxury: “We believe we are on the very leading edge of a massive shift in fashion.”
For myself, someone who’s accepted a reality of mediocre-fitting tops for way too long, it’s a change in perspective as well.
It hasn’t even been a week since the controversy over Serena Williams‘ French Open attire, and now the tennis world once again finds itself embroiled in a dustup over what is appropriate for women in the sport.
At the 2018 U.S. Open, French player Alizé Cornet was given a code violation by a chair umpire for removing her shirt on the court, after she realized she was wearing it backward. According to the official Women’s Tennis Association rulebook, female players can change their shirts only off-court. There’s no comparable rule for the men—some of whom, like Novak Djokovic, openly sat shirtless with no repercussions multiple times yesterday.
Cornet had just returned from a 10-minute heat break (it’s currently sweltering in New York), during which she changed her shirt. When she got on the court, she realized she had put it on backward, so she quickly took off the shirt and turned it around. The whole switch took about 10 seconds. The chair umpire who issued the code violation was male.
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Social media users were quick to call out the double standard in Cornet’s situation. That includes Billie Jean King, who wrote on Twitter, “This rule is outdated and impractical.”
Shortly after the incident, the U.S Open issued a statement to clarify its position. “Players who do change their shirts will not be assessed a code violation,” US Open director of communications Chris Widmaier said. “We regret that Ms. Cornet was assessed a code violation. However, luckily, she was assessed a warning only and there was no further penalty above a warning.”
“When possible, if a more private location is near a court and is requested, that player will be allowed to go to that private location to change, and they will not be assessed a bathroom break,” the statement continued. “We follow WTA procedures regarding bathroom breaks. A quick change of attire will not considered one of their two bathroom breaks.” Widmaier said no code violations for similar actions will be assessed going forward in the tournament.
While the U.S. Open may have backpedaled on the issue now, it’s all too clear that the powers-that-be in women’s tennis need to take a look at the ways they are policing their female players’ bodies and attire.
On Friday Bernard Giudicelli of the French Tennis Federation said they would “impose certain limits” on clothing that can be worn during the tournament, beginning with the 2019 French Open. This was in response to Williams’ catsuit (worn back in May), which he said went “too far” and would not be allowed next year.
PHOTO: Jean Catuffe
“It will no longer be accepted,” Giudicelli said. “One must respect the game and the place.”
In an interview with The Cut published today, tennis legend Billie Jean King said of the policing of women’s outfits on the court: “Fashion usually dictates our freedoms. Back in the old days, our wrists and our ankles couldn’t be shown. If you look at the fashion every decade in women’s tennis—which is very small—you can see how things are changing in the world for us: our freedoms, the way we dress, which is good. But I never hear them really talk about how the guys should dress.”
The end of summer is still another month or so away, but Blake Lively is apparently ready for fall fashion.
The actress was photographed on Friday in New York—mid-August, where the temperature is a balmy 87 degrees—wearing a blue velvet pantsuit. But that’s not all: Rather than pop on a shirt underneath, Lively layered another velvet blazer on top, this one, by Brunello Cucinelli, in a rich red color. She finished off the outfit with a dark blue leather back, hoop earrings, and spiked nude heels by Christian Louboutin. It’s an outfit that would look perfectly at home on Serena van der Woodsen, or maybe Cate Blanchett’s character in Ocean’s 8.
Check it out.
PHOTO: KEVY/Backgrid
You know this look is all Lively because the actress doesn’t use a stylist. In an interview with WWD from May, she joked: “Probably because I have control issues and a big ego—that’s probably the honest answer.
“I love design and I love fashion, and it’s a way to be creative,” Lively continued. “In my job I get to be creative, but it’s over a period of time and so many other people are involved, whereas this is a beginning, middle, and end, and I get to be creative and there’s an end date in the near future.”
PHOTO: KEVY/Backgrid
“The hard part is going through all the fashion shows and screenshotting all the looks you like and calling them in,” she added to WWD. “I have an assistant who helps in calling in the looks. But a lot of it is I have relationships with the designers.” We’d love to see who the style inspo was for this look.
How she deals with the profuse sweating that comes with wearing velvet in August is still unclear, though.
This summer, Kim Kardashian had a thing for not only embracing the naked dress trend that’s hot in Hollywood right now, but for wearing completely see-through clothes. (We get it! It’s hot out!) Her most notable looks included tights as pants and thatplastic dress she casually wore to pick up sushi. Now, instead of wearing cheeky sheer fabric, the selfie queen has apparently given up things like on shirts altogether. Less is more, after all!
The mom of three showed up to LACMA Art + Film gala event in L.A. on Saturday night with her mom, Kris Jenner, in an ultra-chic Tom Ford for Gucci suit. Instead of wearing a shirt or bra underneath her oversized blazer, Kim opted for absolutely nothing underneath and kept her blazer unbuttoned, leaving some logistics best left to physicists and double-sided tape.
She topped the look off with simple makeup and waves in her long platinum hair. See the outfit for yourself below:
PHOTO: JB Lacroix
It’s not the first time she’s done this, either: just three weeks ago, Kardashian wore another black blazer with nothing underneath—though she kept it buttoned. In fact, she and her sisters, Khloé and Kourtney, all wore similar blazers, but they each styled differently.
Whether this is the last time Kim goes topless under blazers, we do not know. But when she gets obsessed with a trend, she runs with it—so stay tuned.
