How to Style a Vintage Band Tee for Men and Women

A vintage band tee is the easiest thing in your closet to wear and, weirdly, one of the easiest to get wrong. Too tight and it looks like a souvenir you outgrew. Too styled and it looks like a costume. The best band tees look like they have always been yours. Here's how to get there, whether you wear men's sizes, women's sizes or just whatever fits.

Start with fit, not the band

Pick the size before you fall in love with a design. Every 5MV tee has a classic tee fit, so the way it hangs depends on how you size it:

• True to your usual size for a standard tee look that tucks or half-tucks cleanly.
• One size up for a relaxed, lived-in drape. This is the sweet spot for most people.
• Two sizes up for the oversized look: longer hem, dropped shoulders, sleeves past the elbow. Great with bike shorts, slim jeans or as a dress over leggings.

The easiest trick: lay a shirt you love flat, measure armpit to armpit and top to bottom, then compare with our size chart. Two numbers and you're done.

Styling a vintage band tee: men's sizes

The classic. Black band tee, straight or slightly loose jeans, boots or worn-in sneakers. It has worked since the 70s because nothing fights with the shirt. Try it with something from the classic rock rack.

Layered. An open flannel or a chore jacket over a tee is the 90s uniform, and it's still the easiest way to make a band shirt look intentional. Grunge designs are made for this, so start in grunge t-shirts.

Under a jacket. A band tee under a denim jacket, leather jacket or even an unstructured blazer is a quick way to dress it up. Keep the shirt dark and the graphic bold.

Long sleeves in cold weather. A long sleeve band tee on its own, or a short-sleeve tee over a plain thermal, covers fall and winter.

Styling a vintage band tee: women's sizes

Most band tees are cut like a standard tee, so women usually choose between a fitted and an oversized look.

Fitted. Go one size down from your usual tee size or use the size chart to find a closer chest measurement. Tuck it into high-waisted jeans or a skirt. A front tuck is the quickest fix if a shirt is a little long.

Oversized. Go one or two sizes up and wear it loose with bike shorts, leggings or slim jeans. Knot it at the hip if you want shape without tucking.

As a dress. Two sizes up, belted or loose, with boots. This works especially well with long, all-over print designs from the all over print collection.

Cropped or cut. Plenty of people cut the neckline or the hem of a band tee. It's your shirt. If you want ideas first, read how to distress and age a cotton tee.

Colors and washes

Black is the default for a reason: it hides wear and makes white and red ink pop. Washed or faded black looks even more like a shirt that has been to a lot of shows, and those live in the washed black vintage tees collection. White band tees look sharp with denim on denim. Colored tees are best when the rest of the outfit stays neutral.

Matching the band to the outfit

• Metal and thrash like black denim, boots and leather. See vintage metal band t-shirts.
• 90s alternative and grunge want flannel, loose jeans and beat-up sneakers. See 90s band t-shirts.
• Rap tees want room, so size up and pair with wide denim or cargos. See vintage rap tees.
• Tour shirts are about the back print, so don't bury them under a jacket all day. See vintage concert and tour tees.

A few rules worth breaking

People will tell you not to wear a band shirt if you can't name three songs. Fair enough. But a lot of people find their favorite band because the shirt came first. People will also tell you not to wear the band's shirt to their show. Plenty of people do it anyway, and nobody at the merch table has ever minded.

Wear it hard

Every tee at 5MV is a new reprint, hand silk screened on soft cotton, so you can wear it as often as you like without babysitting it. Browse every design in band t-shirts or the full vintage t-shirts rack. Free U.S. shipping, 30-day returns, and sizing questions go to eve@5mv.com.