“I didn’t expect a blouse to change the way I feel about clothes”
It started with a photo. I was flipping through an old family album when I came across an image of my mom—maybe mid-twenties, standing on a cobblestone street somewhere in Europe, sunlight catching the edge of her white blouse. No filters, no overdone styling. Just timeless grace.
And for some reason, that photo stuck with me.
I hadn’t thought much about my wardrobe lately. It had become… functional. Worktops, jeans, the occasional black dress. But something in that photo whispered: clothes can be more than just clothes.
So I started looking—for something that felt like that photo. Feminine but not girly. Structured but soft. Elegant without being effortful.
Where do you even find blouses like that anymore?
I typed in women’s blouses and vintage-style shirts for women and scrolled endlessly. Most things felt… synthetic. Either too corporate or trying too hard to be trendy. Ruffles in all the wrong places. Or cheap-looking fabric that wouldn’t survive one wash.
Then I landed on Rihoas.
It was a Pinterest pin, I think, or maybe an Instagram ad. The clothes looked romantic, but wearable. Like something Jeanne Damas would wear to a dinner party. I hesitated, clicked, scrolled. And eventually ordered one blouse—just to try.
The blouse arrived. And, well… I wore it three times in one week.
It was ivory, slightly sheer (but not scandalous), with puffed sleeves and delicate pleating along the collar. The buttons looked like they belonged to a different decade.
I paired it with high-rise jeans the first day. Then with a midi skirt the next. On Sunday, I threw it on with linen trousers and a messy bun. Somehow, every time, it just worked.
I didn’t need to overthink accessories. Didn’t need a statement necklace. The blouse was the statement.
And I realized—I missed feeling like that. Like I’d put on something that told a bit of a story.
Browse Rihoas blouses for women
Since then, I’ve bought… three more?
It’s become a kind of ritual. When I want to feel a little lifted—whether I’ve got meetings back to back, or I’m just tired of T-shirts—I reach for one of my Rihoas tops.
They’ve got that “vintage, but you can wear it to lunch” thing down to an art. And unlike most brands that claim vintage vibes, these actually fit. The proportions feel right. The fabrics aren’t shiny plastic.
Also: they run seasonal offers, so I’ve scored a few during their ladies shirts sale.
(Which, let’s be honest, is how most of my wardrobe gets updated.)
Clothes don’t need to shout. But they can still speak.
I don’t think I’ll ever go back to stuffing my closet with whatever’s trending. Lately, I just want pieces that feel like they belong to me—my rhythm, my season of life.
And somehow, a really well-made blouse does that.
It doesn’t perform. It just fits. Quietly, beautifully.