Sure, Jeans Are Fine, But If You Want to Style a Button-Down Like a Fashion Person, Do This Instead

There are few pieces I rely on as heavily as a button-down shirt. Crisp, slightly oversize, and endlessly versatile, it's a wardrobe staple that never really goes out of style. But lately, I've noticed fashion people moving beyond the obvious button-down-and-jeans formula. From Copenhagen to Paris, London to New York, the best outfits I've spotted treat the classic shirt as less of a basic and more as the starting point for something much more interesting.

Of course, that doesn't mean denim is completely out of the equation. The difference is in the styling: a striped shirt worn loose over relaxed jeans with unexpected shoes, a crisp white button-down tucked into a pretty skirt, or a familiar silhouette made fresh simply by swapping pale blue for pink, butter yellow, or another standout shade. The formulas themselves aren't necessarily complicated, but that's exactly why they work.

Below, I've pulled together 10 of the chicest button-down-shirt outfits I've seen recently, with inspiration from some of the world's best dressed cities. If your default is usually a shirt, jeans, and whatever shoes happen to be by the door, consider these the fashion-person alternatives worth trying instead.