Cute Denim Shirt Outfit Ideas You Can Wear Anywhere
One of my favorite closet pieces is a women's classic denim shirt. And as a wardrobe stylist, I get asked quite a lot about cute denim shirt outfit ideas that will make you look stylish. I consider a dark or light denim shirt a classic piece that you can wear with just about anything. And wearing a piece with just about anything is what injects longevity into your wardrobe. Here are some cute denim shirt outfit ideas that you can wear immediately.
Cute Denim Shirt Outfit Ideas that Work for Almost Every Occasion
From jeans to shirt dresses, a denim shirt is a key piece to own. A cute denim shirt is one of the easiest styles to integrate into your everyday wardrobe. Dark wash or light, a denim shirt can be paired with stripes, with patterns, and even with another denim piece (think of the Canadian tuxedo!) which will talk about in just a bit. To help you create those great outfits using a denim shirt, here are some pointers.
Pointers for Pulling Together An Array of Cute Denim Shirt Outfit Ideas
1 | Start by sourcing a great denim top ||
Where do you turn when it comes to picking out the right denim top? Three of my favorite places to find denim shirts that are both cute and comfortable are:
- J.Crew || J. Crew and J. Crew Factory both have cute denim shirts in light and dark wash that you can find in a range of prices from $18 - $118 (price: $$)
- Target || You know how you walk out of Target having somehow spent $100 when you went in to spend $10 on toilet paper? Well, one of those reasons is that they have such great finds! One of the items that I know they have almost always in stock (mainly, easily found online) are women's denim shirts. (price: $)
- Nordstrom || Denim brands such as Current/Elliott and Rails make their own, super soft versions of the denim shirt. If you're one to want a high end top from a well-known denim brand, this is your best bet. They also have a variety of dark wash and light wash denim shirts from Madewell too. (price: $$-$$$)
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2 | Know what pairs well with a denim shirt ||
The key to pulling together a variety of cute denim shirt outfit ideas that you'll wear over and over again. You can dress a denim shirt up or down. You can wear a dark denim shirt with an a-line skirt for work on casual Fridays or with a colorful skirt to grab brunch with friends. In addition to that there is freedom in your closet knowing what to wear with a denim shirt! Here are some quick pointers for denim shirts.
- Solid on Solid || Think of denim shirts as you would denim pants. The blue indigo color allows for quite a variety of color & pattern pairings. It's definitely okay to partner a dark denim with a light denim from top to bottom. This is one great idea that will have you easily mixing and matching a great denim shirt with jeans. For more cute denim shirt outfit ideas, you can also pair white denim with a light denim top!
- Mix in with a Print || This is one of my favorite ways to partner a denim shirt. I love a good pattern and when I can integrate it with a solid piece it works out so so well. Take a look at my print mixing Pinterest board for more style ideas!
- Color Blocking || Mixing bold solid colors together is a great way to switch up an outfit using denim. Pink + Indigo Blue? Go for it! Denim is so versatile, you can mix it with everything and get away with it!
Essential Pieces to Create Cute Denim Shirt Outfit Ideas for Everything Day to Night
So we've covered the basic pointers when it comes to cute denim shirt outfit ideas. Now what are the essential pieces that you need to blend these cute denim shirt outfit ideas together? Here are some great places to start: (some of these pieces, you probably already own!)
1 || Skirts ||
You can wear a light or dark denim shirt with any type of skirt. My favorites that work? A pleated skirt, with the denim top tucked in. More options? A midi skirt layered with a vest, the almighty tulle skirt (check out eight different ways to wear tulle skirts here), or a pencil skirt. The idea is to get the most out of your denim shirt. With skirts, you can dress them up or down, with flats or heels. This gives you more freedom to wear the denim shirt to work or out for coffee.
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2. Pants/Slacks/Jeans ||
Most women have to wear slacks or pants to work in a business environment. However, that doesn't mean your outfit has to be boring. You can still get away with a crisp denim dark wash shirt. Then, take that same concept and wear it with a fabulous pair of patterned pants. Tie the bottom of the top for a fun casual take on a stylish denim shirt outfit.
3 | Dress ||
This is such an underrated, yet super cute, option as another way to style your denim shirt! Wear it tied around your waist over a dress (or long maxi skirt).
4 | Shorts ||
For a more casual option, shorts with a light denim top (even sleeveless) is the way to go. For women who are pregnant, this is a super cute way to still maintain a selection of cute denim shirt outfits without having to buy any new pieces. That's a win win!
Tips for Building a Great Outfit with a Denim Shirt as the Base
To ensure that you're creating plenty of cute denim shirt outfit ideas with what you have, all it takes is a little motivation (and these three tips). It'll leave you heading out the door with confidence and style.
1. Build with the right layers ||
Often, daytime calls for simplicity. When it comes to night time, adding a layer is perfect. A fitted moto jacket is just the right piece. Pull the chambray sleeves up over the jacket for a pop of color. Or you can opt for cool with a bomber jacket. All you have to do is pop the collar, roll the sleeves up, off you go.
2. Dress it up with a great shoe ||
When you want to turn a denim top into wearable outfit for night, simply pull on a great pair of heels. If you're coming from work, stash a pair of heels in your bag!
3. Mix up the accessories ||
During the day, a simple denim shirt might be layered subtle gold necklaces. At night, change it up by adding a great statement necklace or maybe a costume ring. If accessories aren't on hand for you, here are two simple solutions. Changing out your work bag for a clutch or hands free cross body bag (one of my personal favorites!) is the perfect way to make a simple denim shirt look stunning.
Dressing up a denim shirt can now be made much simpler for you with all of these style ideas. If you're in need of something other than cute denim shirt outfit ideas, I'm always a fan of dressing up a denim jacket or helping you refine your style just that much more. Questions, thoughts, weigh in!