Yes, the fickle fashion cycle has swung around again to embracing the oversized, but as the ensembles in this Refinery29 slideshow demonstrate, the key to making this look work is in keeping everything balanced.
Oversized skirt, fitted sweater; this look works because the sweater is proportionally as fitted as the skirt is voluminous. And I’m loving the pastel-with-bright color combination! (Click on the picture to go directly to the slideshow.)
One of the things I love about this particular slideshow is that they’ve included some unexpected ways to embrace the oversized this season, including jewelry. I’ve often seen people wearing outfits that created an overall impression of softness and delicacy, due in part to understated accessories; how much more impact could you create by simply adding bold, chunky, colorful earrings, for example, to an otherwise quiet outfit?
The most important element in each of the slideshow examples is that for every outsized item, there is at least one other piece that balances all that exuberant volume by scaling it down. In the example shown here, this is happening in three ways: the close-to-the body fit of the sweater counters the super-full skirt, the soft sweater color is a perfect foil for the uber-bright gold of the skirt, and the skin that’s showing here is all in the legs— completely balanced by the sweater’s ladylike neckline and long sleeves.
To my eye, the key is in contrast, but more than just with colors, as in the pastel-with-bright example shown above: try slim-fitting with oversized, bold with delicate, soft with tailored, feminine with masculine, casual with glam… I could go on (and on). Playing with combinations like these is a sure-fire way to create a look that is uniquely your own!
Changing Your Clothes 
October 18, 2012 at 9:46 pm
The featured look here is a simply brilliant way to do a modern 50’s look. And I had never thought of something like an accessory bring used to represent a concept like ‘oversized’. This may change the way I view trends…
October 18, 2012 at 10:32 pm
It’s also interesting to think about using volume in ways other than size; what about shoes, which are pretty much a fixed size? If you think of oversized in terms of impact, that can be created with a pop of fabulous color– in shoes, earrings, even your hair color!
October 28, 2012 at 4:53 pm
I love the pastel paired with a bolder color! It works! Just discovered your blog and I like what I see! Thank you for sharing your talent!
October 29, 2012 at 10:32 am
Thanks, littlemisswordy! I agree completely about the color combination– I love these particular colors together, as well as the concept of the soft with the bold. And thank you for following my blog!
November 12, 2012 at 11:45 am
I have a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear! 🙂 It’s all about pairing I guess.
November 12, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Crois-moi, je comprends bien! I think when we buy an item, we picture using it in a particular way; this may work for a while, but eventually it can become a rut. (This happens to me a lot, because I tend to buy or make my things with an item-based approach, rather than an ensemble approach. So I end up with a lot of great pieces, but have to put more thought into assembling them into outfits.) Did you see my post about rearranging the things hanging in your closet? (Changing Your Closet: What System Works?) It may not seem like just moving things around would make a difference, but it does for me— even though I know what I have, I’m always surprised by the new combinations that are inspired by this process!
November 13, 2012 at 1:07 am
Thanks for the post link – I will try this out by changing my closet arrangement. Shoes are also a challenge to organize, especially for a shoe-a-holic!
November 13, 2012 at 9:59 am
Let me know if rearranging helps! Good point about the shoes, too– I’ll give that some thought, and maybe do a follow-up on that.