How To Style T-Shirt 5 Different Ways

T-shirts have come a long way since their origins as an undergarment for men. These days, tees are worn by men and women alike and can be styled for just about any occasion. Whether you have a doctor’s appointment, a work meeting, or a cute date, there are creative ways to appropriately style your favorite tees. 

Tees are one of those garments that have truly withstood the test of time. With over two centuries of evolving styles and fleeting fashion trends, t-shirts have remained a staple in everyone’s wardrobes. 

If you have a casual athleisure-inspired sense of style, a punk-rock fashion sense, or even a professional chic wardrobe, there are many ways to stylishly incorporate t-shirts into your outfit rotation. T-shirts are versatile and perfect for everyone. 

Read on to learn more about our favorite ways to style t-shirts and spruce up your wardrobe today! 

1. Graphic Tee With a Jacket

A reliable and versatile way to style a t-shirt is to layer it with a jacket and some skinny jeans. This is a style that can be accomplished in several different ways to match your individual sense of style. For a more personalized touch and playful flair to the style, we recommend rocking a graphic t-shirt. A plain black t-shirt will suffice if you don’t have a graphic tee in your closet, but this outfit idea is definitely enhanced by a crew neck t-shirt with a design emblazoned on the front.

You can don the jacket and t-shirt combo during any season of the year, but it is an especially chic fall and winter season wardrobe staple.

Take inspiration from popular streetwear trends and grab a cool vintage varsity jacket to pair with a graphic t-shirt. This combination is a cool homage to the skater fashion of the 90s, while still being very on-trend for today’s fashion standards. You will be comfy while looking casually cool. 

For a professional and casual spin on this style, we recommend wearing a graphic tee with an oversized black blazer and a reliable pair of blue jeans. This outfit will make you look cool and put together while keeping it relatively professional for a casual Friday at the office. 

Keep It Laidback

You can also keep it laidback when you decide to layer with a jean jacket. An oversized denim jacket will give you a hip, retro look, whereas a cropped black jean jacket will make you look modern and stylish. Whatever kind of denim jacket you choose to rock, it is guaranteed to look stellar paired with one of your favorite graphic t-shirts. 

Is your style more punk rock inspired? Or, are you trying to put an edgy spin on your wardrobe? Why not rock a leather jacket with your graphic t-shirts? Leather jackets are always in style and pair well with most garments, especially tees. You will look cool and chic when you combine a graphic t-shirt with a leather jacket. 

It is easy to look fashionable when you pair a graphic tee with any style of jacket. Regardless of your sense of style, there are numerous ways to combine the t-shirt with a jacket to still look fresh and stylish. 

2. Oversized T-Shirts

One of the most prolific fashion trends of the past few years is the shift to oversized shirts. Big blouses, big jackets, and especially big, soft cotton t-shirts are in style. You can and should hop on this bandwagon by grabbing some oversized tees to add to your wardrobe and pair with some baggy straight-leg jeans for a grunge look.

If you feel ambitious you can commit entirely to the baggy style by rocking some loose-fitting wide-leg skater jeans along with an oversized t-shirt. This clothing combination will make you look fresh out of a 90s grunge music video in the best way possible. 

This is also a great style to pair with leggings or yoga pants. You will look trendy and athletic, without even having to actually be sporty in nature. You will also feel exceptionally comfortable, so this might be the oversized style you opt for on a day when you need to run errands or get some chores done around the house while still feeling put together. 

For a bold, cutesy look, try pairing an oversized tee with a mini skirt. The two drastically different garments will balance each other out to create a cohesive, fashion-forward look. Pair them with some tights and combat boots to look edgy and cute. Or, take the casual route and rock a pair of your favorite sustainable sneakers.

Oversized t-shirts can be any style. Whether you rock a patterned shirt, a graphic tee, or even a solid basic, the oversized look always looks great. Dress them up, or wear them casually, oversized tees are trendy and cute no matter how you style them. 

3. Crop Tops

Though your mom might still refer to them as “belly shirts,” crop tops are a t-shirt style that will never get old. You can look like your favorite pop culture icons when you start rocking a stylish cropped t-shirt. 

Pay homage to the early 2000s in style when you combine a crop top with a pair of low-rise jeans. Low-rise anything can be intimidating, but it is a cut of jeans that flatters every body type and creates fun opportunities to show off your midriff. 

You can also take the opposite route by wearing a baggy pair of denim pants with a crop top. The little-shirt-big-pants combination is an iconic style that does not get old. You might also want to opt for a baggy pair of cargo pants instead. Whichever baggy pant style you choose will look great paired alongside a cute crop top tee. 

Crop tops also create great opportunities for layering. For example, create a conservative but cool outfit when you layer a crop top on top of a long blouse. Or, you can put a lace tank top on top of the t-shirt. 

Another great crop top style is to pair it with a pair of overalls. Though the overalls will cover most of your body, the crop top will still leave the sides of your torso exposed for a playful and stylish look. 

Cropped t-shirts are fashion-forward classics that you should absolutely incorporate into your style. 

4. Tee With a Button-Down

These days, the best outfits are all about layering. Another styling tip to follow is to pair one of your favorite tees with a long-sleeve or short-sleeve button-down shirt. Tees and button-downs go hand-in-hand, so you will not want to pass up this style. 

Button-downs can refer to a plethora of different styles. Whether you are a collector of basic white button-downs or prefer to rock a flannel, you can tailor this suggestion to your own fashion sense.

This is a look that is especially perfect for those chilly autumn days, when the mornings begin cool, only to warm up by afternoon and then ultimately decrescendo back into the cold. It can be hard to dress stylishly and weather-appropriate when the temperature fluctuates so much, but when you pair a cute t-shirt with a button-down, you will be perfectly dressed for the awkward transitional season. 

You can even incorporate a cropped t-shirt into this style. Rock a basic white crop top t-shirt with a flannel button down shirt. You will look like the quintessential fall fashion inspo that you can find on any autumn-themed Pinterest board. 

Try to make a casually chic outfit by rocking a white button down shirt with a cool graphic tee. The two different styles combined together pull together a unique look that will make you look fashion-forward. 

Button-downs are the perfect layering garment, and when you pair them with beloved t-shirts they create cohesive and stylish outfits that will make you stand out. 

5. Plain White T-Shirts

Take a note out of the late icon James Dean’s book and start rocking plain white t-shirts as he does in Rebel Without A Cause. White tees are seemingly sold everywhere, yet it is a simple style that we tend to overlook. 

It is a timeless, classic garment that will forever stay in style, so why not start incorporating one into your outfit roundup? 

You can really create the classic, all-American style with a pair of denim pants and a tucked-in white t-shirt. It is a simple look, but it flatters everybody regardless of size, gender, or style. You can also personalize this style by incorporating a cool belt to accessorize. 

Plain white t-shirts match literally anything. Pair one with bright colors, unique patterns, or even punk-inspired leather pants. 

You can even incorporate plain white tees into your professional wardrobe. Keep it cool and casual with a white tee underneath a blazer with some slacks. Or, rock a fitted white t-shirt, and tuck it into a work-appropriate skirt, or underneath a cardigan sweater. 

However you choose to style your plain white t-shirt, you will look and feel stylish and timeless. 

Chic T-Shirt Styles

There is a lot of vaiety in t-shirts, which means there are also countless ways to style them. Whether you keep up with the trends and rock oversized tees or keep it classic with a plain white t-shirt, you will look fashionable when you follow any of our t-shirt style suggestions. 

Sources:

Everything to know about the history of the T-shirt | Vogue Australia

90s Streetwear Making a Comeback | VALLEY Magazine

Fashion Archives: A Look at the History of the Crop Top | Start Up Fashion

Style in Film: James Dean in “Rebel without a Cause” | Classiq