How To Style Graphic Tees

Graphic tees are so supremely versatile the question shouldn’t be how to style graphic tees, it should be how not to wear them. (Don’t worry, I’ll touch on both!) The real issue people struggle with when styling graphic tees is they often use the wrong tee for certain pairings. Below, I go through all my favorite graphic tee outfits with tips on how to pull off each look and which style of graphic tee goes with what bottom.

If you’re looking to add more graphic tees to your wardrobe, check out my post on the Best Graphic Tees For Women. 

How To Style Graphic Tees: Biker Shorts

Let’s start with the no-nos! Pairing a fitted graphic tee with biker shorts isn’t particularly stylish or flattering. With that said, let’s go over how to style a graphic tee with biker shorts in a way that is stylish and flattering…

Graphic Tee Style: 

A baggier or boxy graphic tee looks best. The tee can be long, short, or cropped.

Styling Options:

There are four main ways you can style a graphic tee with biker shorts.

1. If the graphic tee hits around your upper hip, tuck just the front of it in. For reference, that’s how I’m wearing it in the photo above.
2. If your tee is long enough, you can tie it at your waist.
3. Leave it completely untucked.
4. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Outerwear Options:

1. A puffer jacket
2. An anorak
3. A mid-length denim jacket

Shoe Options:

1. Low-top or high-top sneakers
2. Casual sandals, like flip-flops or Birkenstocks

Accessory Tips:

1. Simple, casual jewelry
2. Skip jewelry altogether

How To Style Graphic Tees: Wide-Leg Pants/Jeans

Let’s start with the no-nos! I know baggy tees are all the rage, but they will need to sit this one out — unless you have a baggy tee that is cropped high enough to show your midriff. That could work. But let’s move on to my full answer on how to style a graphic tee with wide-leg pants…

Graphic Tee Style: 

1. Standard fit
2. Fitted fit

Styling Options:

1. If your tee is long enough, tie it at your waist.
2. Tuck it all the way in, all the way around. Then blouse it out slightly. (Don’t do the half-tuck look.)
3. Pull your tee back, and use a hair tie to keep it secure.
4. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Outerwear Options:

1. Any jacket that hits about 1-3 inches lower than the waistband of your pants.
2. A knee-length coat can also work come cold weather.
3. A mid-length fitted blazer with the sleeves pushed up.

Shoe Options:

1. Low top sneakers
2. Sandals
3. Chunk heels
4. Ankle boots

Accessory Tips:

1. Wear whatever jewelry you like.
2. You can add a belt if you like, but it is not needed.
3. Do not add a belt if you are tying your graphic tee at your waist.

How To Style Graphic Tees With A Blazer

Let’s start with what not to do: Skip baggy tees for this graphic tee outfit, since they will bunch up and never lay flat. Now that you know what not to do, here’s how to style a graphic tee with a blazer…

Graphic Tee Style: 

You can use a shrunken tee or a somewhat fitted graphic tee.

Styling Tip:

1. Tuck your tee all the way in and all around. Then blouse it out slightly.
2. Tuck in just the front of your graphic tee.
3. Pull your tee back, and use a hair tie to keep it secure. Just make sure it is not too bulky, or it will ruin the sleekness of the back of the blazer.

Shoe Options:

Depends on what bottoms you are wearing. When in doubt, go with an open-toe chunk heel sandal.

Accessory Tips:

1. Wear whatever jewelry you like.
2. You can add a belt if you like, but it is not needed.

How To Style Graphic Tees: Plaid Blazer

Graphic tees pair amazing with plaid! But let’s get more specific…

Graphic Tee Style: 

1. A shrunken graphic tee in a similar or complementary color as the plaid in the blazer.
2. A somewhat fitted graphic tee in a similar or complementary color as the plaid in the blazer.

Styling Tip:

1. Tuck your tee all the way in and all around. Then blouse it out slightly.
2. Tuck in just the front of your graphic tee.
3. Pushed-up blazer sleeves are always chic and slimming, but not needed if your graphic tee is tucked in for a fitted look.

Shoe Options:

This depends on what bottoms you are wearing: shorts, a skirt, wide-leg pants, skinny jeans, or biker shorts. See other outfits in this post to see what shoes go best with what bottom.

Accessory Tip:

1. Wear whatever jewelry you like

How To Style Graphic Tees: Trousers

Let’s start with what not to do: baggy tees will need to sit this one out. Here’s how to style a graphic tee with trousers…

Graphic Tee Style: 

A shrunken tee really is the best option for styling a graphic tee with true trousers, which tend to have a wider or baggier fit.

Styling Tip:

1. Tuck your shrunken tee all the way in and all around. Then blouse it out slightly. Don’t do the half-tuck look with trousers.
2. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Outerwear Options:

1. Any jacket that hits about 1-3 inches lower than the waistband of your trousers.
2. A knee-length or full-length coat can also work come cold weather.
3. A matching mid-length fitted blazer with the sleeves pushed up.

Shoe Options:

1. Open-toe heels
2. Pumps

Accessory Tips:

1. Wear whatever jewelry you like.
2. You can add a belt if you like, but it is not needed.

How To Style Graphic Tees: Use As a Coverup

A graphic t-shirt over a swimsuit is on-trend and easy. Those big-ass baggy tees of “now” will finally make sense. Here’s how to style a graphic tee as a cover-up…

Graphic Tee Style: 

It’s all about that length! Dive into all the short-sleeve, long, and baggy tees you’re seeing at all the “cool” stores right now.

Styling Tip:

1. Put it on and go! No styling needed.
2. Roll the sleeves up for a more slimming look.

Outerwear:

This is your outerwear!

Shoe Options:

1. Flip-flops
2. Casual sandals

Accessory Tips:

1. Wear whatever jewelry you like.
2. Adding a hat really completes the look.

How To Style Graphic Tees With A Leather Skirt

I just adore a graphic tee tucked into a leather skirt, whether it is a short leather skirt or a longer leather skirt, like Louise Roe is wearing above. In terms of what not to do, you don’t want to wear a gigantic tee with a lot of length that will fill up the skirt if you tuck it, or cascade out the back end if you do a half tuck. Instead, here’s how to create a graphic tee outfit with a leather skirt…

Graphic Tee Style: 

You can use a shrunken tee or a standard tee. Your graphic tee can be either fitted or loose, but you don’t want it too long.

Styling Options:

1. Tuck the graphic tee all the way in.
2. Tuck in just the front of the graphic tee.
3. Pull your tee back, and use a hair tie to keep it secure.
4. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Accessory Tip:

1. You can wear a belt if the skirt has belt loops, but not needed.
2. Wear any jewelry you like.

Outerwear:

1. Casual blazer
2. Matching leather jacket
3. Cool sweatshirt that ends slightly longer than where your tee is tucked in.

Shoes:

1. Bulky or sleek boots for short skirts
2. Fitted boots for longer skirts
3. Edgy sneakers
4. Chunky heels

How To Style Graphic Tees: Denim on Denim

If you are doing a denim-on denim look, a graphic tee is basically essential! Pretty much all denim will work for this graphic tee outfit, from skinny to wide-leg jeans and denim shorts. Here’s what else to keep in mind when creating a graphic tee outfit with denim…

Graphic Tee Style: 

Just about all styles of graphic tees can work here, from shrunken tees to baggier options.

Styling Options:

1. Tuck your graphic tee all the way in.
2. Tuck in just the front of your graphic tee.
3. If your tee is long enough, tie it at your waist.
4. Pull your tee back, and use a hair tie to keep it secure.
5. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Outerwear:

You need a denim jacket that matches your bottom denim’s texture and shade. Also, make sure the denim jacket is longer than your graphic tee.

Accessory Tip:

1. Do not add a belt if you are tying your graphic tee at your waist.

Shoes:

1. Sneakers
2. Booties
3. Sandals

Extra Tip: Heels only work with a denim-on-denim look when paired with cropped wide raw hem jeans or a pair of really fabulously unflattering jeans.

How To Style Graphic Tees: Denim Midi Skirt

Let’s start with the no-no! Baggy or super-long graphic tees will need to sit this one out. Here’s what to do instead…

Graphic Tee Style: 

You can use a shrunken tee or a somewhat fitted graphic tee.

Styling Tip:

1. Tuck your tee all the way in and all around. Then blouse it out slightly. Don’t do the half-tuck look.
2. If your tee is long enough, tie it at your waist.
3. Pull your tee back, and use a hair tie to keep it secure.
4. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Outerwear Options:

1. Any somewhat fitted jacket that hits about 1-3 inches lower than the waistband of your skirt.
2. A cropped boxy jacket. Just make sure the hem hits right at the waistband of the skirt.
3. A cool sweatshirt that ends slightly longer than the tee hem, or where the tee is tucked in.

Shoe Options:

1. Casual open-toe chunk heels
2. Flat sandals
3. Fitted booties

Accessory Tips:

1. Wear whatever jewelry you like.
2. You can add a belt if the skirt has belt loops, but it is not needed.
3. Do not add a belt if you are tying your graphic tee at your waist.

How To Style Graphic Tees With A Printed Skirt

A graphic tee with a printed skirt is the freshest way to mix prints right now! Here’s how to create a graphic tee and printed skirt outfit.

Graphic Tee Style: 

A shrunken or standard tee is best and it must have the right colors to complement the print of your skirt.

Styling Options:

1. Tuck the graphic tee all the way in.
2. Tuck in just the front of the graphic tee if the tee is short enough.
3. Pull your tee back, and use a hair tie to keep it secure.
4. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.

Accessory Tip:

1. You can wear a belt if the printed skirt has belt loops, otherwise, skip it.
2. Wear any jewelry you like.

Outerwear:

1. Blazer
2. Leather jacket
3. Denim jacket

Shoes:

1. Bulky or sleek boots for short skirts.
2. Fitted boots for longer skirts.
3. Edgy sneakers.
4. Chunky heels.

How To Style Graphic Tees With Joggers

Joggers and a graphic tee are a classic casual look and also make for a great travel-day outfit. Here’s how to style a graphic tee with joggers…

Graphic Tee Style: 

I love a somewhat cropped graphic tee with casual joggers, since you can just pop it on and go. But if your graphic tee is standard length, like mine is above, here are some styling tips…

Styling Options:

1. Tuck in just the front of the graphic tee.
2. Use one elastic tie in the back and then tuck up the bulk.
3. If you have a longer tee, but still want the tucked-in look, you can tuck the hem of your tee into your bra or use elastic ties.
4. Tie the hem at your waist, but only if your joggers do not have a drawstring.

Accessory Tip:

1. Skip a belt.
2. Wear minimalist jewelry.

Outerwear:

1. Puffer jacket
2. Anorak
3. Denim jacket
4. Mid-length zip-up sweatshirt or hoodie. Just make sure your sweatshirt or hoodie is a few inches longer than where your tee hem — or tuck — ends.

Shoes:

1. Low-top sneakers.
2. Casual sandals

How To Style Cropped Graphic Tees

Cropped graphic tees are perhaps more versatile than longer graphic tees. They tend to pair with everything a longer tee does without having to tuck them in. Plus, a cropped tee is required to proportionally please certain looks. For instance, sweatpants, workout leggings, lower-waisted pants, and joggers are all fantastic with a cropped tee.

How To Style Oversized Graphic Tees

The oversized graphic tee can be interesting, but first, size down — way down. I like them paired with biker shorts. If you’re tall, an oversized graphic tee can look fun front-tucked into jeans, wide-leg pants, or cropped wide-leg pants. I also believe that it has been long enough in the style cycle that an oversized graphic tee with athletic leggings and sneakers could be fresh. Or wear your oversized graphic tee as a swim coverup like I did above.

Here are the various ways to tuck in an oversized graphic tee:

1. Loop the length through the belt buckles.
2. Use elastic ties on each side before tucking in.
3. Use one elastic tie in the back and then tuck up the bulk
4. Tuck the hem up into the bottom of your bra.

How Not To Style Graphic Tees

Beyond the outfit-specific no-nos I mentioned above, there are only four general no-nos I’d like to mention when discussing how to style graphic tees…

1. Wearing graphic tees untucked with wider-leg pants adds weight.
2. Wearing tight graphic tees with low-waisted pants is a breeding ground for muffin tops.
3. Skip graphic tees with stiff graphics. They don’t sit well on the body.
4. If you are busty, skip high-neck graphic t-shirts. Instead, go for graphic tees with a scoop neck.