Katie Holmes's Stylist Just Showed Me 5 Ways to Style a Button-Down

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After falling into an outfit rut at home a few months ago, I dialed up celebrity stylist Allison Bornstein for a FaceTime makeover where she walked me through ways to restyle my wardrobe basics. I walked away with a fresh new take on easy outfit formulas and cool ways to wear the T-shirts, leggings, and jeans already sitting in my closet.

Fast forward to summer and I felt ready for a new dose of inspiration. Looking to her Instagram (@allisonbornstein6), where she has master classes in ways to style wardrobe essentials, I was interested in getting her opinion on how to wear a button-down shirt this season. So we hopped on another FaceTime consultation, where she gave me face-to-face advice on which pieces to wear and exactly how to style them. And yes, you can schedule a styling session for yourself by signing up here.

After our call, I DMed her some questions to fine-tune exactly how she’d tweak each of the looks. Would she leave the buttons undone? Would she tie the button-down at the waist? Would she tuck in a T-shirt underneath? Here, see the outfits we put together on our call and the five chic ways I’ll be wearing a button-down for the season ahead.

JEANS + HEELS

Jeans are one of the core pieces in my wardrobe that I wear on repeat, and a button-down top is a natural piece to pair with them. To elevate this look, we added my go-to gold chain necklace and puffy heels. Then, Bornstein recommended a chic French tuck and leaving the top buttons undone.

H&M Cotton Shirt ($25)

Levi’s 501 Skinny Jeans ($98)

Gia x Pernille Teisbaek Padded Leather Sandals ($365)

Monica Vinader Alta Capture Necklace ($795)

A SLIP DRESS + HEELS

While I wear slip dresses all the time, it hadn’t occurred to me to wear a button-down with one. Bornstein explained that the top is a second layer that almost acts like a jacket during the summer months when you need a light layer. To add some shape, she suggested tying it at the waist.

Réalisation The Capulet ($220)

Grayson The Hero Washed Cotton Shirt ($128)

Staud Frankie Ruched Slides ($325)

LEGGINGS + SPORTS BRA + HEELS

I’m not going to lie: I’ve practically been living in leggings recently, but there are still ways to make them feel a bit more polished than my regular workout look. Here, we added a pair of low heels and left the button-down open to highlight the waist.

Nike Swoosh Sports Bra ($38)

Good American The Icon Legging ($89)

Citizens of Humanity Kayla Shirt ($248)

Porte & Paire Croc-Effect Leather Mules ($260)

LEATHER PANTS + TEE + BLAZER + HEELS

Though summer just started, I already have fall/autumn on my mind, so I jumped at the chance to ask Bornstein how to style an outfit for the season ahead. For a transitional look, we landed on leather pants and a linen blazer with a T-shirt and button-down underneath. I love the look of all of these layers and shades of white stacked on top of one another.

Mango Linen 100{a38ddb2ded6b05e28c8ae73a8db0e271c21f7193684bd9e4e28acae292f81d99} Shirt ($40)

Mango Organic Cotton Essential T-Shirt ($20)

& Other Stories High Waisted Leather Trousers ($379)

H&M Linen-Blend Blazer ($50)

Balenciaga Knife Logo-Embellished Leather Mules ($695)

SHORT DENIM JACKET + BELT + FLATS

For our last look, we landed on a summer classic: denim shorts. Adding a denim jacket, waist-defining belt, and my favorite minimal strappy heels, this outfit is an elevated take on summer denim.