Omg. Guys. I’m so excited to share this post with you guys!!! As you can see from this post’s title, I’ll be showing you how I style “Dad’s shirts!!!” So what are “Dad’s shirts?” Basically, they’re our dad’s old button-down shirts. Crazy, I know. Out of all the pieces in my closet, I honestly wear these pieces the most. Today, I’ll mainly be focusing on styling them for summer cuz we are in the season of summer, but I’ll also give you some tips for wearing them in winter! First! Some reasons why I absolutely LOVE styling Dad’s Shirts!
They’re oversized, so there’s literally so many ways you can interpret this shirt, making them one of the most versatile pieces in my closet.
SO COMFORTABLE
Works for both formal and casual events
Appropriate for all seasons
Comes in all colors and patterns, as plain as you want or as crazy as you want
Looks effortlessly CHIC
Comes at no cost (cuz they’re your dad’s ofc)
1.Wide Open
This is def more of a casual look. Here, I just wore a white t-shirt under and left all the buttons undone and rolled up the sleeves. You could honestly wear anything you want underneath and it would work. It’s an easy n breezy way to enjoy summer without looking like you were trying to wear the least amount of clothing possible. And it’s so incredibly comfortable.
2. Open + Knotted
For a super cute retro look, this one’s a slight variation of the first one. With this one, I also layered a white t-shirt underneath and kept the button-down unbuttoned. But instead of just letting it hang, I tied the two bottom ends together to form a knot. Even though it’s just a little change, this one knot makes a world of difference. Now, you have a more structured look that flatters your waist! And you can make the knot as high as you want, to achieve that crop top look, or as low as you want, to keep it more relaxed.
3. Dad’s-Shirt-Dress
I’ve only recently started wearing my dad’s shirts this way because tbh I used to think this was such a sloppy look. But after some ~reevaluation~ I decided that I actually like this look. Perhaps because it’s so easy to put together. But I also saw a lot of people on Pinterest start to wear their oversized button-downs this way. You basically just button all the buttons and let it hang, like a dress. I still wear shorts under mine cuz it’s not long enough to cover my bottom, but if you have one that’s long enough, you can just forego the shorts completely, and it’ll really be a dress! Ofc you can’t actually wear it to a formal event, but it makes for a nice summer-y dress for going on vacay.
4. The Classic Tuck-In
Like the name suggests, this one is THE classic way to wear button-downs. I think this one might be my favorite way to wear the dad’s shirt, sorry for being boring. But this look is just so sharp and I honestly think that’s my vibe, sharp + clean + strong-independent-woman-esque. The oversized nature of dad’s shirt adds a little more character because there’s more volume at the waist, if that makes any sense. For bottoms, go for high-waisted, so that the oversized-ness of the shirt doesn’t drown you. I wear this anyyyywhereeeee, office pro or a night out with the girlfraaaaaands.
5. Half-Open Tuck
This look screams TAKE ME ON VACAY!!! I wear a cami underneath and button the bottom 2 buttons and then only tuck the bottom into my pants. That way, it creates a nice clean V that just looks really aesthetically pleasing and idk if it’s just me, but I also feel that it creates a slimming effect. But idk, might just be me. Plz don’t wear this to a formal event, cuz it is a little revealing, but it would be perfect for an outing or a picnic or sumthin like dat.
6. Cinching It In!
Adding a belt goes a loooooong way. For this one, I wrapped a belt around my waist and pulled some of the fabric out from the top to create a “fluffed-out” look. (IDK if that made any sense but refer to the photos if it didn’t and I think you’ll see what I mean.) Then I left the first few buttons undone to reveal the cami underneath and to make the outfit more breathable. If you’re going for a more modest look, you can button all the way up too. I only discovered this style pretty recently when I was playing around in my closet, but I actually really like it cuz it gives the dad’s shirt a whole different look. It’s super duper chic and if you top it off with a kool hat, you’ll look like you came straight from the streets of New York!
7. Vacation Mom
LOL this look reminds me of a mom on vacation for some reason. Dunno why. For this one, I just wore a plain white tee and tied the arms of the dad’s shirt loosely around my neck. It makes for a super relaxed, laid-back look that says: “I am on vacay and I have not a care in the world!” The only issue I have with this and the reason why I don’t wear this look often, is that it kind of restricts your arm movements. But I’m also someone who uses dramatic arm gestures a lot, so might just be a me problem. Also, I’m thinking that maybe this reminds me of a vacation mom cuz this is a common outfit my mom used to wear when we went on family vacations.
Some tips for wearing dad’s shirts in winter…
The most common way I wear these in the cold season is by layering a turtleneck underneath. You’ve got the double layer protection AND a sophisticated fit.
If you have a super big sweater, you can try layering it on top of the dad’s shirt. Just thinking of this one makes me all warm inside.
Layer a dad’s shirt under an oversized denim jacket for an uber-hipster look
READY SET GO to your dad’s closet right now and see if he has any unwanted/abandoned button-downs!! Every time I come back home for breaks, I always manage to add some more to my collection (thx dad!!). I also challenge you to see how many ways you can style this piece yourself! You’ll be surprised by all the possibilities! If you find any good ones, hit up yo home gurl!
~jo