Eleven white shirts

I mentioned to a friend that I had purchased a white shirt and she responded, "how many white shirts do you have anyway?" "Eleven, I said." Rather than trouble you with the rest of this conversation let me get right to the point.

I like white shirts. For some reason white shirts give me power. They raise my blood pressure. They make me look younger. And when they're snowy and crisp and well-fitted, they give me the courage to get out in the world and grab life by its horns.

I'm not being ironic. White shirts have an amazing effect upon me. And so rather than chance it on a day when my spirits are a little lower, I always opt for a white shirt knowing that it will neutralize the demons.

I've become an expert on white shirts. My favorite is from Facconable. It's a boxy cut, one pocket and the collar is just right...not too wide, not too narrow. Costume National makes an amazing shirt but only to be worn after a week of dieting...the cut is very narrow but it really makes a great point with the elongated sleeve and the wide cuff. Last year I bought two cotton shirts from a small label called Kristianne du Nord and the cool thing about them is they're supposed to be worn wrinkled. It's really nice to travel with them.

I also have a pair of black baby doll pumps that raise my spirits. Whenever I wear them I feel a little smarter and a bit more vixen and pixiesh. I put them away during the summer but come the fall I will work them with either matte black stockings from Wolford or the fishnet stockings that my Mother deems unacceptable but are in fact the sexiest and most classic thing to wear with a simple black pencil skirt and one of the shirts from my closet.

I did not realize that people associated me with white shirts until the day I heard someone refer to me as "the woman who wears white shirts." I felt a little sad that I had become so predictable but then I realized I had become memorable, identifiable and connected to something visual.

I don't think it is all that hard being a standout in a conformist society. Of course, it does require a little bit of courage, a dollop of confidence and a dash of ingenuity. Anyone care to join me?