Fur and faux fur oversized vests were mainstream last year, so we’re familiar with the silhouette. This time round we’re talking about oversized vests in rigid fabrications like denim, leather, pleather and ponte knit. They were quite popular on the Spring 2013 runways at New York Fashion Week, and the item has already trickled down to some stores. 

The trend is very fringe right now, and I’ll be surprised if it becomes mainstream. The oversized vest has an excellent theatrical impact on the catwalk. It’s in line with the oversized and “slouchy-everything” trend that is dominating the fashion forward scene at the moment. I loved this silhouette at Fashion Week (both in February and last week)! But in real life I’m not as convinced of its flattering effects. It’s not easy to make this item look intentionally fashion forward, which is key to pulling off the vibe with style. For most women, the cropped and tailored version is easier to wear by about a billion percent. 

That said, the oversized denim or leather vest is a perfect example of the flattering versus edgy tradeoff because edgier outfits forego a little conventional flatter to be cool and different. If you’re an edgy dresser who has a tomboy style gene, you’ll probably like this look more than the tailored versions. When worn with all the right fashion forward pieces and just enough structure, I totally support the denim and leather oversized vest. I might even try it next Summer. 

Would you wear an oversized denim, leather/pleather or ponte knit vest? Do you think it’s a cool look? Or do you prefer their more tailored counterparts.