10 Effortless Ways To Style An Oversized Shirt For The Ultimate Cozy & Cool Vibes

Oversized shirts have been a cozy yet effortlessly cool go-to for a while now. They're one of those wardrobe staples (just like the oversized handbag) that keeps coming back, thanks to how easy they are to rock and all the different ways there are to style them.

But there are a few things to think about before you grab that oversized shirt off the rack. Exactly what to go for will depend on what you're doing that day, as the oversized look can often be more slouchy and comfortable than it is formal. Likewise, because it's easy, particularly for those with smaller frames, to get lost in an oversized look, you may want to pick something with some detail (be it a print or pattern) to bring the focus away from the size. 

You'll also want to avoid just sizing up regular clothing. By choosing something that's purposefully designed to be oversized, there'll be less chance of you getting buried by all that extra fabric. "Purposefully oversized pieces provide the additional structure you need to avoid looking like all your clothes have stretched on the hanger which just looks scruffy. You want the items to be oversized in the correct places, like the shoulders and the waist," stylist Sarah-Ann Murray explained to FashionBeans. "Otherwise, you'll look like a schoolboy who's not grown into his new school uniform yet."

So, now you know what you're looking for, here's how you can style your new oversized shirt.

One way to stay cozy while rocking an oversized look is to tuck it in and pair it with a longer coat, like a trench. Consultant and Instagram influencer Débora Rosa perfectly demonstrated how to do this by opting for a blue and white vertical striped top which she loosely tucked into her billowing white pants during a trip to Istanbul, Turkey. By not tightly pushing the bottom of the shirt into her pants, it keeps things that little bit more comfortable and casual while also giving the look a more daytime, slightly slouchy look to help you stay cozy no matter what the temperature. If you go all out and copy Rosa's look down to the flat beige shoes that match her trench, you'll be comfortable — and stylish — all day.

Wearing your oversized shirt as outerwear is one of the best ways to look cool and feel cozy at the same time. You may have heard of this idea already, as, in fashion circles, it's sometimes referred to as a shacket (aka a shirt jacket). This textured button-up shirt that influencer Lisa Munro chose goes perfectly with skinny bottoms, so if you're opting for something similar, it would let you play with proportions a little. And that's exactly how stylist Sarah-Ann Murray recommended wearing the oversized trend to FashionBeans. "For the most part, you need to balance out the look with a slimmer fit elsewhere," she shared. "Try and keep it a normal fit on top, but avoid super skinny as the contrast will look odd." Munro paired her oversized shirt with comfy Uggs to stay extra cozy no matter what the season.

For more of a rock, grunge look, pair your oversized shirt with shorts. The closer your shorts are to the length of the top, the better! Instagram user @cerisekelseyy opted for black cycling shorts under her vintage top depicting none other than "Game of Thrones" and "The Last of Us" actor Pedro Pascal (extra points for that, by the way). The comfy shirt gives off a throwback vibe and would look extra chic and on-trend paired with chunky 90s-style sneakers. This look ticks the box when it comes to the advice designers Alisa Bogdanovichoff and Nikolay Bogdanovichoff gave to Vogue France, as they suggested, "Mix oversized clothing with pieces which will show your body: skinny jeans or shorts." Check!

How adorable is this long T-shirt styled over skinny jeans and paired with a blazer? Blogger Lena exuded cool by mixing styles, combining her sporty oversized top with a smarter blazer. The reason this works so well is because she married the two by sticking with matching colors; in this case, navy and beige. Teaming the dressed-down top with dressier extras will stop your look from coming across as too casual, and will also keep you warm if you're not lucky enough to live somewhere sunny all year round. "Oversized pieces make your style look quite 'spontaneous.' That is why it's very important to watch the tidiness and balance of the whole outfit," Alisa Bogdanovichoff and Nikolay Bogdanovichoff told Vogue France. "Otherwise oversize can turn to sloppiness," they added. Certainly not here!

If you want your oversized look to have a little more structure, you could throw it back to the trend that was everywhere in the late 1990s. You know the one. When Britney Spears burst onto the scene with her knotted white shirt in her "... Baby One More Time" music video. Instagrammer @crownsncocktails showed us how this is done while supporting another musical icon, the one and only Whitney Houston. The social media user tied her top around the naval to flash just a little extra skin and show off her fabulous confidence. Exactly how high you knot it is completely up to you, but pairing the look with high-waisted bottoms means you don't have to show too much if you don't want to. If you were looking for extra cozy vibes, you could pair this look with a cardigan or jacket for the cooler months.

As Yasmine Arrabella Cheshire put it in the caption of her Instagram upload, "Classic, minimal and timeless you just can't beat a white shirt." And we agree. Cheshire showed off one of the classic, and potentially most popular, ways of sporting an oversized shirt, which involves pairing a big button-up with a pair of jeans. The Instagram influencer went super long with her top, but how long you feel comfortable with is completely up to you. The color of jeans you opt for also depends on your style, but you may want to go for a lighter blue jean in the summer (maybe even a cropped look) and switch to a darker navy or even black denim for the autumn and winter months.

"As any other trend, oversize should align with your own frequency. You don't have to wear clothes that don't match your true self," Alisa Bogdanovichoff and Nikolay Bogdanovichoff told Vogue France — but this could be your chance to mix a few different sides of your fashion personality. Fashion influencer Laura Doyle stayed cozy in her oversized band t-shirt by sporting an equally oversized black leather-looking jacket over it, but went a little more feminine on her bottom half. As we've seen, going oversized can come with a twist, which made Doyle's leopard print midi skirt the perfect way to inject her own style into her oversized look. She kept the rocker theme going with chunky black boots, though we think you could easily style this look with heels or flats.

If you prefer your outfits with a little more structure, the way to get that with an oversized look is to accessorize with a waist belt. This will bring the focus back to your middle, which can sometimes get a little lost with an oversized shirt, and stops it from looking too boxy. Realtor Ouko Achieng Kathleen showed us how to do it with this classic navy and white vertically striped shirt, showing us her slim middle with a brown belt with gold hardware. There are a few ways you can make this look your own, including wearing a form-fitting top underneath and leaving the buttons undone to show a little skin, or by tucking one side of the top into your bottoms.

As we've seen, co-ords have had a bit of a movement, and now you can piggyback off that trend with the oversized shirt trend, too! If you want to stay comfy and cozy, pair an oversized top with matching billowy bottoms, just like Ness Cunningham did in her Instagram upload. Cunningham opted for white linen with dark embroidery, but the world really is your oyster when it comes to this relaxed look. If you want to go for something a little more subdued, you could wear a matching black co-ord outfit, and this is an easy one to tailor to any event. If you want to go more casual, you'll want to pair it with flats, but if you're looking to be a little more dressy, heels may be a better option.

An oversized shirt can be a quick and easy way to add a pop of color to an outfit that may otherwise be lacking that bold pop. Instagram influencer Ankana Mukherjee went for a super on-trend Barbiecore-esque pink shirt, which she rocked over a white crop top and blue jeans. She left it unbuttoned so we can still see her stylish outfit underneath. Equally, depending on how cozy you're looking to be, you can roll the sleeves up or let them down. The thing we love most about these super colorful oversized tops is that they can brighten up your look in no time. This way of styling the look would also be ideal if you have a wardrobe full of black, as you could rock black from head to toe but add a splash of color with your shirt.