There was a time when wearing clothes so loose that they needed a stapler to stay on was less of a style move, more your mom made sure you could get through puberty in the same school blazer.
But if she graduated in the last 15 years, chances are she
has grown up appreciating clothes that have been designed slim and flattering,
clothes that don't just hang over her shoulders. For most of the 21st century,
men's fashion has been dominated by slim cuts
Influenced by Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme and later Saint
Laurent, men's wardrobes were wrapped in plastic around the mid-2000s. There
were only muscular shirts, fitted cuts, and independent groups. But in recent
years, the fashion pendulum has taken a step back.
This was partly a reaction to what had happened before, but
the oversized trend has also gone hand in hand with the rise of hip-hop and
athleisure fashions in the general public. Long Kanye West T-shirts and thick
hoodies were one part, and the puffy suits of Kim Jones, Demna Gvasalia,
Patrick Grant, and Virgil Abloh another.
Celebrities wearing the oversize trend
Compared to jeans and skinny suits, comfort is in. Baggy
pants, loose blazers, square tops, and blanket-style coats. It's not that
oversized clothing can't be tailored, but it's definitely more dubious.
However, it would be a mistake to think that this is
something new. Baggy pants are the bastions of '50s style, Daddy jeans are
straight out of the' 90s, while power suits have their roots in the '80s.
Oversized has always been a statement, and right now it's
something much of the fashion world is doing.
SUPERSIZE ME: HOW TO MAKE THE OVERSIZED TREND WORK
KNOW THE OPPORTUNITY
The oversized trend may be big right now, but it's not
something for all occasions, says stylist Sarah-Ann Murray, who has dressed
Samuel L Jackson, Stanley Tucci and Jonah Hill. “I'm not convinced that it
works like a formal dress, which is usually the most formal occasion. That does
not mean that you cannot use it for a more elegant look. Take Italian
Armani-type suits, which are often soft in style and generously cut.
"As long as it fits over the shoulders, the length of
the arms and pants, and in proportion to the waist, and the rest of the
proportions are correct so that it is not too short in the jacket, then a
deconstructed oversized suit, especially crossed, it can absolutely work.
BUY BIG, NOT BIG
Also, do not try to cheat the system. Other pointy elbow
shoppers may have grabbed all the must-have suede jackets this season except
one, but if it's two sizes too big, don't just consider it too large, which
always works best when designed to fit this use.
"The oversized pieces purposely provide the extra
structure you need to avoid feeling like all your clothes have been stretched
out on the hanger, making it look scruffy," says Murray. “You want the
items to be oversized in the right places, like the shoulders and the waist.
Otherwise, he will look like a schoolboy who has not yet put on his new school
uniform, or worse, Donald Trump in a suit.
ADD A BALANCE
As with any reporting trend, it's important to avoid the
temptation to collide with all the grace of a dump truck dump without tires.
This style works best when you gently dip your toes at first, says Murray.
“For the most part, you have to balance the look with a
slimmer cut elsewhere. With an oversized coat, for example, you may want to
wear it over a tighter sweater, T-shirt or shirt and slimmer jeans and have
only one garment that offers movement and oversized lines. The same goes for
jeans or pants, try to keep a normal fit on top, but avoid super tight ones as
the contrast will be weird.
7 WAYS TO GO BIG IN OVERSIZED FASHION
OVERSIZE COAT
The oversized coat has been adored by wallflower detectives ever since Sherlock Holmes draped a cape over her shoulders and attached a deer tracker to her ear. Follow the detective's lead in this case.