THE JOURNAL

How to wear this season’s bigger, baggier clothes.
This article is for all the sceptics out there who, noting the outrageously oversized tailoring and sweats on offer from hype brands such as Balenciaga, Vetements and Fear of God, have said something along the lines of, “I wouldn’t be caught dead in that.” The truth is, although trends tend to start off with extreme manifestations on the runway, they do have a rather insidious habit of trickling downwards. We can only assume it is going to be the same with the oversized trend, just as it was with skinny jeans back in the dark days of the mid-2000s. At the time, it all seemed crotch-stiflingly ridiculous. Now, you can’t walk down the street without bumping into someone clad in tight, stretchy denim. Ah, inevitability, eh? We suggest, therefore, that you stay one step ahead of the curve and consider the following ways to gently buy into this oversized thing. You may even find it’s easier than you think.
The oversized shirt
This Acne Studios shirt, like those on offer from Balenciaga, takes a professional staple – the blue chalk-stripe shirt – and exaggerates its proportions to create something far more arch and streetwise. The crucial difference here, though, is that it doesn’t also have a giant, bright-orange appliqué splashed with ironic slogans – something we can see might be off-putting for the more understated dressers out there. Make the most of its size and wear it as an overshirt with this T-shirt from Vetements.
The wide-leg trousers
One good thing about New York brand Fanmail is that it produces all its clothing locally, which makes for a more sustainable enterprise overall. Another good thing is that it has a particular way of creating pieces that sit neatly between casual and loungewear, thanks largely to its use of idiosyncratic, tactile fabrics. These trousers, wide-legged but carefully cropped so as not to swamp the wearer, are a case in point, rendered as they are in a pleasingly substantial organic cotton drill. Keep it loose and wear them with an indigo-dyed, camp-collar shirt from Blue Blue Japan.
The extended T-shirt
Some of this spring’s T-shirts are not so much oversized as giant. Maison Margiela’s striped example, on the other hand, offers a subtly droopy silhouette via its slightly extended sleeves and hem. Make the most of this length by pairing it with something else that’s long, light and loose. A good candidate is this cotton parka from The Workers Club, which can also be easily packed away should you need to take it travelling.
