Go big or go home. That’s the rule that all fashion designers are following this upcoming season.

The next big thing in fashion is wearing big things. I’m not talking oversized sweaters and chunky boots. I’m talking about blazers so big you could sneak another person into a movie theater and jackets so long that they stretch past your ankles.

With oversized garments on the rise, feminine fashion is borrowing looks from traditional men’s wear, suggesting a feminine takeover of the male appearance. These outfits often feature harsh lines and leather, and often disguise the feminine figure.

On the other hand, there are some over-the-top fashions that exude femininity. These garments feature overflowing skirts and chiffon sleeves that trail behind the model as she goes down the runway.

These larger than life fashions have appeared on the runways at Prada, Rick Owens, VFiles, Jonathan Saunders, Thom Browne, Gareth Pugh and other designers. With all of these designers amplifying the size of their garments, it poses the question: Why is fashion being supersized?

 

Valerie Steele, the director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, explained that fashion trends are moving in the opposite direction; they’re moving away from the skintight, body-conscious clothes that have been prominent for quite some time. “It’s the pendulum effect,” she said in an April 23 article in The New York Times. “If it’s long, it gets short, and if it’s short, it gets long.”

Fashion often gets big during boom times. Think Christian Dior’s New Look clothing line that used almost 20 yards of fabric for the skirt — a complete turnaround from wartime rationing and frugality. Maybe this means we are entering a time of prosperity. Let’s hope so.

Even though oversized garments are becoming more popular, we live in a time of practicality. We need to wear clothes that won’t get in the way of us going from point A to point B. If it does, it’s not in our wardrobe.

The only time we saw garments with a lot of volume in the past was during the avant garde runway shows and the gigantic tulle ball gowns worn at weddings. The volume may be appropriate for these special occasions, but definitely not for real life.

Being able to perfect the oversized trend just depends on finding the right piece. And how ridiculous you mind looking.

If you have to ask, “Can I pull off this enormous coat?” you probably shouldn’t try it.

There are definitely some larger-than-life garments that can still be worn every day. Oversized jackets and coats are a big trend right now. A gigantic foam padded jacket may not be appropriate to wear on the streets, but one with large leather panels that goes to your knees can still be appropriate.

Dressing in a larger scale has its own interesting benefits. Dressing big draws the attention away from any problem areas that you have and makes you look as if you’ve lost a lot of weight.

Some might say that the clothes seem to swallow up the wearer, making it appear as if she was a child dressing in her mother’s clothes. But really, it just depends on you and the garment.

Here’s to going big, bold and better than ever.

Published on April 28, 2014 at 1:00 am