This might be a controversial opinion, but T-shirts are the unsung heroes of your wardrobe. Some of you might think they're boring when you compare them to "going-out" tops, blouses, tanks, and other kinds of tops, but a T-shirt is so much more versatile. You can wear it with a blazer and tailored trousers to work or on its own with cutoff shorts and sneakers for a low-key look. But if you want to liven up basic tee into something a lil' more extra, a simple knot, tuck, or tie can add more interest to your ensemble. Oversized shirts are key for knotting because you'll have more fabric to work with, but you can follow these instructions on any tee that has a slight stretch to it.
Now that summer is just around the corner, you might want to try these styles to keep the airflow to a maximum—and the sweat to a minimum. These styles will look cute with your go-to pair of high-waisted jeans, or hey, even low-waisted ones if you're back on board with the early aughts trend. Skeptical of your skills? I had never attempted to tie or knot a shirt before writing this here article—if I can do it, so can you! You might have to redo it a few times to nail the exact look you're going for, but you can do it with a plain white shirt, a graphic one, or really any baggy tee in your closet.
Feel free to play around with the placement of these styles (the knot doesn’t always have to be centered, ya 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.
Below, six different ways to tie a shirt.
Buck Mason Sea Shell Slub Easy Crew
Adidas x Wales Bonner Football Shirt
H&M Oversized T-shirt
Universal Standard Garcon Tee Classic Navy
#1: Basic Front Knot
This is prob the knot that first comes to mind, right? It transforms your oversize tees into cute crop tops to wear this time of year. Hate that little end piece that pokes through? Same. 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.
#2: Smooth Front Knot
About that tiny piece you pulled through... Simply take the fabric at the end and fold it over the entire knot to make it smooth. Easy fix!
#3: Simple Front Tuck With a Knot
This is like a combination of a tuck and a knot, and it's a low-lift way to shorten T-shirts and give them that ~effortless~ look. It's just barely tucked in, which still allows your top to 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.
#4: Back Knot
If you don’t want a knot in the front, just move it 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.
#5: Super-Cropped Front Knot
Okay, so 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.
#6: 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 smooth, but you got this.
- Take the leftover fabric in the front and knot on one side (see example #3).
- 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.
