Baggy tees, a staple of the early ’00s, were all that once upon a time made up the oversized trend, not to mention it was also frowned upon by many, back in the day. While the originality of the trend traces back to casualwear, the upgraded comeback of oversized clothing also includes tailoring.

From skin-tight everything to comfy silhouettes, the oversized trend has allowed for a lot more room to experiment in menswear than ever before.

It is safe to assume that the oversized trend partly rose to fame with the rise of hip-hop fashion and a mixture of streetwear and athleisure wear. Kanye West’s Yeezy is one such example. Designers such as Kim Jones, Virgil Abloh, Demna Gvasalia, and others are few of the many to put oversized on high fashion runways. Oversized silhouettes have been spotted on the runways of Louis Vuitton, Zegna, Tod’s, Gucci, Prada, and others, and have gained even more prominence thanks to two years of a pandemic and the rise of functionality over form.

“I think the biggest icon for oversized clothing for the young generations is Billie Eilish. You can take inspiration from her — starting off with T-shirts and track pants along with chunky sneakers for a retro look. The other reason for the resurgence of oversized clothing in 2022 is because Y2K fashion is back,” explains celebrity stylist Isha Bhansali.

Oversized silhouettes work not only with T-shirts and shirts but with outerwear such as coats, bombers, and puffer jackets. When picking a loose silhouette, the key is to go for easy neutral shades such as grey, white, black, and navy. The recent runway styles by Zegna are the perfect examples of wearing loose silhouettes in a subtle yet ideal way.

For colder months, a jumper is probably the easiest item of oversized clothing to wear — a loose statement jumper with bright colors works for any occasion in the winter. Another way to indulge this trend is by opting for wider loose trousers, just like Harry Styles, who has been spotted multiple times wearing wide baggy grandpa trousers. The key to perfecting this look is by opting for a proper tight shirt or a top.

Designer Arjun Khanna is not a fan of oversized clothing but fairly assesses that this silhouette works for certain personalities more. “If you really wish to go for it, an odd sweatshirt will work, if you have the swag to pull it off. I am all about well-fitted and beautifully tailored clothing and enjoy the human form body and anatomy,” he adds.

“Loose silhouettes have made their place in almost all eras of fashion. Currently, it is in the form of athleisure. After a point, it came to us in suits because the 80s were all about oversized. It’ll surely keep resurfacing in interesting ways now that people are finding their comfort zones,” concludes Bhansali about the future of the trend.

Five Oversized Essentials

Parkas: Pair parkas with a straight fit-denim and sneakers
Wool coats: Layer a classic black turtleneck topped with a long wool coat
Sweatshirts: From black denim to multi-pocketed pants, everything goes with sweatshirts
Loose blazer: A pair of classic black or grey trousers will go well with a loose blazer
Baggy pants: A long T-shirt or a jumper mixes well with these pants

(Featured Image: L to R Dior and Prada)