Last year I found that I was unconsciously gravitating towards the men’s department when I would go shopping.  I was inexplicably drawn to the colorful piles of men’s shirts and cashmere sweaters.  I craved navy and turquoise Izod polo shirts. A pale blue gingham cotton checked Paul Smith shirt with a Kelly green cashmere v-neck sweater really spoke to me.  Yes, I grew up a prepster but this was ridiculous.  After many of these bizarre men’s department purchases and some careful self- analysis I realized I was shopping for an ersatz boyfriend.  Yes you heard me.  I was dressing a boyfriend I didn’t have and then plotting to borrow his clothes that I loved.  I’m not crazy, just very imaginative and adaptive.  You know what I’m talking about — that fabulous worn in and faded Lacoste shirt that’s oversized and makes you feel so tiny as it so generously skims your body.  Or your man’s wondrously broken in cotton button down shirt that falls just right and has the exact amount of tousle. So, now I had self awareness, but the clothes had to be returned because they didn’t belong to a real man and I wasn’t going to wash them 100 times to break them in because, well, that would be crazy.  I just had to suck it up and wear my own girl tee shirt to the farmer’s market on Sunday– that was until I discovered Nation Ltd (www.nationltd.com) and the absolutely brilliant Madison Ex-Boyfriend Tee.

Jen Menchaca loved wearing her Dad’s old white v-neck tee shirts.  But they were stained and not in great shape. So, she decided to recreate an idealized version in vintage tee shirt material and Nation Ltd was born.  Her latest creation — the Madison Ex-Boyfriend Tee similarly takes the essence of what we love about a boyfriend’s tee yet gives it a refined, sexy, feminine twist that is ultimately more becoming than your boyfriend’s tee shirt.  The tee is roomy, longer and slightly oversized, but it’s not sloppy, slouchy, soccer time territory.  Instead the fabric is ultra lightweight slinky modal cotton so the tee is fluid and skims your body in the sexiest way.  Whether we’re talking haute couture or a tee shirt, it’s all about the drape and this shirt nails it.  The sides are cut slightly higher than the front and back, which I also think, in addition to the fabric, must make the shirt lay better against a woman’s body.  The texture is incredibly soft and has that well-worn feeling of your absolute favorite tee shirt that’s been washed hundreds of times.  The v-neck is cut wide and low to alluringly show off your décolletage.  If this were a real boyfriend’s shirt the v-neck would be much higher and narrower and not as flattering.  Of course the sleeve is perfection as well and falls exactly where it should on your upper arm – not too high, not too low.

Jen has somehow peered into the inner recess of my mind and answered my subconscious tee shirt desires.  Now I’m just wondering…could she be of any assistance with that boyfriend?  

Xx, Alison

http://nationltd.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=236

style retails for $90