Brat summer came and went, and we’re hit with yet another new trend. While we’re all closing the loop of the season by being demure and mindful, there’s still merit in exploring the in-between. These players come in the shape of your favourite t-shirt, which can be styled and layered to suit your needs regardless of whether you’re in your 365 party girl era or office-going responsible girl era that straddles the new and elegant “demure” fashion concept.
Enter t-shirts, the humblest of clothing articles that have the prowess to make a boring outfit fun, and give you the status of a cool girl who doesn’t have to try too hard to nail her outfit. I must admit, this is not an entirely original thought; I was first re-introduced to the merits of a simple t-shirt by a close friend, who purchased a grey t-shirt from a random beach shack in a small seaside town near Barcelona, Spain, while we were on our “brat-girl-summer” vacation. It wasn’t impressive with its quality.
In fact, it was quite ratty. And it cost as much as what I’d pay the autowala to go from Bandra to Bandra Kurla Complex (₹150 give or take), but the permutations and combinations my friend whipped up with that t-shirt were magical to watch. Wear your t-shirt tucked into a pair of tailored trousers and finish with cute loafers or your colourful gazelles.
You can also instead swap trousers out with a structured skirt to bring a bit of polish to the look. The key? Keep it tucked in to give it more of a serious framework and appear put together. The true beauty of how versatile the t-shirt is comes through with how it works with practically any skirt length—just see for yourself.
Depending on your brunch location, you can switch around the mood entirely. Going to a girlish place? Opt for a tiered and frilly skirt or a slinky satin one under your t-shirt. You can either knot it at your waist or keep it untouched layered above your skirt.
Opt for a pair of sandals to go with your look. If the atmosphere of your chosen brunch destination is more casual and less dressy, perhaps you can opt for a cool pair of jorts in denim or trouser cut-offs with your t-shirt and tuck it in. Throw on a pair of neutral sneakers (our vote still goes for the Adidas Gazelles or the new Puma Palermos) to give your look the final touches of casual.
Also read: Charm bracelets are suddenly cool again From stackable rings to elevated Kolhapuris—summer's brightest accents to invest in How bubble hem skirts won seasonal fashion this year.
