No one knows the power of the white shirt and jeans combination better than Jennifer Lopez. And on her latest outing in New York, the multi-hyphenate sublimated the minimalist, foolproof formula while sending a message. (While running errands in Manhattan on Monday (July 1), she wore a tiny white crop top cut off just below her bust, showing off her toned abs and just a hint of underboob. But, like J.Lo, this was no ordinary white shirt. Upon closer inspection, she had customized the top with "JLO BE MY MAMA" printed in bold black letters.

Over this top, Lopez layered a cozy bubblegum pink cardigan and a pair of low-waisted Acne Studios baggy jeans. These jeans are the same ones she wore while apartment hunting with Ben Affleck in April.

She accented the look with white platform sneakers from K-Swiss. She also wore black James Oro sunglasses, large silver hoop earrings by Jennifer Fisher, and a mini purse worth $6,300 from Lady Dior instead of her usual Hermes Birkin bag.

This was J.Lo's official endorsement of the graphic T-shirt revival of the 2000s, when 1980s-inspired T-shirts became a casual way for celebrities to make a wordy statement. Zendaya's "I Told Ya" T-shirt (Challengers), Olivia Rodrigo's "Carrie Bradshaw AF" top (GUTS World Tour), and Paris Hilton's iconic "Stop Being Poor" tank.

In this case, Lopez's "JLO BE MY MAMA" T-shirt is a self-referential nod to her 2016 song "Ain't Your Mama." Her shirt is a reference to the song's chorus: "I don't cook all day, I ain't your mama / I don't do your laundry, I ain't your mama."

And this is not the first time J.Lo has literally spoken through fashion: in August 2023, she wrote "THIS IS ME.... . now," a custom Lingua Franca sweater embroidered with the phrase "This Is Me.... .now", a reference to their ninth studio album with the same title, which was scheduled to be released at the time.

J.Lo's street-style moment is not only a cheeky response to rumors surrounding her relationship with Ben Affleck, but in the midst of all this, she may return with a new project in the near future. While other celebrities choose Princess Diana's little black dress as the ultimate symbol of moving forward, J.Lo hints that a graphic T-shirt may be her LBD. Only Lopez knows what her message means, of course.

Follow Jennifer Lopez's lead and buy a similar white crop top and low-rise jeans.