If you follow my blog, you know how much I love denim.  I have written about it and my denim style has popped up in several past blogs.  Today I want to focus on Chambray verses denim.  While the two may look very similar, the difference is in the weave.  Chambray tends to be lighter, less heavy and less stiff, with a softer feel, thus making it great for summer styles.

The history of Chambray is vague and depending on what article you read, it varies.  According to one article, this fabric originated in the town of Cambria in France in the late 16th century.  It was woven for farmers’ wear, like work shirts, thus giving rise to the terminology, “blue collar worker”.  Over the past few decades, it has been quite popular in various styles mostly for casual wear.

I have paired Chambray up with one of my favorite looks, the cami  jumpsuit.  I found this recently, online, at Old Navy, which you know is one of my favorite stores to shop.  This was on sale, at the time for $17, a price which cannot be beat.

Pairing this up with sandals, light jewelry and a straw bag works great.  Adding a belt is optional, depending on what you prefer.   Open Chambray shirts can be worn with denim jeans or shorts while  worn over a sleeveless tee shirt for another casual look.  Hopefully you have some Chambray in your closet that you can pair up with some of your favorite styles to make a comfortable casual look for these hot summer days.