Supersize it: How to rock the oversized clothing trend this fall
Michelle Madonna, 34, a travel and fashion influencer from Brookville, dreaded the oversized trend and has gradually started to accept it. Credit: Margot Jakobson
Supersized clothing — wide-leg pants, large, floaty shirts and beefy blazers — are among the wardrobe must-haves this season settling in closets side-by-side with the more body-con stuff. And it’s not an isolated trend, but a distinct movement, as loads of fashion brands are seriously pumping up the volume.
Like other sartorial sensations, top designers led the lust for gigantic gear by dressing their celebrity muses such as Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber (and husband Justin, too) in them. “It’s now trickled down to the mass market as people move away from super-skinny silhouettes,” says Véronique Hyland, Elle’s fashion features director.
Oversized trends can be found at national retailers like Anthropologie and J.Crew and local boutiques too, including Mint in Mattituck, Westhampton Beach, Stony Brook and Southampton. Credit: Anthropologie ; J.Crew ; Mint
But why now? Perhaps, suggests Hyland, “The idea of cocooning, which became so big during the height of the pandemic plays into this trend. The new element is the tailoring, which elevates those comfort staples and makes them appropriate for the new hybrid office world. I’m sure there is an element of sheltering and shielding that goes along with it as well — it’s like we’re being swaddled in these oversized pieces.”
The confounding question: Is bigger really better?
Not everyone is all in. Melanie Lippman, of Remsenberg, a fashion stylist whose clients are predominantly high-level executive women, is not a believer. “A lot of people use bigger clothes to hide certain things they don’t like about their bodies and that ends up drawing attention to areas they don’t want to exaggerate. The thought is that bigger clothes will make them look smaller than they are. But I think it’s like they’re saying ‘don’t look at me.’ It’s diminishing and makes them disappear. Strong women feel they have something important to say and want to be seen and heard.”
Others disagree.
Stylist and fashion expert Clinton Kelly, of Port Jefferson Station, who co-hosted the classic fashion makeover show, “What Not To Wear,” calls the look quite “chic.”
He says, “Some people might wonder what you’re hiding. If so, who cares? Let them keep wondering. Some people will always find some styles unflattering,” he points out. “This is a pendulum swing from the skinny jean phenomenon of the last decade. Today, there’s a movement to dress for one’s self and not care whether anyone else finds your look flattering. Is my outfit comfortable? Does it accurately express my personality? These are the questions people are asking themselves right now."
The power of proportion
Virtually everybody agrees that balance is key when it comes to wearing the new, generously-cut togs well. “Otherwise, they could swallow you,” says Joanna Mazzella, the owner of Mint boutiques in Mattituck, Southampton, Westhampton and Stony Brook Village. “These days, blazers and shackets are bigger than ever and you don’t want to pair that trend with the oversized trouser. They should live in their own worlds.”
Hyland agrees: Pair a fitted top with an oversized suit, she says.
“Personally, I think oversized looks best when it’s done with intention," Kelly says. "You can’t just throw on a hoodie that’s six sizes too big and claim you’re a style icon. You have to make it clear that you’re playing with proportion."
At Transitions boutique in Roslyn, the look is a hit. “I’m not seeing any resistance. People of all ages and body types are embracing in it. And to tell you the truth, I think it’s kind of sultry and feminine," says Leslie Cohen, the shop’s owner.
Though some believe that shorter women can’t wear the wide-leg, at just 5-feet-tall, Cohen, herself, is hooked on it. “When the top is cinched at the waist it’s very flattering and it’s so versatile. You can wear it with sneakers or a high heel.” As for the bigger blazer, she prefers this belted or paired with a slimmer silo such as a coated legging worn with a higher heel.
Hyland, too, asserts that there are few limitations to this big fashion moment. “I’m a firm believer that anyone can wear anything.”
Two Long Island influencers think big
Meaghan O’Connor, 37, of Atlantic Beach, is a fan of the new silhouettes, “when it’s done right,” she says. Credit: @Meaghanpocconor
Stylist and plus size influencer Meaghan O’Connor (@meghanpocconor), 37, of Atlantic Beach, is a fan of the new silhouettes, “when it’s done right,” she says. “There’s a big difference between buying something oversize that’s meant to be oversized than buying something that’s just bigger. Be certain that the lengths are proportionate to your frame and in the case of a blazer, that the armholes are where they should be and the arm length is still fitting to the wrist.”
She says the trend is popping up at many plus size purveyors and urges women who are reluctant to wear the look for fear of looking bigger to “have confidence, show who you are and have fun.”
On the flip side, petite Michelle Madonna (@michellemadonna), 34, a travel and fashion influencer from Brookville, dreaded the trend, but has gradually started to accept it.
On a recent trip to London, she was wary of wearing an oversized cape-trench coat from designer Derek Lam. Paired with a miniskirt, slim top and high boots, “I ended up loving it. I saw how I could make it work and it did.”
Will she go all in on the bigger looks? “I always like to try new fashion things and I’m not ruling this one out, but I don’t want to look like a little kid wearing her dad’s blazer.”
