Maybe Matilda: 1 Graphic Tee, Styled 3 Ways

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

1 Graphic Tee, Styled 3 Ways

Add to the list of trends I’ve been nervous about but am finally getting into: graphic tees.

I’ve had this rather silly idea that you can either appear dressy or sloppy. Fancy or homeless. Dressed to the nines or sporting jammies. No middle ground. In high school, I was often (not just once! often!) mistaken for a teacher because, well, I dressed like the teachers. And in college, working a student job in the library, my boss gave me a dress code chat because he thought, based on my wardrobe, that I must have believed the job required business dress (which it certainly did not). I think there’s something to be said for dressing nicely (even more nicely than the occasion calls for!), but I’ll admit it put me in a bit of an awkward position once I became a stay-at-home mom. If you don’t wear anything in the middle of the spectrum, well, what are you going to wear at home with your kids? Either business wear or yesterday’s pajamas, I suppose. Neither of those options work for me, so I’m figuring out how to put together casual, comfortable, realistic outfits that I feel good about—dressed up enough to feel put together and attractive, but casual enough to fit into my daily routine.

So here we go with a trendy graphic tee, styled 3 different ways . . . and none of them are a plain old t-shirt+jeans combo.

3 cute ways to style a graphic tee! // www.maybematilda.com

graphic tee + black skinnies + military vest // www.maybematilda.com

Tee: c/o Jane // Vest: c/o Annie Jean (I think mine is sold out, sadly, but this one is similar!) // Jeggings: Bella Ella Boutique // Sneakers: Payless // Bag: c/o Lily Jade

I think a colorful bag or bright sneakers would be awesome with this outfit, but hey, you work with what you’ve got, right? And mama’s got neutrals and plenty of ‘em. I love this vest (and am so excited to work on many, many more ways to wear it!), and I think the little graphic pop peeking out is just right. And if I haven’t converted you to the gospel of jeggings yet, please, come and join me. You will be so glad you did.

graphic tee + floral scarf +jeans + wedges // www.maybematilda.com

Scarf: Bungalow Boutique (now closed—boo!) // Jeans: thrifted // Belt: ebay
Wedges: c/o Sole Society

I love the very subtle pattern mixing of the floral print scarf and the graphic tee—it’s quiet, but it’s just enough to make things interesting. A little bit graphic, a little bit soft and feminine. I probably wouldn’t wear these shoes with it if I were just running errands, but I love how it looks with the wedges for something like a lunch date or a low-key dinner out.

graphic tee + bold aztec skirt + jean jacket // www.maybematilda.com

Jacket: thrifted // Skirt: c/o Annie Jean // Shoes: c/o LuLu*s

I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to do this one without the jacket to tone it down, but I like the double-bold factor: bold print on the skirt, bold graphic on the tee. My instinct was to pair this busy skirt with something completely neutral—just a white or black top—but I’m surprised by how much I like it with another pattern! I kept the accessories simple with the neutral shoes and bag and jacket, and it feels loud (for my typical quiet style), but I’m digging it.

What’s your at-home style like? Are you a pj’s girl or do you try and dress things up a tad?

10 comments :

  1. You're basically a pro fashion blogger now. I love it! I also now need a graphic tee. I'm also easily persuaded when it comes to clothing.

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  2. I really like the last outfit! I think it would be cute without the jacket and with comfy sandals for summer. I dress up for work but sometimes my non work style is lacking because I used up all my energy looking good during the week. Plus a 5 1/2 month old makes it harder to look good when I'm cleaning up spit up and other bodily fluids all the time :)

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  3. I know what you mean. I work from home one day a week, and on that day I basically have a uniform of old tatty jeans and a hoody. (And I have to force myself to that level of dress - staying in my pyjamas is so tempting!) I like your ideas for comfortable outfits which also look good and 'together' - loving your outfit posts! Maria x ( http://dinkidots.blogspot.co.uk/ )

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  4. ohhhh! I really like the t-shirt scarf combo. So cute!

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  5. I love the first and third outfit. So chic :)

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  6. I love that 2nd outfit! Definitely my favorite. =) You're making me reconsider my aversion to graphic tees...

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  7. I can totally relate with the outfit dilemma. If I try to dress my "true" age, I look like a teeny bopper to all of the other moms whose kids are the same age as mine. And when I try to dress their age, I just feel old!!! I have since given up on the old thing, and I'm trying to embrace clothes meant for me before it's too late. I think you would look cute even in Jammie's. And I'm loving the graphic tee as well.

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  8. Side note: do you do all your shopping online? How do you find these places?! I've found so many new resources from your blog... I hope you are getting link credit!

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  9. I like them all but I think I'm drawn to the first one the most for some reason :)

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  10. Yes, I do most of my shopping online--it's so much easier than trying to drag 2 kids around!

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Thanks for commenting!

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