After thinking about it on and off for more than a year and a half, I finally bought Vetta Capsule’s Boyfriend Shirt this past fall. So, of course, now I’m going to write a review about it.

This shirt first caught my attention for its effortless look. I liked how the sleeves fell below the elbow. It seemed at once casual and elegant. And like many of Vetta’s items, this shirt can be worn a couple different ways: with the buttons in front or the back. Vetta is known for the convertible nature of its garments, its capsule collections, and ethical production. The Boyfriend Shirt is part of Vetta’s Casual Capsule, which was re-released today in new colors.

Fabric & Details

The fabric is Tencel, a cellulose fiber. It’s thick-ish (a surprise to me) with a decent weight to it, which gives it a nice drape. The shirt originally came in two colors: black and white stripe and washed navy. I went for the washed navy, which is more muted in person than on the website. (I encountered this same color discrepancy in my review of Vetta’s Two-Piece Midi Dress). Up close, the blue fabric has a slightly faded look to it. With the new release, Vetta isn’t offering the blue anymore, but they added olive and french navy (a darker blue than this one). One nice detail is the inclusion of bra strap holders.

Sizing & Fit

I’m a dress size 4 and a size XS or S in most brands. Since this shirt looked oversized, I went with XS. The strange thing, though, is that even though it’s oversized, it doesn’t exactly feel that way. When I first put it on, it felt weirdly constricting. You see, where the arm pit falls on this shirt is much lower than on your typical shirt (or where your arm pit would actually be). This design probably allows one to wear it either way.

For a moment, I thought I had made a mistake.

So even though the measurement from pit to pit in an XS is 21.5″, it doesn’t feel as free flowing as I’d expected. I guess this is the tradeoff that happens with a convertible shirt. If you’re busty, this shirt probably isn’t going to work well for you because of the cut.

For a moment, I thought I had made a mistake. But after wearing it for a while, I got used to it.

Ways to Wear

After my initial hesitation, I’ve grown to like the Boyfriend Shirt. It has turned out to be a versatile addition to my wardrobe. The slate blue color works well in my closet, which is abundant in blacks and blues.

Untucked, it’s kind of long on my petite frame — I’m 5′ 4″ — and cuts me in half. So, I prefer tucking it in or leaving the bottom buttons unbuttoned and tying it.

Out of the two necklines, I prefer the V on the front, which seems to sit more comfortably than the rounded side. I’m generally not into showing cleavage, and the V is is almost too deep for me — key word being almost.

I love the sleeves, which add a bit of drama to the look. Though I think of it as a casual shirt, I can dress it up in a satiny pencil skirt.

You can also wear it open like a cardigan.

After trying it out for several months, I love it now. I’m even contemplating getting it in one of the new colors.

The Vetta Boyfriend Shirt retails for $89 new on Vetta’s site. I found mine secondhand through a fellow Instagrammer, Ariel. She found it too big for her, preferring the smaller proportions of the Vetta Girlfriend Shirt instead. I’m happy that it found a new home with me.

UPDATE 5/12/21 – I went for it and ordered this Vetta shirt in the new French Navy color. I also got the Girlfriend Shirt and the Every Day Pant and am loving all these pieces so far.

UPDATE 1/20/22 – I wrote a post comparing the Boyfriend Shirt with the Girlfriend shirt.