The quickest spring wardrobe update...

Just beware, in reading this post you might need to make friends with your ironing board!

They were everywhere last year and it's the same this season too. White shirts. Blue shirts. Blue and white shirts, with frills if you like and maybe a stripe too. I could buy them endlessly and wear them endlessly, to the point that I wouldn't need much else in my wardrobe. They are just so fresh and fun and well, spring like.

I'm not great with t-shirts, they just seem to drown me and look scruffy and some hippy style tops do the same. But a shirt or a blouse? Well it offers just the right level of "smartness" and "put togetherness" without me feeling too overdressed. Plus I can layer them up or down depending on the weather which is good because I don't want to spend a huge amount on tops that I can only wear on the four sunny days of the year.

But I don't want a corporate look - hence there needs to be a bit of fun, frill or frou-frou to get the balance right. There are so many in all of the usual Zara, Warehouse, Topshop and H&M type haunts but here are just a few.

I bought this NEXT blue ruffle shirt (£28) on a whim whilst out shopping for an event. I had my arms full of suiting at the time but it caught my eye and I managed to hang it off my little finger. I'm so pleased that I bought it. So far I've worn it with navy culottes for a promo shoot at QVC, under dungarees and with jeans. It currently needs ironing :(

I spotted this Karen Millen super frill shirt (£115) a few weeks ago and immediately put it on Instagram. I love the fact that it's so fitted. Jeans and a frilly shirt make a perfect outfit combo for me. A frilly shirt just takes the jeans up a notch and gives me that feminine feel that I like, whilst still being practical and comfortable.

I saw this white shirt in Whistles today. It's the Margo Broderie tasselled blouse (£87.50 in the sale) and was the only piece that I went back and looked at again. I can just see it working with so many things (OK jeans or denim cut offs) in the summer. But what else do you need, apart from some cool trainers or espies?

The one slightly different option that intrigues me is the cross over shirt Zara (£25.99). I've seen a few and am tempted to give one a go. I also like that this has a V-neck so it's more flattering for those who are ample of bosom. In addition, because the stripes aren't horizontal, they are also more flattering. Imagine the potential for dishwasher hazards if it not only had this long dangly crossover bit, but huge sleevage too. A recipe for dishwasher disaster methinks!

And then, just in case it does reach more than 17 degrees sometime between  now and next winter, there's the asymmetric striped shirt from Zara (£29.99) which I love. OK so some clever wit is going to ask you if you've lost a sleeve en route (probably your husband) but that's no reason not to indulge your inner glam mam!

And I've included this image because I like not only the bemused look but also the fact that it made it onto the Zara website. I think that if only she swapped her shirt for a blue or white one of the striped, frilly, off the shoulder, cross-over variety, life would suddenly all make a whole lot more sense.