Tuesday How-To: Style a Graphic Tee

We're always told never say never. Well, I know that's the truth as I grow a new appreciation for the graphic tee resurfaced from my tween years.

In middle school, my top selection rarely ventured beyond the Lacoste polo and the Abercrombie graphic tee. Don't judge—you know you sported the baby tee boasting "Prep," too. Often paired with my Seven jeans or a madris mini, my wardrobe was more of a uniform. But now, I'm fascinated with the way graphic tees have made it back into even the working woman's wardrobe in a totally chic and stylish way. A few of my favorite graphic tee-styled ensembles and how to do it if you're older than 13:

1. Style them in a sophisticated way. Pairing a simple graphic underneath a streamlined blazer and a basic black bottom is cool without being over-the-top.

2. Mix prints with classics and use your graphic as the glue. This simple graphic holds together the classic navy blazer and the flirty leopard shorts in a quirky way that works.

3. French graphics are always a good idea—mainly because anything French is cool, if you ask me— but any graphic paired with a leather skirt is edgy in a good-girly way. Just don't bare too much skin or you're toeing the cheap-look line.

4. A graphic tee paired with a luxe statement necklace automatically turns it up a notch and can be worn with jeans, black cigarette pants, even the above leather skirt.

5. Pairing a graphic tee with something super feminine, like this chiffon pleated mini or the feathered one below, takes the potential fru fru down just a notch for a perfectly meet-in-the-middle match.

I'm on the search for the perfect graphic to pair with my black leather mini and some booties or my navy blazer for this fall beach weather. A few of my (cheap) favorites that I've found thus far:

1. Sunday Best sweater
2. Just Chic tee
3. S'il Vous Plait tee
4. Love Love Love tee
5. Daydreamer tee
6. Cabin Fever tee
7. Eiffel Tower linen tee
8. I Like the Thrill tee

A word to the wise, though: styling graphic tees is best done when they are as subtle as possible. Simple messages or images on shirts in black, gray or white are often the most non-competiting with what is sure to be the other awesome elements of your outfit if you're doing it correctly.

Happy Styling!

xoxo

{Styling example photo creds here}