How to Style a Plain White T-Shirt

The plain white tee: foundational, iconic, endlessly versatile. From James Dean’s rebel cool to Carmy’s chaotic elegance in The Bear, this humble staple has cemented itself as the backbone of timeless style. But wearing one well? That’s an art form.

Here’s how to really make use of the simplest piece in your wardrobe, without overthinking it.

 

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1. Channel James Dean: Pair with denim

Any article that wants to talk about how a simple white t-shirt is all you need to look cool will reference James Dean even though this film came out in 1955! A crisp white tee tucked into straight-leg blue jeans, finished with a leather belt and worn-in boots. No embellishments, no distractions. Just clean lines and rebel confidence. The blueprint for eternal cool. 

Try it with:

• Raw or light-wash denim
  
  

• A bomber or Harrington jacket
  
  

• Low-top sneakers or vegan leather boots
  
  

Part of the cool factor is undoubtedly borrowed from James Dean’s character, Jim Stark, who has a level of confidence that compares favourably against his father despite Jim’s questionable decision-making/delinquency. Perhaps Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye predates Jim when it comes to the teenage rebel stakes but as a fictional character Caulfield cannot compete with Jim’s more visceral legacy. With James Dean’s premature death, his character was lent an extra quotient of mythology as this anti-hero became immortalised as forever young and cool.

Now, you don’t need to become a delinquent to borrow this look to be cool. However, a certain level of confidence and authenticity can go a long way in establishing coolness, whatever you are wearing.

 

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2. Carmy from The Bear: Pair with cotton work pants

Carmen Berzatto’s uniform in The Bear proves that precision matters. His white tee is always perfectly fitted—no billowing, no sagging. Pair it with navy work pants, fresh sneakers, and an apron if you’re plating pasta.

Try it with:

• Slim or tailored work pants
  
  

• White or neutral sneakers
  
  

• Tattoos optional, intensity required
  
  

Part of Carmy’s appeal is the dedication to wanting to be better. He’s a brilliant chef but with a bag full of trauma attached to that. There is a lot of class politics involved in the show due to Carmy’s background in fine dining and the sacrifice he makes by taking over a failing sandwich shop. While it may therefore be easy to perceive the humble white t-shirt in a pejorative way, Carmy’s story makes the white t-shirt stand for ambition. What story do you want to tell with your white t-shirt?

 

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3. Grease Lightning: Pair with (vegan) leather

Channel Danny Zuko with a slicked-back edge. The white tee here is tight, worn under a black leather jacket, with dark denim or cuffed chinos. Grease may be the word, but swagger is the message.

Try it with:

• A black biker jacket
  
  

• Cuffed trousers or jeans
  
  

• Cuban heels or vintage-style sneakers
  
  

If you’ve read this far and thought you’re not an American anti-hero, we’ve got you too. There’s a very good chance that you might fit into the Danny Zuko mould more than you might think. This is because there is a strong argument to be made for Zuko being analysed as simply cos-playing James Dean’s Jim Stark. The film, Grease, was made in 1978 but is set in the 1950s. Zuko isn’t really disaffected in the same way as Stark and is probably a bit too focused on trying to be cool (as opposed to making a stand based on values). That’s ok too! After all, who here hasn’t wanted to be regarded as cool as James Dean.

 

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4. Modern Minimalist: Blend with formal and quiet luxury tones

For those who appreciate clean aesthetics. Pair your white tee with tailored black trousers or tonal layers—think beige overcoats, white sneakers, silver jewellery. This is the art of quiet luxury.

Try it with:

• Monochrome or tonal layering
  
  

• Luxe textures (sustainable wool, linen, organic cotton)
  
  

• A slim, slightly boxy fit tee
  

It can be difficult to pin aesthetics down to individuals. Fashion is evolving and style can become iconic not only through the visions of a designer but also the choices and interpretations made by the wearer.

Having said that, there is a strong argument to be made that this particular style originates from the Japanese aesthetic called “wabi-sabi”, which values simplicity, subtlety and beauty of imperfection. In this philosophy, a white t-shirt carries the meaning of inner calm rather than being reduced to being a paragon of simplicity.

 

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5. Tucked and Tailored: Smart-casual crossover

A white tee can easily be dressed up. Tuck it into pleated trousers, throw on loafers and a lightweight blazer. It’s the type of outfit that looks like you know what you’re doing—even if you’re just grabbing coffee.

Try it with:

• Pleated or wide-leg trousers
  
  

• A cropped blazer or overshirt
  
  

• Loafers or derbies
  

Up until now, the references we’ve used above have mainly been related to casualwear (Carmy’s white t-shirt is the exception as it forms part of his uniform). Regular readers will know that we consider t-shirts to be part of the design language in more formal settings too. 

There is arguably a strong element of Italian Sprezzatura that underpins this. Sprezzatura is the art of looking effortless while being carefully composed. T-shirts worn under unstructured blazers, paired with pleated trousers and polished footwear, became a staple of summer tailoring in Milan and Florence. You can trace a line from this through to modern menswear, especially as adopted initially by the creative community and then more generally.

 

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6. 90s Skater Energy: Understated cool

Oversized is in. Go for a looser tee, straight-leg or baggy jeans, Vans or chunky sneakers, and maybe a backwards cap. Layer with a flannel or hoodie if needed—grunge never died.

Try it with:

• Oversized white t-shirt
  
  

• Baggy denim or cargo pants
  
  

• Skater sneakers and layered flannel
  
  

OK, ok, maybe you don’t need to go for a backwards cap if you don't feel cool enough! We might sound like we’re reeling off cliches if we’re back to referencing Nirvana t-shirts as well but the wider point here is that white t-shirts can be super casual and not as imbued with meaning as our ever-so-slightly pretentious writing above may suggest.

Whether you’re a skater or surfer or part of some other perennially cool-without-trying tribe, there is undoubtedly space in your closet for a white t-shirt and that is all we are getting at with this look.

 

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Final thoughts

The thing about the colour white is that it is very useful in hot weather. This is because the colour white can help keep you cooler by reflecting sunlight and heat. This is a big factor as to why quiet luxury ads will often show people wearing either white trousers or a white shirt (and sometimes both). The only thing to beware of when wearing white is the risk of stains, either from food or the great outdoors. These risks can be managed ultimately and the persistence of white clothing is testament to that.

The white tee is really for everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are—what matters is how you wear it. You too can find space in your wardrobe for a classic white t-shirt and look good when wearing it.