Strut the Graphic Tee

Graphic tees are ‘so childish’, right? Wrong. They’re all the rage now, in fact. Versatile and affordable, graphic tees can be styled in a variety of ways to suit almost every occasion. They can be transformed from a day look to a night look, and also work on people of almost all shapes and sizes!

So there’s no need to throw your graphic tees into the extreme recesses of your closet just because you think you’re too ‘adult’ for it, only to pull it out on those nights when you want to feel like a child again.

Come summer, style your graphic tees to achieve that perfect edgy look that combines playfulness and elegance in the most killer way. When you’re done reading this article, I can assure you that you’ll find yourself digging through your old clothes and pulling out your old graphic tees in no time!

THE CLASSIC TEE AND PANTS LOOK

This is definitely everyone’s go- to look. Throw on a pair of pants and a t shirt and you can lounge around the house, do those chores you’ve always been postponing, go out for a bit of grocery shopping, shake away months of laziness by going out to jog. Sound boring? Yes, I thought so. Why not give the old comfy look a modern twist then?

Go in for a sturdy graphic t shirt and instead of pairing it with slouchy pants, don a pair of formal pants. You could tuck in the t shirt to give off a very edgy vibe. Keeping the accessories to a minimum would be the safest bet here as that lets your outfit do all the talking. Sunglasses and a pair of Oxfords on your feet seal the deal. If you’re daring enough to sport a blazer on the t shirt, go for it! Nothing says ‘confident and classy’ more clearly than a blazer. Take off the blazer, trade the pants for jeans and sport a pair of heels instead of Oxfords- that gives you a laidback yet put together outfit. And there you have it- an outfit that exudes class and daring a la Victoria Beckham.

THROW A SKIRT ON

Skirts and graphic tees are a perfect way to mix the youthful with the feminine. A child meets woman look, some like to say. You could wear a design heavy graphic tee with a solid coloured skirt like a body con or skater skirt. You could also pair a tee that has text on it with a bright coloured maxi skirt. These looks are perfect for when you want to go for a brunch with friends, a day out at the mall, or even on date night with your special someone. If you dare, you could pair a form fitting graphic tee with a floor length maxi skirt or knee length skirt to a creative black tie event. Make sure the dress code allows for creative formal though- you don’t want to look like you’re in the wrong event! Play around with shoes. Wearing stilettos gives the look a formal vibe whereas pairing the outfit with Converse or Vans gives it a casual laid back feel. As for accessories, if the outfit is loud on its own, you know to keep jewellery to a bare minimum. If you’ve gone in for a washed out look, a few bauble are sure to jazz it up for you!

CROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

Go DIY this season and convert your graphic tee into a crop top or a muscle tee! Use these to put together the ultimate beach attire. Crop top, denim shorts, sandals and a good pair of sunglasses- can you feel the summer vibe yet? You don’t have to be very picky with the print on your tee in this case- loud prints go just as well with denim shorts as subtle prints do. If it’s not the beach that you’re headed to, don’t fret! Wear a cropped graphic tee with high waisted bottoms- pants, shorts or even a skirt- and you’ve instantly got an urban chic outfit. Try this- wear a graphic cropped tee on top of a body con dress if you don’t own high waisted bottoms. Its summer time- cropped tees for the win!

ONE FOR THE MEN

All right, guys, we’re not leaving you out of this! The formal pants and graphic tee combination talked about before can also work for men. One word of warning: Since graphic tees will be the focus point of your outfit, make sure the bottoms are a neutral colour to avoid a clash of colours. You could wear a graphic tee with a muted print on it; pair it with chinos that are rolled at the cuffs and loafers for a casual look. Throw on a blazer for that edgy touch or don a sports jacket and aviators for a dapper look. Wear black on black and throw on a black jacket for good measure, and you have yourself an outfit with just the right amount of punk/grunge!