How to Style an Oversized Shirt | Open and Loose With Distressed Jeans

Spring style: Oversized patterned shirt, distressed jeans, straw Panama hat

An oversized shirt is an ideal piece for spring – it serves the same purpose as a coat but acts as a cover-up without the warmth.

I’ve had this patterned shirt for a few years now and I bought it because I loved the pattern, but at the time it was my intention to take it up to a standard length. However, I’m glad I didn’t as it’s been much more versatile long (as you can see here and here) – my abject laziness has served me well in this instance.

The outfit actually started with the Panama hat (bad hair day) and went from there. I knew I needed baggy jeans, flats and something with long sleeves to keep my arms warm, so this is what I ended up with. I hadn’t used my Elvis & Kresse bowling bag in a while (I missed its made-from-fire-hoses smell) – I liked how the mustard yellow colour picked out the flecks in the shirt. The finishing touch was the dipped leaf earrings from Accessorize (which also come in silver) and yes, they’re made from real leaves: a total impulse buy but I absolutely adore them!

A bag made from fire hoses and earrings made from real leaves – do you have any clothing or accessories made from unusual or unconventional materials? Do share in the comments, I’d love to know πŸ™‚

Catherine x

P.S. You might like to see other ways I styled the same shirt: Knotted and with dark skinnies | Loose and with palazzo pants | Collar pinned to create a turtleneck

Spring style: Oversized patterned shirt, distressed jeans, white pointed flats
Spring style: Patterned shirt, straw Panama hat, gold leaf earrings
Spring style: Oversized patterned shirt, distressed jeans, straw Panama hat
Spring style: Oversized patterned shirt, boyfriend jeans
Spring style: Patterned shirt, straw Panama hat, gold leaf earrings

Hat: c/o La Redoute | Shirt: Asos (old) | Jeans: Asos | Shoes: Debenhams SS14 | Bag: c/o Elvis & Kresse | Earrings: Accessorize | Rings: Asos | Nails: Rimmel Salon Pro by Kate Saturn | Lips: MAC Morange

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26 Comments

  1. 10 June 2015 / 1:20 pm

    Lovely combination. Although casual it still is a very well put together outfit. Not your normal " throw on a sweater and put on jeans" kinda outfit. The hat adds a lot to that. Darned, I wish I had a hat head and hat hair.
    Greetje

    • 10 June 2015 / 1:21 pm

      I forgot to add I have a leaf pendant dipped in gold. I should wear it more.

    • 16 June 2015 / 12:48 pm

      Hehe I love your "hat head and hat hair" description, Greetje!! Though I definitely have "hat hair" after I've been wearing one all day πŸ˜‰ Thank you x

  2. 9 June 2015 / 3:32 pm

    When I was a teenager, I took a trip to Spain with my high-school Spanish class. Some of us took a side trip to Tangier, Morocco. During the tour of Tangier, we visited a bazaar in the Casbah and bargained with the salesmen. I bought a purse that was supposedly made out of antelope hide. At the time, I did not question this claim, and often bragged to my friends about my "antelope bag". After I told my Grandparents about this, my Grandpa was confused and told his friends that I had a purse made from kangaroo hide.

    Now that I'm older and wiser, I don't think that the handbag was really made out of antelope, kangaroo or any other special hide. For one thing, it looked and smelled like any other leather purse. And when I bought it in the bazaar, I was able to bargain the price down far lower than what the man there originally wanted to sell it to me for. If the purse had really been made from an exotic animal, I don't think that I would have been able to pay as little as I did for it. Not to mention that I probably would have had trouble getting a purse with exotic animal hide through United States customs on the way home.

    • 9 June 2015 / 6:32 pm

      Wow, Gail – sounds like you were fed a bit of a story…! But it did amuse me that it went from antelope to kangaroo – they're not even from the same continent ;)) x

  3. 7 June 2015 / 1:50 am

    Ha!! I've just been thinking about how I've neglected my own Elvis & Kresse bag a wee bit recently, dearest Catherine!! πŸ˜‰ Time to get her back into an outfit post…and your adorable oversized shirt and boyfriend jeans combo is exactly the inspiration I needed!! P.S. Those strap-embellished white flats are SO cute!! XOXO

    http://www.StyleIsMyPudding.blogspot.com

    • 8 June 2015 / 6:55 pm

      Sometimes it's quite good to stop using something you love constantly, Monika, then you get the excitement of it feeling like new again when you come back to it!! Glad you loved the outfit, thank you so much xx

  4. 3 June 2015 / 2:44 pm

    I need another pair of boyfriend-type jeans!! These are perfect!

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:11 pm

      You can't have too many, Jaclyn…!!! Thanks sweetie x

  5. Carrie H
    1 June 2015 / 5:08 am

    Great outfit! The oversized shirt is a more tailored take on the kimono trend. I thrifted an oversized shirt with a fun Taj Mahal print that I will have to mend over the summer now that you've given me an idea of how to wear it …

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:10 pm

      Ahh it is rather like a kimono, Carrie, you're right!! Glad you like it, thank you x

  6. 31 May 2015 / 11:33 am

    You've given me more styling ideas as usual, Catherine! This is a great relaxed and modern look. xox

    • 8 June 2015 / 12:26 pm

      Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday, too, xox.

  7. 31 May 2015 / 7:42 am

    The handbag still fascinates me. What a great idea! Earrings are beautiful, too.

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:09 pm

      Thank you Martina – they're both such a great idea, aren't they? A bag made from fire hoses still fascinates me too!!

  8. 30 May 2015 / 5:50 pm

    Great look. And your earings and hat are amazing, so want them. Lorraine x

  9. 30 May 2015 / 3:46 pm

    At last! Someone my age in distressed jeans…looking chic. I have been a little nervous of mine (recently DIY'd from a pair of my son's grow-out Levis) feeling they were fabulous (make my bum look amazing) but maybe too scruffy??? You have inspired me to trust my gut and don my little Frenchsole's and a crisp tee. Fabulous! Thank you. x

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:08 pm

      No more scruffy than yoga pants, Sam – just far more cool and deliberate (rather than lazy)! So glad you love the outfit, I've worn them lots of times so have a look at my Outfits page for more inspo! Thank you x

  10. 30 May 2015 / 2:53 pm

    great look, I do love that bag. I have a lot of earrings and necklaces I have made from guitar picks and vinyl records.

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:06 pm

      Wow Linda that's so cool!! I assume you're a guitar player…?

  11. 30 May 2015 / 2:52 pm

    I love the shirt like this….the first glance at the picture and I thought it was a jacket! jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
    ps…don't you just love hats for functionality?

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:06 pm

      Jodie I couldn't survive without hats!! I love that you thought the shirt was a jacket, thanks hun x

    • 3 June 2015 / 9:04 pm

      No problem, Rena – glad to have been of inspiration! Thank you my lovely x

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