For a lot of people, clothing can
turn into a way of body-checking, where you judge your body based on how
something fits or doesn’t fit. Even before 2020, designers were already playing
with oversized and looser silhouettes, but the COVID-19 pandemic really pushed
these styles into everyday fashion. Spending so much time at home during
lockdowns made comfort a priority, and that changed how we think about clothes,
fit, and how they feel on our bodies.
Oversized fashion, which comes
from 1980s and 90s streetwear, is all about comfort, ease, and intentionally
big shapes. It’s not just wearing clothes that are too large—it’s about
choosing pieces that are designed to look oversized. Think baggy hoodies, wide-leg
trousers, chunky knits, and oversized blazers. These pieces feel relaxed, often
gender-neutral, and easy to style. A common way to wear oversized clothing is
by balancing proportions, like pairing a big top with more fitted bottoms so
the outfit still feels put together.
More than just a style choice,
oversized clothing reflects a shift away from tight, restrictive, and heavily
tailored fashion. It connects to ideas of body positivity by allowing bodies to
exist without being constantly shaped or controlled by clothing. What started
as a trend has now become a regular part of modern fashion, with brands like
Balenciaga taking oversized silhouettes to the extreme. For many people,
oversized clothing offers comfort while still allowing room for personal
expression.
This kind of change in how
clothes fit the body has happened before. After World War I, fashion moved away
from corsets and heavy layers toward the loose, drop-waist silhouettes of the
1920s. That look rejected the overly feminine styles of the past and leaned
into a more modern, androgynous way of dressing, reflecting bigger social
changes happening at the time.
I wanted to go extra with this
trend by layering it across multiple garments. I started with an oversized
burgundy polo sweatshirt, colour-blocked with a bold grey band across the chest
and neckline. It gives an old-school American baseball vibe, which I tucked
into wide-leg jeans, cinched with a blue leather belt to accentuate the waist. Peeking
through the open neckline of the polo is a plain shirt in mustard and navy,
finished with a tie that echoes the grey of the sweatshirt. Burgundy and navy
striped socks continue the colour story, creating contrast with the green
moc-toe shoes — chunky footwear with a genuine design that sits somewhere
between classic and contemporary. I especially like how the long leather gloves
cover the sleeves of the polo sweater, evoking two distant references at once:
a distinguished lady attending the opera in another era, and a blacksmith
protecting his hands from radiant fire. The navy wool jacket, inspired by
military uniform outerwear, grounds the look — casual, yet still smart. An
ivory and navy cap with burgundy lettering, along with a vintage photography
camera bag in a matching tone, complete the outfit.
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