What I Learned While Supersizing My Wardrobe

Picture this glamorous sight: I’m walking to grab a salad during my work lunch break last week, and the hemline of my baggy jeans are dragging across the dirty New York streets. Across my shoulder is a giant Peter Do bag, which could easily fit a corgi or a beagle. My outfit is hard to miss—it literally takes up space—and I can feel the stares of strangers from all angles. Of course, they don’t know that I’m test-driving the oversized style trend that’s been taking over the runways and being embraced by stars like Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, and Bella Hadid. To them, I am simply someone who is swimming—perhaps drowning—in supersized fashion.

On the runways, brands like Balenciaga, Peter Do, and Marc Jacobs have all shown XXL shapes in pieces like denim, dresses, and suiting. It didn’t take long for the look to catch on among A-listers. Justin Bieber went viral at this year’s Grammy Awards when he showed up in a huge Balenciaga suit complete with Crocs. Celebrity stylists have been seeing an uptick in their clients coming on board with the spacious look, too. “We’re seeing a return of ‘90s trends in general, and we really love to see the reemergence of hugely oversized pieces—they can be so fun to play with,” says Zadrian Smith of the stylist duo Zadrian + Sarah, who currently dress stars such as Ariana DeBose. 

Intrigued by these commanding silhouettes, I wondered if I—a non-celebrity—could pull off the bold look. As someone who was a devoted skinny jean wearer during the 2010s, a humongous pair of jeans is extremely out of my comfort zone—but my fashion resolution this year was to experiment more. So, armed with my jumbo clothes and bags, and with the help of advice from three pro stylists, I embraced going baggy for a week below. Turns out, there are tips and tricks to nailing the look—including knowing which pieces to invest in, nailing layers, and considering proportion. “All of these styling choices keep someone from drowning in the clothes,” says Smith.