Collection :: Express Portofino Shirts

Today I want to share with you how I generally style Express’ Portofino shirts. They were my very favorite shirts in college, but sadly I have outgrown them. Before I donate them all, I want to share styling and outfits. Be advised that I’m not a serious fashion blogger -so don’t expect trendy lingo- I am just a lady who likes sharing my closet.

I identify as a closet maximalist; referring to actual closets (and specifically clothes). Another term is “clothes horse” but I never liked that particular label. All this means is that I have a lot of clothes, and I happen to think that Express’ Portofinos are perfect because of they are versatile. Dress them up, dress them down, then throw them in the washing machine. Easy.

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I mentioned earlier that I outgrew my collection. I mean this literally, not figuratively. I found these shirts when I was in college, and I bought many Portofinos. Since graduation I had a baby and no longer fit into them (funny how having a baby can change ribcage circumference). So that’s strike one against my collection – they just don’t fit.

Strike two is that I decided to start uniform dressing, and not all of my Portofinos conform to my declared style uniform. I agreed to only have white (or at least mostly white) shirts – that decision leaves me with Portofinos that are too small AND the wrong colors in my closet. I’ll hang on to the white ones for a bit, but not the non-white Portofinos.

☞ Related: How to start uniform dressing

So…they’re outta here! But my nostalgic heart can’t let them go without any fanfare. They were my favorites for many reasons, and I am sad to see them go. So this post exists to celebrate my beloved shirts. If you’re looking for versatile breezy long sleeve shirts – look no further. If you already have some and want to see how others wear them you are in the right place.

Each shirt generally runs about $50 each, but Express loves holiday shoppers AND they have outlet stores. With holidays or outlets you can often find Portofinos as low as $20 each – that’s when I try to buy.

Favorite feature – roll tabs. I prefer to wear long sleeves instead of sunscreen, but in the evening I want options! Roll tabs keep my rolled sleeves up and tidy.
Least favorite feature – v-neck. I used to prefer v-neck shirts, so I liked how easy they were to come by. Now I want to button up entirely, but Portofinos lack that option. I try to avoid buying trends, and I feel that today’s v-necks are slowly becoming the oversized polyester lapels of the 1970s. Let’s hope that I’m wrong.

These photos are posted in chronological order (oldest at the top and newest at the bottom). The oldest photos noted as being from the archives were taken before Baby Jupiter, and the others are post-baby.

If you’re following along with my outfits of the day posts, you’ll recognize the newer photos. Enjoy!