woMEN's tees
Ladies, just admit it. We all steal clothes from (ex)boyfriends, brothers, fathers, and the patriarchy in general. However, there’s a lot more to oversized clothing than tossing it on as loungewear. Here are a few XL tops I like to style in my day-to-day wardrobe:
Long-sleeve button-downs
Graphic band tees
Hackathon/ branded shirts
“wall streetstyle”
Ah, the iconic classic men’s dress shirt. Haven’t been on Wall Street? Lucky for you, Haas is only a walk away. For this look, I played with the uptight, business formal men’s dress shirt for a casual and formal setting.
Long-sleeve dress shirts are ideal to get a dress-length, giving you room to play with proportions and styles. I’m already wearing an XXXL and the length is still short so always go for a larger size. Warning: As the shirt size increases, be wary of overly large arm holes that simply can’t be saved by cuffing your sleeves. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with a large shirt that hides your food baby. Unless, you happen to wear white and have a tendency like me to be clumsy.
Play up any bland look with off-the-shoulder to make it softer and more feminine. The buttons allow you to adjust how close the sleeves are to collapsing. Softer dress shirts (read: *not* starched) will also do better to give you a more relaxed fit. If you are looking swallowed by the oversize shirt, simply use a belt to cinch your waist. I chose a pop of red in a monochrome white outfit for a stronger look.
Luckily, the dress shirt can easily transition to a city night out. Get a slinky accessory like a chain bag and exchange the sneakers for a pair of pointed-toe black heels. To complement the bag, I chose a chain belt to bring back some much needed shape into the outfit.
“love me/love me not” - Honne
Large, shapeless t-shirts are a safe zone if you are just starting to venture into your man’s closet. If anything, grab the band tees. Great conversation starter. Before you know it, you are going to be the flexer who wears band tees because Urban Outfitters told you so. Roasting aside. If an artist resonates with you, it’s a lovely way to find a commonality between someone right off the bat.
Matching is painful. I spare myself and go for clean, monochromatic looks. Paired with wide-legged linen pants and a tucked in white shirt, this look is minimalistic and form-fitting. Now if you want to get a lil’ funky, wear a fitted mesh shirt underneath and match the fit with some classic fitted leather black booties.
Tip: Cut the hemmings off the shirt including the collar, arm holes, etc. (no more than an inch off the seams), so it looks more chill and worn-down. Despite the countless ways to cut up t-shirts, I enjoyed the baggy shape so I kept most of the shirt’s original integrity.
“they don’t call me Microsoft. they call me Macrohard”
By now you have a stack of shirts from hackathons or even better, last summer’s internship, laying around. If you would rather rep your hackathon shirt with your Patagonia jacket, meet your matching squad at Moffit 5th Floor Room 509 and read no further. Otherwise, choose the largest shirt at the next hackathon and wear it as a dress. ASUC Senator Furry Boi came in clutch with this “Macrohard” shirt design and just dropped an EECS Daddy music video. Viewer discretion advised.
With chillier days coming in, simply wearing a shirt on its own will no longer fly (sorry to break it to you socal kids). Dress in layers by wearing a mesh black jacket that serves no insulating purposes and a bright red jacket to be an obnoxious walking stop sign. Now, you will be truly prepared for Bay Area’s very moody weather.
Sometimes wearing so many layers can look baggy but I find knee-highs great in lengthening your body so you don’t look stocky.
Tip: I created this knee-high look with a $3 sock from Daiso and some casual black heels that already existed in my closet. Socks are great substitutes to knee-high boots because they don’t slip aka you won’t be readjusting on the sidewalk ever split second.
When it comes to pairing outfit pieces together, colors and materials play a huge role. I would say complement pieces with similar colors for a subdued look and contrast pieces to stand out. Constructing your fit around a focal piece can help you add accessories and other clothing to enhance your vibe. Regardless of how you choose to style men’s tees, have fun playing around and expanding your closet. There is no right or wrong, because fashion is all about intention.
Words by Garb
Photography by Lena Zhou