How to Dress Up a T-Shirt

The average American owns closetfuls of tee-shirts; the très chic Parisian owns, say, three at the most. Two of them are pajamas. I am that American with a drawerful of tees, guilty as charged. How is it that I accumulate so much when my very goal whilst shopping is to stray from them? Tee-shirts are the epitome of laziness, so says my mother (who owns one or two tees, but is still a very lazy dresser). I wouldn’t go so far as to saying that, because in a nation where everyone is wearing a tee, I might just offend the entire population. Don’t get me wrong; some tee-shirts are very cute and chic, and basic black, white, and whatever color you would like is necessary in every girl’s wardrobe. But the thing is, tees and jeans don’t look put together; it just looks rushed.

Here is my tip du mode (yes, its a mixture of French & English, in an attempt to create an interesting title), one that I think is a simple way to still wear those tees minus the lazy look. It also happens to be a style I am loving very much.

Pair a slightly loose & not too clingy tee-shirt with a high-waisted tailored skirt, pant, short or jeans! Tuck it in, throw on a matching cardigan or blazer, or just leave it, and you’ll look fabulous! With jeans, add a belt to finish the look. And of course, put on a pair of pumps! So now, if you meet some fabulous celebrity on the street, you’ll never groan about why you chose today out of all the days of the year to wear something so blah. Take Natalie Portman, for example. She pairs a red, graphic tee with tailored shorts, a blazer, pumps, and a clutch looking very elegant. Too professional for you?

Take the quirky and playful, printed face tee with rhinestone eyeshadow by Sonia by Sonia Rykiel from up top, available at net-a-porter.com for $145. (I really can’t decide if this tee is cute or just a no-no…what do you think?) With a pair of jeans, people might just ask you what you were thinking when you bought this shirt. But when you add a colorful cardigan, tuck the tee into a high-waisted, tailored black skirt, black tights, patent ankle booties, and a fab bag, you get a fun day look for a day out shopping! Voilà!

Here’s another example with the “Que Sera Sera” tee by Sass & Bide, also available at net-a-porter.com for $135. Paired with this season’s dirndl skirt, a white belt, colorful heels, and a great bag, it takes the tee to the next level!

xoxo