I'm So Over Oversized
I am so over everything oversized. Why such fascination with clothes that don’t fit? I don’t know who started this trend, but I would like to submit my plea that it be done now. Dear Demna Gvasalia, can we stop the madness, please?
Call me old fashioned, boring, conformist - I don’t even care; I think clothes should fit. Is that weird? Is tailoring even a thing anymore? Am I just not avant garde enough to get this?
And Gvasalia is not the only designer going way too big:
In a recent interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Gvasalia, the creative director of Balenciaga and lead designer at Vetements, claimed ownership of the style, saying, “Oversize, it’s my territory...I definitely intend to defend what is my design territory.” Well, defend this: it looks ridiculous. I feel kind of bad being so harsh in light of the touching story on how his signature aesthetic came to be:
“Growing up poor in Soviet-era Georgia, he wore hand-me-downs from cousins who were five or six years older than him. New clothes were purchased in larger sizes to grow into. Hence, Gvasalia is like a fish out of water when he isn’t swimming in his clothes.” (WWD.)
Okay, that’s real. It’s relatable. It creates a connective tissue between his brands and the people who want to be part of his culture and community. But I still think it looks silly. Just like it looks silly when a five-year-old is wearing an enormous T-shirt that’s hanging off of his shoulder and sweeping the floor under his feet. Yes, it’s totally adorable. Yes, we totally giggle in a good, heart-warming way; but it’s only adorable because it’s a five-year-old. As adults, the once very-annoying-for-our-parents (whether they were rich or poor or somewhere in between) “my kid grows out of his clothes too quickly” issue is a thing of the past. Now that we’re done growing, we can buy clothes that fit. Yay!
I understand the runway platform is often harnessed for escapism, for fantasy and fun. And I understand some of the pieces we see on the runway are meant just for show. But if that’s the case with some of these outlandishly oversized looks, there are many a street style star who did not receive the just-for-show memo:
Not even Lady Gaga can sell me on the oversized suit situation:
via RCFA
I’m not galvanizing against oversized dressing in its entirety; there is definitely a way to wear oversized and still look tailored and respectable instead of disheveled and delusional. (Possible foreshadowing for a styling tutorial to come…) Rule of thumb: if you try on an oversized garment and feel utterly ridiculous when checking your look in the mirror, trust your gut.
Let’s go back down to earth with the looks below, some beautifully fitted and some tastefully oversized.
Ahhhhhhh. Breath of fresh air. It’s nice when our heads look proportioned to our bodies, and we can actually use our hands because they’re not trying to swim their way out of our sleeves.
cover image via Alphanews