The theme for our Ageless style group suggested by Marsha was a way to bring forth the fact that it’s National Random Acts of Kindness day. You might wonder how we could style something for that, and I bet you would be surprised at all of the ideas.
I played it safe by going with my “Love More” sweatshirt and the idea of how to style a graphic sweatshirt three different ways.
Quote of the day: “The more you welcome your vulnerability, the less afraid you’ll feel.” From the book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Interesting quote, eh?? I figured with the theme of Random Acts of Kindness, an inspirational quote was needed. And for some reason, this quote really struck home for me when I read it. It has nothing to do with how to style a graphic sweatshirt except maybe for the fact that 10 years ago, I would never have considered these options.
I have to admit that my fear of how others judge me based on what I’m wearing has declined like you wouldn’t believe. Is that vulnerability? It could be in that I realize we shouldn’t all look and dress the same, and so while I LOVE what I wear (usually), I don’t expect everyone else to feel the same.
What I do hope over time, is that you, the reader, can learn ways to make your closet more versatile, and to play with colors with more abandon.
I feel like part of being an adult stopped us from having fun with our style and taught us instead that we had to be “proper” and “appropriate” when getting dressed.
Whew. Well that was a tangent, wasn’t it?
How to style a graphic sweatshirt
1-For working out
2-Running errands
3-Fancy
Let’s get back to our Ageless Style prompt which I transformed into how to wear a graphic sweatshirt.
This “Love More” sweatshirt was a Target find a couple of years ago. It’s not one that I would have normally found on my own because the color is drab, but a group of us were all getting it to style together. Therefore, I went along, knowing I could add some pizzazz to it in other ways.
And hopefully, I will inspire you with ideas of how to take a plain or graphic sweatshirt (t-shirt or even sweater) and have it be one that fits into a look that you just love.
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A Sweatshirt for Workout
I’m sure this is the normal way we know how to wear a graphic sweatshirt. It’s a casual item and considering its sweatshirt material, we wear it for sweating.
There’s nothing wrong with wearing a clothing piece for what it was intended. But we don’t have to be limited either. The possibilities are endless if you stop calling it a sweatshirt and think of it as a top. Therefore you can wear it with fancy things, or casual things. PLUS you can layer over it and under it. I’ve only shown the tip of the iceberg here, but trust me, there’s a ton more.
How to Style a Graphic Sweatshirt for Running Errands
I’m wearing a different type of leggings in this outfit. They don’t have as much stretch and spandex, so I don’t wear them to work out. They are more for normal outfits.
Insider tip: Remember your leggings can act as tights to wear under dresses and skirts for warmth.
Peek a Boo Shirttail
But the problem with how to wear a graphic sweatshirt with these leggings for going out and about in public is that my rear end wasn’t covered. This sweatshirt is just a normal length, and I didn’t feel comfortable this way.
Luckily I had just worked with a woman who has a site that sells these peek-a-boo shirttails. They are basically the bottom half of a shirt made to cover your bum without the bulk of the shirt on the top half of your body. How brilliant is that?
These shirt tails come in different colors and sizes, and use code Jodie20 for a discount.
I have two of these, and here is how I styled the burgundy one.
You know how I love these kinds of hacks to make our closet work better for us. You can see how the black band is meant to be below your waist, and then the fabric covers your rear and crotch area. It’s a very lightweight fabric so it’s not too warm.
Other styling items that solve a problem:
1-Halftees-give you coverage at the top half of your body and not your midriff. Use code Jtouch20.
2-Magnets -hold fabrics together without putting holes in it
3-Peek a Boo Shirttails-cover your rear without the bulk around your chest or midriff. Use code Jodie20
Accessories
Since my graphic sweatshirt has a crew neck, I added a scarf around my neck. You can see in the close-up shot, I used a magnet to hold the scarf to my sweatshirt where it is. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’m not one to like to fiddle with my clothes once they are on. And I wanted the scarf ties to be on an angle (not work its way down to the front). Therefore I used the magnet to hold it in place.
You’ll also laugh that I wore my legwarmers. I know, they take you back to the 90s but I find them so functional, especially in Pilates class. Leggings by themselves, just aren’t super warm.
Anyways, I found these legwarmers on Just Be Youtiful’s online site and thought they fit into the looks so well.
Why? I felt that the combat boots were almost too bulky by themselves with the leggings. So the legwarmers added balance. Heck, I could be full of “#^*&*” but I like how it turned out.
The boots are from Walking Cradles and I’ve been surprised how many times taupe boots can be a perfect choice.
Related post: Ways to wear taupe boots
Dressing Up a Graphic Sweatshirt
Of course, I wanted to style my graphic sweatshirt with a fancier look too. This would be super easy in a couple of ways.
You could pair it with a tulle skirt, throw it on over a dress, or style it with a skirt. And that’s what I did. I found a skirt that hasn’t seen the light of day yet this winter and gave it a breath of fresh air.
There’s a story behind this skirt. It used to be a kilt given to me by the mother of the kid I used to babysit all 4 years in high school. Once I went off to college, the skirt somehow became too small (I’m sure you all can relate), but I didn’t want to part with it.
So my mother magically redesigned it into an asymmetrical skirt (which you have seen years ago here).
BTW, my mom said it wasn’t easy or fun to iron out all of the pleats from the kilt.
I decided this day to wear the skirt with the asymmetrical detail in a different position. The zipper is meant to be on the side, but I decided to put it in front and have the skirt be a high-low design.
Why not? I’m the boss of my clothes, and I don’t have to wear them the way they were designed.
I also layered a denim shirt under the sweatshirt and added all kinds of extras.
The Extras
My bestie from high school sent me this beret that had been her mother’s. And it was a perfect extra accessory for how to wear a graphic sweatshirt for fancy, don’t you think?
I just found these fabulous cactus earrings at Just Be Youtiful so they added charm to the look since they were the same colors.
And then I wore my green cowboy boots.
Related post: How to wear cowboy boots
BTW, notice that I threw a scarf on the strap of my purse for extra decoration. You know how Coco Chanel has been quoted about before you leave the house, take one thing off. Well if you know anything about the woman, she was a rebel in her own time. So if you really want to emulate her, you should be doing as you please. That’s what she always did.
Insider tip: Want to read about Coco Chanel? I learned tons from the book Gospel According to Coco Chanel.
Ageless Style Group
These are the women who are getting creative for “Random Acts of Kindness day” on their blogs. It’s always so inspirational to see other women have fun with their closets. I hope you pop over and check them out.
And we don’t all post at the same time, so make sure to check back if their post isn’t up yet.
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’
Joanne ~ My Slice of Life
Blog
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Blog | Instagram | Facebook |
Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Blog /Instagram
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Rosemary ~ Distinctly Southern Style
Blog / Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook
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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
