11 Comfortable Chambray Shirts That Look Like Denim Without the Stiff, Boxy Feel — From $14
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There’s something undeniably classic about a denim button-down — but not when it feels stiff, bulky or boxy. If you’ve ever peeled off a rigid jean shirt after a few hours, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why chambray has become a wardrobe staple: it delivers the same timeless look with a softer, lighter feel that’s actually comfortable to wear.
Think of chambray as denim’s easygoing cousin. It layers effortlessly over tanks in the summer, under sweaters in the fall and even doubles as a lightweight jacket when the office AC is working overtime. Whether you style one with white jeans, linen pants or a breezy midi skirt, these versatile shirts make getting dressed feel refreshingly simple. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 11 comfortable chambray shirts that give you the denim look without the stiffness.
11 Comfortable Chambray Shirts to Replace Stiff Denim Tops
1. Our Favorite: Tired of denim tops that feel like cardboard by hour three? The soft chambray on this ruffled puff-sleeve top solves that, and the ruffled neckline does the styling for you.
2. Runner-Up: Stiff denim tops pull and pinch in all the wrong places. This soft chambray blouse keeps the western look but drapes like a favorite cotton tee, so you actually want to wear it.
3. Summer Style: Heavy denim shirts ruin a summer outfit faster than humidity. This soft jean alternative has a light, airy feel, so you can layer it over a tank in July without sweating through it.
4. Budget Pick: You don’t have to spend a fortune for the timeless denim-shirt look. This relaxed button-down delivers classic Western-inspired styling with a lightweight chambray feel, making it easy to wear tied over a tank, tucked into white jeans or layered with leggings for an effortlessly put-together outfit — all for just $14.
5. Editor’s Pick: This breezy button-down is what we’d call boho boutique perfection. With its sun-inspired embroidery, relaxed fit and lightweight feel, it looks like something you’d stumble upon in a chic beach-town boutique. Still, it’s versatile enough to wear open over a tank, tied at the waist or with linen pants all summer long.
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7. Year-Round Staple: Need something to throw over a tank when the AC kicks in too hard? This western chambray shacket handles summer evenings and over-conditioned restaurants without committing to a real jacket.
8. Total Classic: Plain denim shirts can read a little tomboy. The ruffles on this frilly jean shirt keep the look easygoing while adding the softness that stiff denim never manages.
9. Center of Attention: If you’ve sworn off rigid jean styles that never soften no matter how many washes, this embroidered oversized shirt is the antidote. It’s drapey from day one, with embroidery doing the heavy lifting in terms of style.
10. Designer-Looking: If you’re after that effortless coastal-grandmother or Hamptons aesthetic, this linen button-down is an easy win. Crafted from breathable European flax linen in a soft chambray hue, this pick has the relaxed, borrowed-from-the-boys fit that looks just as chic with white denim as it does layered over a swimsuit or tucked into tailored shorts.
11. Everyday Essential: Every wardrobe needs an effortless denim shirt, and this oversized Madewell version checks every box. The relaxed silhouette, patch pocket and workwear-inspired details make it easy to style tucked into white jeans, layered over dresses or thrown on with shorts for an instantly polished look.
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Body Cam Footage Shows Former NFL Insider Dianna Russini Repeatedly Name-Dropping During Traffic Stop
Body Cam Footage Shows Former NFL Insider Dianna Russini Repeatedly Name-Dropping During Traffic Stop
Former ESPN reporter Dianna Russini did not hesitate to use her connections to try to get out of a tough situation with a police officer.
But it didn’t go down quite the way she originally described.
A recent article about Russini in the New York Times highlights an incident that occurred in January, when the former NFL insider was pulled over for texting and driving. Her former employer, The Athletic, is currently investigating Russini’s past to determine whether her reporting was influenced by her romantic relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
In a February podcast appearance, Russini admitted to doing “a nasty play” by Facetiming with the head coach of the police officer’s favorite football team to get her out of the ticket.
A ploy which, according to her, worked.
“So, he names the team [that he is a fan of] and I go, ‘Oh, I love that team. Do you want to talk to the coach? You should talk to the coach,’” Russini said.
However, recently released body-cam footage from the officer who pulled her over shows that she definitely used her status as an NFL reporter to try to get out of the ticket. But, at no point did she Facetime with a coach.
“So — you’re not gonna care — I’m an NFL reporter, and I just wrote that Sean McDermott got fired from the Bills,” Russini told the officer, “and that is what I was just sending. I sent a tweet, and I was gonna pull over because I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I’m just letting you know my reason why. It was a work thing, and it was an emergency for what I do.”
The officer pointed out that Russini had been on her phone for quite a while. Russini told the officer that she had been on the phone with then-New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. When the officer revealed that he was a Minnesota Vikings fan, she quickly showed him her phone to reveal that she had recently texted with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“Oh my God, KOC!” the officer replied.
Russini and the officer talked about the Vikings briefly before he let her off with a warning and a request: “Keep me updated with the Vikings.”
Melania Trump Praises SCOTUS Transgender Sports Decision
Melania Trump Praises SCOTUS Transgender Sports Decision While Signaling Support for ‘LGBTQIA+ Community’
First lady Melania Trump praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that Title IX allows schools to maintain separate female and male sports teams based on biological sex instead of transgender identities, while noting that she supports the “LGBTQIA+ community.”
The president’s wife took to social media to share an excerpt from her self-titled memoir, Melania, a few hours after the ruling was made:
“As many of you may know, I fully support the LGBTQIA+ community. But we must also ensure that our female athletes are protected and respected,” Melania’s New York Times best-selling book states on page 156.
Her X post went on to state that the U.S. Supreme Court “has now legally confirmed this opinion: ‘Under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, may schools maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females? … The answer is yes.'”
Melania went on to argue that the rights of women and individuals who identify as transgender can be respected moving forward.
“America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes. Respect everyone and keep girls’ sports fair,” the first lady concluded. “Both ideals are essential.”
President Donald Trump also reacted positively with a short message posted to Truth Social:
BIG WIN: The United States Supreme Court just RULED AGAINST MEN PLAYING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS. Wow! That takes that ridiculous situation off the table!!!
The justices ruled 9-0 that West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act does not violate Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in public schools, and 6-3 that it does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Tuesday’s decision overturned a 2024 ruling from the Fourth Circuit of Appeals that found that the West Virginia law violated the rights of transgender students, West Virginia Watch reported.
Breitbart News’s Neil Munro noted that further legal debate is sure to be had over the issue, as the justices did not say that local jurisdictions must bar transgender players from participation.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
Zimbabwe Investigates Recruiting Pipeline to Russian Army
Zimbabwe Investigates Recruiting Pipeline to Russian Army
Investigators in Zimbabwe have arrested a man who allegedly worked with a Russian accomplice to unlawfully recruit young Zimbabwean nationals “to join the Russian army where they will be forced to fight in the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukrainian Forces.”
The suspect, Edward Kachingwe, is a 36-year-old resident of Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare. He was taken into custody on Monday on two counts of “trafficking in persons and operating an employment agency without registration.”
Prosecutors said Kachingwe “connived” with a Russian national known as “Roman” to recruit at least five victims for service in the Russian military. Kachingwe was arrested at a bus terminal in Harare while trying to get one of his recruits aboard a bus to South Africa, where he would catch a plane to Russia.
Police said they recovered electronic airline tickets, Russian visas, and hotel reservations for all five victims from Kachingwe after he was taken into custody.
A similar case from this month saw a Russian national named Leonid Koftev charged with human trafficking for trying to get a Zimbabwean man to Russia.
The Zimbabwean government says at least 18 of its nationals have been killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, and at least 63 of them are still involved in the conflict.
Zimbabwean Information Minister Zhemu Soda issued a public warning in March about Russian recruiting networks tricking young men into military service.
“Our citizens are being preyed upon by unscrupulous individuals and networks who operate with complete disregard of human life. Traffickers use sophisticated methods, often leveraging social media platforms as their primary hunting ground,” he said.
Soda said the schemes follow a pattern of promising good pay for safe, civilian jobs in Russia, only to force the victims into “active combat” by confiscating their passports after they arrive:
They receive little to no training and are placed in life-threatening situations. When they are injured, killed or captured, the recruiters vanish, leaving families in Zimbabwe with no information, no support and no one to hold accountable. In many cases, the promised remuneration is never paid.
Other Russian recruiting schemes have been uncovered in Kenya, South Africa, India, and most recently Peru. Ukrainian officials say at least 1,700 Africans have been conscripted into service with the Russian army.
