New Orleans is the only American city that dresses for parades 365 days a year. The result is one of the most colorful, musical, and unselfconscious wardrobes in the country. NOLA street style is built on jazz, second lines, Mardi Gras, and a Southern layer of leisure. Here's how.
The Roots: How New Orleans Learned to Dress
NOLA style has roots as deep as the Mississippi. Jazz age wardrobe — zoot suits, fedoras — born in the 1910s and 20s. The second line parades, with their umbrellas and brass bands, gave the city its flamboyant walking style. Mardi Gras added the color: purple, green, gold. And the Treme and Seventh Wards kept it street — neighborhood culture, fresh tees, fresh sneakers. Modern NOLA streetwear is what happens when all of it layers: a heavyweight tee under a linen shirt, with parade-ready confidence.
The Pillars of New Orleans Street Style
· Color on neutral: NOLA wears one bold color per fit — Mardi Gras purple, green, or gold — against a cream or black base.
· Linen and leisure: The city is hot. Linen, light cotton, and a cut that breathes are non-negotiable.
· Parade-ready accessories: A bandana, a gold chain, a pair of sunglasses. NOLA accessories look like they might lead a second line.
· Footwear that walks: NOLA walks Bourbon, Frenchmen, the Quarter. Comfortable shoes, always.
Three Fits to Steal From New Orleans
1. The French Quarter Standard. Xisvel New Orleans tee (cream, oversize, back print) + loose linen trousers + leather sandals + a Panama hat.
2. The Frenchmen Layer. Black NOLA tee + black denim + white AF1s + a bandana in the back pocket. Built for a night of jazz on Frenchmen Street.
3. The Mardi Gras Fit. White NOLA tee + a purple, green, or gold overshirt + jeans + sneakers. Parade-ready, any Tuesday.
Where to Actually See New Orleans Street Style
The French Quarter (obviously — but walk it early, before the crowds); Frenchmen Street (the real jazz); the Marigny (neighborhood style, vintage); Magazine Street (shopping and coffee); and any second line parade — the city's true runway, whenever it appears.
Why We Built the Xisvel New Orleans Tee
NOLA doesn't need another beaded-souvenir. The Xisvel New Orleans tee uses 240 gsm heavyweight cotton that breathes in Gulf humidity and holds its cut wash after wash. The back print is a brushstroke mark — second-line bold, French Quarter clean.
A Heavyweight Graphic Tee.
The foundation. NOLA tees are never thin. They should have enough weight to hold their shape, a boxy but not oversized cut, and a graphic that references something real — the flag, a neighborhood, a lyric, a skyline. Thin, see-through tees read as tourist merchandise. NOLA tees read as uniform.
NOLA style isn't about looking like a Bourbon Street postcard. It's about wearing a city that marches for fun. Start with one light tee, keep the palette neutral, and let the parade colors do the talking.
Shop the look: Explore the Xisvel New Orleans Tee → $69.99, free shipping for all orders！
Explore the full Xisvel City Collection → | Tag us @xisvel if you're wearing the New Orleans tee out.
