Ah yes, the quintessential outfit that everyone needs in their wardrobe: a white t-shirt and jeans. It might seem lackluster at first thought, but it helps to think about it as a blank canvas that can be personalized however you like. I actually think about how I can spice up a white t-shirt and jeans look in the shower and in my dreams at least twice a month. What kind of jewelry should I wear, if any? What style jeans am I feeling today? Do I want to exude bad bitch energy and stomp around in heeled booties, or do I want to keep it low key in my red hightop Converse?
Naturally, I wanted to know what my friends thought so I challenged them to come up with their best white-t-shirt-and-jeans outfit that allows their personality and style to shine through. I gave them a purposefully vague prompt: “Dress yourself in your best white-t-shirt-and-jeans fit, snap a mirror selfie, and explain your stylistic choices.” Here are the results.
Loryn @lofous3
I styled this white champion tee with thrifted Wrangler jeans and a thrifted leopard print turtle neck. Prints and patterns can be intimidating but there is nothing you can’t throw a white tee over (or under)! The more layers the better! I love prints and I think they’re such a fun way to express your personality on the outside. I loveee thrifting and there are so many crazy pieces. Since they’re not nearly as expensive as something new would be, I just started buying them because I didn’t feel as much pressure to wear them. Even if I could get one unique fit out of the piece it was worth it. But as my wardrobe starting filling with more fun pieces I started noticing how beautifully textures and patterns and prints can complement each other. So slowly, I started incorporating prints into my every day wear until it has become more easy and casual to mix and match.
You can shop Loryn’s Depop here.
Nico @nicopennisitv
My queerness and my sense of style are intertwined. Just by looking at someone’s face (with minor exceptions) you can’t decipher if someone swings for the other team. That’s where clothing comes in.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, gay men used clothes to signal their sexual desires. The “hanky code” used different colored handkerchiefs in the back pockets of their pants to let others know that they got down to in bed. If I put a red handkerchief in my back pocket, your average Joe wouldn’t bat an eyelash. For queer men in the know, they’d think I’m into anal fisting. Needless to say, clothing choices are important.
The not-so-intense modern day equivalent: how you wear your clothes. The prompt for this blog post was white jeans and T-shirt. Pretty basic. Classic. To make it personalized, this meant two things: rolled up sleeves and cuffed jeans.
If I’m walking down the street and I see some schmuck in a baggy, unflattering (probably grease-stained) white T-shirt and loose-fit boot-cut jeans, I’m automatically assuming he fucks his girlfriend for three minutes in missionary before nutting. If I see some Bradley walking down the street in a muscle-fit white T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into some skinny jeans that hug his bulge and ass like a mother cradling her newborn, then I know to wink and maybe follow him into the nearest coffee shop or Zara. Marginalized communities who often have to use secret ways of communicating, rely on clothing to find others like them.
This system is not fool-proof. As queer culture shifts into the mainstream, more heterosexual men are piggy-backing on these trends. The dreaded word: “metrosexual.” Williamsburg hipsters and grandma-sweater-wearing Timothee Chamalet lookalikes sometimes make it hard to figure out what’s up.
For now, I’ll continue to cuff my tight jeans and roll up my sleeves until the queer revolution comes along and we’ll all just be walking around in jockstraps and Chelsea boots.
Rania, @r.elm
“What will I feel most confident in?” is the question I ask myself any time I choose an outfit. While it’s fun to stay on trend and push myself out of my comfort zones, nothing is more uncomfortable than fidgeting around in an outfit that doesn’t make me feel my best. This particular outfit is something I’d wear at a casual hang out, a study date or a café kind of setting on a brisk fall day. Adding a leather boot and a furry black vest adds texture to the outfit while maintaining comfort, which is super important to me on days where I might be doing a lot of walking around. I think certain pieces will never be “outgrown,” and a pair of blue jeans, a leather boot and a white top are essentials to any closet.
Bhakti, @__bhakti____
My style has been many things over the years and has evolved to be all about comfort. I have cut down my wardrobe a lot and I typically gravitate towards minimalistic clothes that I can combine to make many outfits out of. Since I’m always running around, these tend to be much easier for me to throw on amidst my chaotic mornings. If it’s not comfortable, I’m not wearing it!
As crazy as it sounds, getting rid of most of my possessions and owning less cleared my mind a bit and allows me to use that energy for other things that I love. I never realized how much energy and time my wardrobe was taking up, constantly having to swift through clothes that I bought that I would never even wear. Buying simple and versatile clothes kind of makes dressing myself quick and easy but still fun because there are so many combinations to spice things up.
Amanda, @amandaporretto
To me, a white tee and jeans is the ultimate basic simple outfit in the best way possible. Whether you’re going to class, out to lunch or just hanging out with friends, this outfit can do you no wrong. Being in high school in the middle of the 2010s, jeans and white tees were all the rage. As I’ve updated my style throughout college, I’ve learned to step out of my comfort zone and try to switch out the basic white tee and jeans for something more elevated. As shown in this picture, I recently wore a cute graphic white tee from Nasty Gal and my Forever 21 high waisted jean shorts that cinch in my waist, paired with white Nike Air Force 1s. I’m all about comfort and will always prefer to wear sneakers or flat shoes over heels. My outfit makes me feel trendy and comfortable. I feel confident in my white tee and jeans because I’m the one that put the outfit together in the way I wanted it to look: chill, comfortable, laid-back and fun!!
Rebecca, @rebs.__
I would wear this in the summer or spring time to plans with pals –– for example, to diddle daddle in the city. I usually wanna be comfy so I wear loose jeans because I like how they fit my body, but also I don’t like stressing over my fit, so a simple tube top never misses for me. I also got on a headband bc I got into head accessories this year and that was low key the closest one I could find and it matches my belt. And I like subtle booties like my one-inch ones that are comfy but give me that small boost.
I’m a basic, comfy, cute betch.
And of course, Me, @richgrlkiki
Honestly, I didn’t want to do too much with this one. My personal style is constantly in flux because I have no idea what I want to look or dress like. I think this is mostly influenced by the pressures of Instagram and Pinterest (I’m always browsing through both), which are constantly sending me the same message that I regularly need to look good and polished and on-trend and happy and fresh and better than everyone else. It sets these rules about fashion that I used to obey almost religiously, like “wear white and bright and tight clothes that cinch your waist and perk up your butt.” I can’t be bothered to follow most of those rules now, though, especially after realizing that posing, editing, and the portrayal of unachievable body types all make a huge impact on the way I perceive fashion and style.
What really matters is how my clothes make me feel, and I wanna feel like I absolutely own the energies of both a cute girl and a bad bitch at the same time. That said, I think I’d define my personal style as somewhere between simple and experimental. For this outfit, I chose to keep it simple. A crisp white t-shirt and indigo jeans never fail to make me feel clean and casual and laid-back and polished, which is usually what I go for. And to *add a little spice*, I tucked my shirt into my bra, which has been my go-to fashion tip for about a year now — seriously, try it.
kiki 