Graphic tees are my solution to making any outfit look more interesting. Have a skirt that’s too precious? Graphic tee. Have an outfit that’s too bland? Graphic tee. Have a blazer that’s blah? Graphic tee! See?! Works for everything.
BUT…but…not all graphic tees are worthy of our praise, as you know. There are some really cheesy finds out there, friends. Steer clear! (But all of these VOTE tees are TME approved!) I’m all about a laugh online, but you don’t always need to own that cheesy tee (unless it’s for a Halloween costume, and then I fully approve).
I realize there may be a gray area here, but for the most part, what will make your sporty, casual outfits, and even your slightly dressy outfits, look best are well-vetted graphic tees. Good thing this is pretty much what I live for. Haha.
5 Of My Favorite Ways To Style Graphic Tees
- Knotted at the waist with a bias cut skirt or pencil skirt
- With black jeans and taupe booties
- Under any and all blazers, especially white ones (this outfit, too)
- To make wide-leg black pants more sporty & joggers more cool
- To make white jeans less precious
- BONUS: To make a statement (and this one is necessary these days)
9 Cool Graphic Tees To Wear With Every Outfit
So, we’ve established that there are a lot of graphic tees out there, but these are the ones I’m digging most right now. I love having a great black tee (typically washed-black instead of true black…it’s easier to blend in with more) a great white or ivory tee (or both) and a good heathered grey graphic tee. Those cover the graphic t-shirt bases really well.
Colored tees are fine, but you don’t really need them, especially if the tees have colorful graphics. And honestly, I find a lot of colorful tees harder to work into various outfits. If you’re looking to update your t-shirts, just start here with the neutrals. Free People is currently killing it with the best graphic tee selections, and I can vouch for the softness and awesomeness of their tees.
01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09
01 | Prince Peter cheetah tee: This one is rad. Love the rock ‘n’ roll vibe and of course, the cheetah. The pink is a nice pop, too! More sizes here. Ooh, and this Def Leppard tee just showed up on Nordstrom that has a similar vibe. Dig.
02 | Promesa Mineral Wash be kind tee: I have this one from Social Threads. It’s SO soft and a great reminder to everyone you see on the street. Let’s be honest…some peeps need those reminders these days.
03 | Free People tiger tee: I love the large print on this, if you want some truly in-your-face tiger vibes….I mean, who doesn’t want that?
04 | Dirty Cotton Scoundrels rebel rebel tee: I’ve had this tee for a couple of years now ,and it’s high-quality cotton and breaks in so beautifully with washing. Highly recommend their tees.
05 | zadig & voltaire je ne sais quoi tee: This is on it’s way to me because I adore it and it was on sale! Use code VOTE to save 30%. Final sale, but Z&V stuff is SO good, and cool and amazing.
06 | Dolly is my spirit animal: Dolly Parton for President. Dolly Forever.
08 | Johnny cash t-shirt: You can never go wrong with a music tee, especially when that music is Johnny Cash (or Dolly, of course.)
07 | Free People country roads: Shana has this, and I’ve loved it ever since she got it. So good. It comes in a few colors, but washed black and off white are my favs.
09 | Free People smiley face: I love a good ringer tee for a retro vibe. This one is just classic. I’d throw it on over my workout clothes, or wear with sweats and sneaks.
Shop The Best Graphic Tees For Women
If I had to choose one element of my wardrobe that was my signature, I’d say it’s the graphic tee. What can I say? I’m a fanatic and a firm believer these t-shirts make just about all outfits better and more interesting. I’ve rounded up the choices above and have thrown in some other rad finds here, too.
xo,
L
Hey hey from Portland, OR. Would love for you to follow me over on Instagram for all things casual mom-wear, lots of foodie pics and donuts, some kitchen dance parties and some social justice. xo
This one’s for the pinners…
FYI, since I know The Mom Edit will care about this: regarding the Dolly Parton tee, I was informed by a friend with American Indian/Native American heritage that referring to people or things as “spirit animals” is generally considered offensive – spirit animals are sacred in her culture, and when non-native people use the term casually to describe something that inspires them it is making light of something deeply meaningful. Obviously we can’t change the tee, but in everyday conversation there are better synonyms to use – muse, inspiration, etc.
Oh geez – SO good to know, Sophia!! Thanks for the head’s up – much appreciated.
Any tips on a place to find good v neck or scoop neck graphic tees? I can’t wear crew necks due to some sensitive scar tissue I have on my collarbone.
I’d search for women’s tees on Etsy. Many times yeah a scoop neck will look better than a v neck with the graphic, since it doesn’t have to sit so low. I will keep an eye out for you, but Etsy is a great place to start!
Was just going to write about this. I always liked the idea of spirit animals until I realized that unless I am indigenous, it’s not mine to use. Now it makes me cringe when I see it being appropriated.
Thank you, was going to post the same comment!