Layering is where a wardrobe either holds together or falls apart, and a good cotton blouse is what makes it hold. Not a silk that slides out of place or a synthetic that traps heat the moment you add a jacket over it. Cotton breathes, sits properly, and keeps its shape through a full day of wearing and removing and wearing again. That matters more than people admit. We have been pulling together blouses that work specifically as layering pieces, which means they need to be the right weight, not too bulky under a blazer, not so thin they look like an afterthought. They need interesting enough detail to stand alone when the outer layer comes off. A good collar. A considered cut. Something that rewards a second look. The ones in this edit do all of that. Some are relaxed and slightly oversized, brilliant under knitwear or belted over wide trousers. Some are more structured, shaped to sit cleanly beneath a tailored jacket without adding bulk. All of them are made from cotton worth caring about. The blouse is doing real work here.