How To Style Your Graphic Tees Any Time Of Year

Both casual and cute, graphic tees are one of the easiest-to-wear items that you can have in your closet. If you're unfamiliar, a graphic tee is a T-shirt that features a design, text, or image on it. Think Hot Topic's T-shirt wall or Old Navy's table of $5 graphic tees. Because of this broad definition, these T-shirts feature various colors and designs, making them equally versatile and wearable.

Whether you're combining them with your newest pair of flare jeans or your favorite combat boots, the number of outfits you can create with graphic tees is seemingly endless. With this many avenues of fashion to explore, it can actually be pretty difficult to know where to start when styling your graphic tee.

There's no need to worry, though, as you can take to your favorite fashion hashtags or find inspiration in celebrity ensembles to help you put together your own range of T-shirt looks. These are our favorite ways to style graphic tees, no matter the time of year.

It's undeniable that graphic tees look great with jeans. We particularly love how tucked-in T-shirts look with jeans, as it adds a little something extra to the ensemble while allowing you to show off a cool belt. For example, we love the styling from @mamirepelta, who pairs a light pink graphic tee with ripped straight-leg jeans, a black and white hair bandana, and white sneakers.

For your own outfit, try experimenting with different jean fits and colors. Don't be afraid to add a statement belt, too.

Flannel shirts and graphic tees are another classic combo, often providing a grunge-inspired edge to an outfit but truly working with almost any aesthetic. While you might be compelled to pair your plaid and graphic tee design based on color, you don't necessarily need to get hung up on matching. Slouchy plaid button-ups provide an effortless vibe, so you can embrace that by just going with whatever you feel works well together.

As an example, we love the laid-back look from @delaneychilds, who completes the flannel and graphic tee combo with white sneakers and a messy updo.

Whether you're working with pants, shorts, or skirts, graphic tees look great when styled with leather clothing items. For instance, @rummingthroughthe6 pairs a knotted red T-shirt with fitted leather pants to create a super stylish outfit. For some celebrity inspiration, we love the double black look from Kendall Jenner and the stunning leather-skirt ensemble from Beyoncé.

When styling your graphic tees, try playing with different (faux) leather pieces to create an edgy, dynamic outfit. While this might be something outside your comfort zone, the end result is really worth it.

You might be tempted to reach for solid-colored or neutral items when planning your graphic tee outfit, but pairing such shirts with patterns can create a really cool, interesting look. As an example, check out the outfit from @moonflowerthrifts, who combines some orange checkerboard flare pants with a pink, orange, and teal Pink Floyd T-shirt. The boxy orange-red sunglasses and platform Vans really complete the fun vibe of the outfit, providing the perfect inspo for your own graphic tee takes. For those that enjoy playing with color, this is definitely a solid styling option for you.

Graphic tees, often oversized, are a staple of streetwear fashion, so the style movement is full of outfit inspiration. While we definitely suggest browsing looks from fashion icons like Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, and Cardi B, we also think this fit from @ilargolkar serves as some solid streetwear influence.

From the loose-fitting cargo pants and T-shirt-matching Nikes to the sporty sunglasses and cross-chest fanny pack, everything about this streetwear outfit hits the fashion mark. When styling your own graphic T-shirt, don't be afraid to lean on style aesthetics that have already mastered the look.

While graphic tee outfits can definitely be bold and colorful, they can also be more low-key. If this is something you're looking for, then consider going for a dark, monochromatic look. This fashion choice can be seen in the inspo pic from @heymumut, who pairs a black and white brand logo tee with straight-leg pants and platform boots. Though simple in its styling, this outfit absolutely kills in looks. While we love the vibes of the black monochrome, you can recreate this single-hued effect with any color of your choosing.

For those dealing with cooler weather, layering a graphic tee over a long-sleeved shirt can be a go-to practical option. Besides that, layering is an easy way to make a T-shirt-centered outfit a little more interesting. An example of this can be seen in the pic from @anisaseptianii, who pairs an oversized graphic tee with a slightly tighter long-sleeved shirt in black. The look is complete with gray jeans, a black headscarf, and a beige tote bag.

For your own layered outfit, try out long-sleeved shirts of different styles, colors, and patterns to see what works best with your tee of choice.

If you're looking for something easy and casual, consider combining an oversized graphic tee with biker shorts. This is a simple combo, but the Instagram photo from @claudiagraziano shows how effortlessly cool it can look. In this outfit, the gold accessories and cross-body fanny pack really bring the pairing together. For another example, check out Emily Ratajkowski's take on the look. Otherwise, you can always channel your inner Princess Diana.

When piecing together your own outfit, don't be afraid to incorporate high-quality accessories to really elevate the graphic tee and biker shorts combo.

Another fun way to style a graphic tee is by pairing it with a more formal piece. An example of this comes from @elisantoniazzi, who pairs a vintage-inspired Cinderella tee with a matching pink blazer. The equally pink converse sneakers, yellow clutch, and muted blue belt really pull everything together in this look.

You don't necessarily have to pair your graphic tee with such a vibrantly-colored blazer, but we love the colorfully casual vibes that the outfit gives to a traditionally dressy piece. For some more blazers and graphic tee inspiration, check out the looks from @style.with.ami and @charlaine.crls.

Pairing T-shirts and trousers is another way to mix and match formal and casual clothing items. This may not be your first styling instinct, but @thalyarosa proves just how great the grouping can look. In their outfit, a green and purple shirt with a tiger graphic partners wonderfully with a pair of bright purple slacks and green heels. The golden jewelry and purple handbag really complete the outfit, providing another colorful example of how you can combine your graphic tee with more formal clothing items.

Wearing an oversized graphic tee as a dress, particularly with thigh-high boots, is a go-to styling move for many. It's a look that can be worn more casually at a day event or really dressed up for a night out. Worn by celebrities like Chantel Jeffries, Kourtney Kardashian, and Linsday Lohan, the potential chicness of such looks has been proven time and time again.

The outfit from @themamalopez similarly shows how cute oversized T-shirts can look as dresses. Combing a Lakers top, a jean jacket, and black over-the-knee boots, this ensemble is effortlessly cool.

Just like with jean pants or shorts, jean skirts can look super stylish when worn with graphic tees. Whereas T-shirts are pretty casual on their own, pairing them with a skirt can really make an outfit look more put together. An example of this can be seen in the photo from @shantidjenne, which features a hip-hop T-shirt, slitted jean skirt, snake-skin trench coat, and bright red platforms. Red cat-eye sunglasses and a teal handbag complete the outfit, resulting in a super fierce look.

Similar to our flannel recommendation, you can also combine graphic tees with plaid skater skirts to create a cool, dynamic outfit. While you can get away with pairing non-matching button-up flannels with T-shirts, we suggest giving a little more thought to the color coordination of your plaid skirt patterns and graphic tees.

The photo from @delightinthedesert demonstrates how you can balance matching colors without getting hung up on exact pairings. Although not perfectly coordinating, the red details of the plaid skirt match the red coloring of the band tee, creating a somewhat cohesive but still effortless look.

We mentioned that graphic tees are a staple of streetwear style, but they are also essential to punk rock aesthetics. If you own a collection of band tees, then we definitely suggest taking inspiration from punk look books when it comes to creating your T-shirt outfits. As an example, we love how @flamingofruitsalad_ coordinates this band tee, neon pink tulle skirts, and alternative accessories to create a concert-ready look.

If you want more band tee inspo pics, then take a look at the photos from @ferhelders and @candyysoul.

If you're looking to style a graphic tee with a skirt, then the French girl aesthetic can provide some great inspiration. If you're unfamiliar, French girl style is influenced by everyday Parisian fashion, focusing on timeless pieces and high-quality essentials to create an effortless and urban cool-girl vibe.

The Instagram pic from @agi_stylizacje exhibits some French girl sophistication, as it features a classic leather jacket paired with practical walking shoes, sleek shades, and a stylish handbag. For your own outfits, try pairing graphic tees with some of the timeless pieces often featured in this aesthetic for a really clean, cool look.