Suddenly, Fashion People Everywhere Are Using This Easy '90s Styling Hack to Make Their Jeans Look Instantly Cooler
Why wear one, when you could wear two? The 90's-coded layered t-shirt trend is back and ready to lend your jeans a cool edge this winter. Scroll to discover more.


As I sifted through my T-shirt collection the other day, deciding what to keep and what to store away for now, I realised my carefully curated selection is second to none. From fitted long-sleeves to graphic prints and the fresh white tees, you could say I have more than a few options. In a slightly disoriented haze, I looked up and saw a clip of Friends on my TV screen, and there was Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in the layered T-shirt trend I’d been overlooking this whole time.
In the episode, Rachel wears a simple black long-sleeved top underneath a bright green graphic tee. Basic to the untrained eye, but to me, it lends her tracksuit bottoms and chunky “dad” trainers an undeniably cool edge, and I was hooked. Sure, the look has an inherent retro ’90s aesthetic, which has very much come back around lately, but with the image firmly in my mind's eye, I was surprised to see a whole host of fashionable people on my feed styling the layered-tee trend in winter 2025, which is why I needed to tell you about it!
The beauty of this styling hack lies in its simplicity: a short-sleeved crew-neck tee layered over a longer one. Instantly, your favourite T-shirt is given an undone, slightly preppy refinement, which, when paired with jeans or relaxed trousers, makes your outfit feel 100 times cooler than just a tee alone. Plus, the options are limitless when it comes to colour combos; from green and black like Aniston’s Rachel, to fresh white on white, which still feels timeless, you can go as maximalist or pared-back as you like.
Now, not that it needs to be said, but layering is a big trend in autumn/winter 2025. From the Valentino show, which featured a vibrant blue shirt layered underneath a red-and-white graphic tee, to Sandy Laing’s baby-pink striped shirt with a graphic tee layered on top, the runways were filled with this once-dated top trend this season.
My favourite thing about this is that it allows you to repurpose you’re own wardrobe rather than investing in something new. I, for one, will be leaning into the layered T-shirt trend when my staple tops start to feel a touch stagnant this winter. But if you are looking to refresh your basic tops, shop my current picks below.
Shop the Layered-T-shirt Trend:

Imani-Nia Francis-Tsolaki is Junior Fashion Editor at Who What Wear UK, where she expertly navigates Gen-Z-aligned editorial content and brand try-ons to unearth the most worthwhile pieces, while valiantly resisting the urge to add every single one to her basket.
At Who What Wear, Imani is committed to uncovering cool new brands to share with the WWW UK readership, and finding gems that make shopping accessible (and fun) for everyone.
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