Fashionista friends, welcome to Ageless Style 04.2025: Graphic Tees, Please. Today’s prompt comes to us from me, myself and I. Graphic tees are a staple in my closet and I thought seeing how others style theirs might give me some news ways to wear mine.
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Ageless Style 04.2025
Like probably everyone else, I’ve been wearing tee shirts since the beginning of time. Okay, maybe not quite that long but for sure since I was a young mommy. I remember when we moved to Panama the first time back in the early ’80s, kids in the interior of the country a million miles from anything wore Harvard and Yale tees and those for big hair bands whose names they couldn’t even pronounce. That seemed so funny to me to see a barefoot little one living in the middle of the rainforest sporting a tee shirt from an Ivy League university. But those graphic tees were available for a dime a dozen in cheap clothing stores in Panama City and Colon, and probably even cheaper in the little villages in the middle of the country.
I’ve written many times about joining Alison Lumbatis for her online Get Your Pretty On seasonal wardrobe challenges the first spring after I retired. And credit doing so with giving me a renewed reason to get up and get dressed everyday when I no longer had a job to go to and a career to dress for. Alison is a big fan of creating wardrobe formulas around staple pieces then embellishing those looks with fun accessories. She often adds something on trend to the basic formula to jazz things up. The graphic below is from Alison’s Outfit Formula’s IG account posted this time last year.
You’ve gotta love a piece of clothing that can be so versatile. Right?
Graphic Tees, Please
This is the first graphic tee I remember buying as part of one of Alison’s first wardrobe challenges…’Ooo La La’ from J. Crew Factory, I think, or maybe Loft. Both stores were unfamiliar to me until I hooked up with Alison.
I paired it with camo jeans and a boyfriend cardi, another Aliston staple, and some fun animal print tennies. This was soon to become my favorite everyday look.
My first graphic tees were from Old Navy, Loft and J. Crew Factory. But then I started buying custom designed tees on Etsy and some cute little online boutiques like Heels and Spurs. In the spring 2018, I wrote this post about my (then) favorite tee. It was one I ordered online.
And I think it may have been what prompted the start of my love affair with southwest flavored fashion. A love affair that is still going strong today.
In this post, I shared a graphic tee paired with a skirt, the essential cardigan and several pairs of flats. This look elevates the graphic tee a little bit from the jeans + tee + cardi formula but is still easy and comfortable.
I recently tried dressing up a graphic tee by subbing in wide-leg, dark wash jeans and a blazer for the requisite cardigan and more casual denim. Here’s how that came together.
I wore this outfit to substitute teach and felt comfortable and put together. This combo was featured in my Valentine’s colors post for Ageless Style 02.2025.
Some of my favorite graphic tees have special meaning to me. Just a moment before Covid broke out, I shared a custom graphic tee in this post about some of my favorite things. I had the same Etsy shop make me a custom sweatshirt with the name of my blog, too. Have enjoyed wearing both for years now.
One spring, I had 2 graphic tees made – one for each of my grandma names. Cadence and Declan call me ‘Mimi’ and Lucia and Cami call me ‘Gabba.’ Those have been fun to wear. Nothing brings me more pleasure than being a grandmother.
Another spring, for Women’s History Month, Target featured some graphic tees with the names of a few of my favorite women. I had to have one!! Always enjoyed teaching my students about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Wore this tee as a substitute librarian when the kids did research on these heroes.
There’s probably a graphic tee for every cause, every sports team, featuring every logo. I put together this collection of graphic tees. Can you believe the prices for some of them?
If you could have one, which would you pick?
A Little Help from My Prince
When I started talking about this post with PC, he grabbed his phone and began to search for photos of me in some of my graphic tees. In a matter of a few seconds, he had sent me 30 photos. And I don’t think a single one was a repeat. Yup, I wear a lot of graphic tees. Here’s a little slide show of some of them.
Wore this graphic tee to sub for kinder on Monday.
Today I wore my Frida Kahlo to the gym. Love this one so much. Its sentiment certainly applies to me.
In my book, graphic tees are perfect for almost every occasion. And PC would have to agree. Apologies Cubs fans.
My Gal Pals
These are the gals that make Ageless Style happen each month. Hope you will pop in to check their looks.
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’
Joanne ~ My Slice of Life
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Jennifer ~ Overflowing with Thankfulness
And won’t you link up with us?
Your Turn
So, do you wear graphic tees? How do you pick the ones you buy? Is there something about the message you like? Or maybe it represents a certain brand or athletic team or organization you support. I would say all of my graphic tees have some significant meaning to me. Just ordered one for our Alaskan cruise that identifies all of our ports of call and the year of our cruise. Can’t wait to wear it!!
Need to break out the suitcases tomorrow and get serious about packing. Have watched ALL the YouTube videos about what to take on an early May Alaskan cruise and still don’t know what to pack. Ha!! But you can bet there will be a graphic tee in the mix somewhere.
Thank you for stopping by, my friends. Mark your calendars for our next Ageless Style post, 05.15.2025, when we will be styling black and white. Why don’t you join us??
Make your Thursday a good day.
Hugs and kisses,
Wow, no wonder you suggested this theme. You have so many fabulous graphic tees and I just love how you pair them with all different kinds of looks.
XOOX
Jodie
Love seeing all your graphic tees! I seem to only have tees supporting my daughter in swim, from grade school till she graduated last spring. I have always thought they look so cute on others, I need to be on the lookout for some cute ones this summer.
How exciting for you to be going on a cruise to Alaska! Can’t wait to hear all about it.
You need to branch out into some graphic tees that represent you and your life now that baby girl is not on a swim team. It’s YOUR turn now. Thank you for coming by to visit. You mentioned that life or LIFE had been crazy lately. I hope crazy in good ways. Hope you can catch your breath this weekend.
I love all of this inspiration! My favorite graphic tee are the ones with French sayings, but I have worn them much lately. I just bought a new one from Target when they were on sale for about $5, a blue one that says “le Soleil”. I think I will make next week a graphic tee week! This week has been all about dresses since we have had church every day.
My favorites here are the quarantine one and the one with your blog name. What a fun idea! I think we wear graphic tees the same way.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Love all your graphic tees. I just cleaned out an old chest of drawers where I had stored mine for winter. Gotta rinse them and get some of the wrinkles out – but that’s about all I wear – especially in the summertime (if I live long enough for it to get warm enough again). I have a few long sleeved ones – but none of mine are nearly as cute as yours. Enjoyed your post.
Iris
Yay for you to wear graphic tees!! We need a picture!! Maybe in your next post we can see you sporiting one of your tees? You are most certainly going to live to see the warmth of summer!! Hope you can get out and get some sunshine, even for a few minutes. Maybe buy some floewrs to pot on your porch? That would give you another reason to vernture outside. XO
Girl, you win the graphic tee contest, and the prize is…wait for it…a graphic tee! Do you have favorite shops on Etsy? I’m a little leery of it because I’ve gotten a few things that were just crap (pardon my French). I was so glad you suggested this because I love graphic tees though maybe not as much as you!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Woo hoo!! I love graphic tees and kimonos and cardis. They with jeans make up my favorite outfit formulas. To think that I used to love dresses. But hardly wear them any more.
I do have favorite shops on Etsy. And have had, for the most part, good luck with everything I have ordered. I try to favor Texas owned shops because things come so quickly when they are ‘local.’
I love graphis tees! I wear them to work, for errands, around the house, anywhere I can! Such a fun theme!
Hi Leslie – I don’t usually read fashion blog posts, but I couldn’t resist checking out your graphic tee shirts. I’m a huge fan of them and have several – I like that they give me a smile and are usually a little whimsical. I’m currently wearing a Taylor Swift knock-off tee that says “It’s me. Hi! I’m the problem, it’s me” which always gives my husband a smile 🙂
Thank you!! I knew we had some things in common. Graphic tees rule. There are so many great ones out there, so many clever slogans and graphic images. Love that you were wearing a Taylor tee. I like her music but am beginning to see that she could possibly be a diva!!
You have so many!!!! I love how you dressed it up for substitute teaching with the trousers and the pink blazer. I need to copy that look!!! How precious that you had shirts made with your version on Grandma. I bet you are the most fun grandmother ever. Also, I did not know you lived in Panama! Amazing. For how long?
bosbodaciousblog.blogspot.ca
Thank you!! I do like graphic tees A LOT!! You are so sweet to say that I am a fun grandma. I try hard to be fun so that means a lot. We lived in Panama for 6 years. It was very difficult, especially the last 3 years during Manual Noriega’s ‘reign.’
PC’s tee cracks me up! My hubby is very much a Sox fan so you know the saying whoever is the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Haha! I bet they would get along! You have a fabulous collection of graphic tees. I do like them on other people but have a hard time finding designs or sayings I like. My favorite of your outfits is with that gorgeous pink blazer! Happy Easter my friend!
Thank you so much. I haven’t worn the pink blazer enough. Need to make it a regular!! Glad our husbands agree that the Cubs stink!! I always liked the White Sox, myself, when I had a fantasy baseball team. Hope you and your family are enjoying a wonderful spring.
You have such a great collection of graphic tees! Love them all! But I have to say, being a Cubs fan, I’m not a fan of PCs! haha!
Jill – Doused in Pink
You have so many cute t-shirts, Leslie! I’m jealous. I love the “Fragile” graphic, and of course, the grandma ones.
Thank you!! I think that Frida tee is pretty much perfectly me.
What a selection! I have just one graphic t shirt – but an awful lot of striped ones! I love the way you have had some personalised graphics done, so sweet x
I have only begun to scratch the surface of graphic tees but one of my favorite purchases is a graphic of a bookshelf with titles like Of Mice and Men, The Kite Runner, To Kill a Mockingbird. Under the picture is the statement “I’m With the Banned”.
I have to admit….a cute graphic tee suits you….well, to a tee!!:) Ha. I crack myself up! So many cute tees. I love graphic tees but not sure they look as cute on me. I was trying to pick a favorite but I could not narrow it down. And your very own tee…with your blog. You are too smart. Loved your post. And am inspired to order some cute tees!!
You look good in everything you wear! I’ve never worn many graphic t shirts but I’ve been looking at them more. I think I have three now. I don’t think they ever go out of style!
Oh, girl, get you a new graphic tee. So much fun. Check out Etsy. I love them. Find something fun to wear as we move into summer. Thank you so much for your sweet comment.
Leslie,
Thanks so much for stopping by!! The tee shirt look great on you…I do not wear tee shirts as they do not look good on me…I am jealous…I hope you are enjoying your weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Hi Deb, maybe you just haven’t found the right tee shirt!! I think you should find a graphic tee that speaks to you and try it this summer in some kind of casual look. I bet you will like it.
Thank you for running by!!
You have so many graphic tees! I was actually surprised at how many readers said they didn’t wear graphic tees, as I feel I have a lot; but I tend to not wear them outside the house unless traveling. I really love the skirt/sweater/graphic tee layout. As for which one is my favorite of the graphic tee links, I really don’t like any of them, but if I had to pick one it would be either of the first two florals.