News for you: A simple T-shirt can be just as stylish as any other top. The perfect tee really makes a look, whether you wear it under a blazer or on its own with jeans. And oversized shirts can be even better than regular ones because of all the ways you can knot and tie them. A good knot, tie, and/or tuck can completely transform the silhouette and give them more of a shape. And now that warmer weather is here with summer around the corner, these styles are perfect for the season. They'll look super cute with high-waisted jeans or shorts when styled this way—or low-rise ones if you're feeling adventurous and dipping your toes back into that divisive trend.
I'm by no means an expert, but knotting your oversized tee is pretty simple to accomplish—even if you might have to redo it a few times to really nail down the look. Grab a plain white one, a graphic design, or really any baggy T-shirt to do this, but as a note, the more stretch it has, the easier the steps are.
Feel free to play around with the placement of these styles (the knot doesn’t always have to be centered, you know), and you can tie it loose or tight or somewhere in between. Really, this whole knotting, tying, and tucking thing is all based on your preferences, so you can keep fiddling around until your shirt fits exactly how you want it.
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Below, five different ways to tie a shirt. And, trust me, if I did it, so can you!
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H&M Oversized T-Shirt
Basic Front Knot
This is most likely the knot that first comes to mind, and it’ll transform your oversize tees into cute crop tops to wear this time of year. Hate that little end piece that pokes through though? There’s an optional step that sorts it out in the next video below.
- Fold up your T-shirt in the back.
- Gather the leftover fabric in the front.
- Twist the section until it forms a spiral.
- Wrap it around the ball and pull the end piece through.
Smooth Front Knot
This is the same as the previous style, except you take the fabric at the end and fold it over the entire knot so it’s smooth. A simple fix!
Simple Front Tuck With a Knot
A hybrid between a tuck and a knot, this is an easy move to shorten T-shirts and give them that ~effortless~ look since it allows your top to still hang pretty loose.
- Grab your tee at the sides and shorten it in the back.
- Take a section at either side in the front.
- Loosely twist the fabric on one side.
- Tuck the end into your bottoms and adjust until you get your preferred look.
Back Knot
If you don’t like the extra knotted fabric in the front, just switch it around to the back! This trick makes a roomy shirt more form-fitting and lets you shorten it to the length you want.
- Fold up the shirt in the front to your desired length.
- Gather the extra material in the back.
- Start twisting that section until a spiral is created.
- Wrap the fabric around the ball and pull the end piece through the middle.
- As an optional step, if the end piece is long enough, you can fold it under the knot so it doesn’t show.
Super-Cropped Front Knot
This definitely shows more skin, but you can also wear a longline bralette and have it peek out from underneath if you want to add a subtle but revealing detail.
- Similar to the previous knot, fold up the shirt in the back but slightly higher.
- Gather fabric in the front and fold up the sides of the shirt higher.
- Twist the section until it forms a spiral.
- Continue wrapping around the ball and pull the end piece through. The knot should be on the upper part of your torso.
- An optional step is to fold the entire knot under the hem of your shirt if you want to hide it.
Open-Back Tuck
Back sweat is real, folks, especially in those hot summer temps. Fold up your tee like this to get some air on your skin—and it’ll also give your plain ol’ shirt an unexpected twist.
- Use your fingers to tuck the fabric right under your back bra strap.
- Continue tucking and folding fabric up under the elastic until you get your desired look. It’s tricky and it might take a couple of tries to look even!
- Take the leftover fabric in the front and knot on one side (see the first example).
- Loosely tuck that section in.
I'm Cosmopolitan's Associate Fashion Editor and write about any and all trends, major celeb fashion moments, and why wide-leg jeans are basically the best. I originally moved to New York City to audition for RENT, only to find out that the play closed 10 years ago.
