Fluid and oversized fits that create a sense of “slouch” in your outfits were once again the top trend on my recent forecast for Spring and Summer 2015. To recap, fluid fits are roomier than tailored fits, but not as baggy as oversized fits. Both fluid and oversized fits are unstructured, but oversized fits are a lot more voluminous than fluid fits. Wearing your clothes a little, or a lot, looser all over is THE way to create a current look.
In some cases it’s a question of combining fluid and oversized fit tops with a structured bottom, like a pair of skinnies or tailored pencil skirt. In others it’s about creating a fluid fit both on the top and bottom. And sometimes it’s about creating an oversized look both on the top and bottom. Lets take a peek at some of the runway looks I pinned for Spring and Summer 2015:
- Drapey oversized sweater semi-tucked into a flared skirt.
- Fluid tee and jacket over structured bootcut trousers.
- A soft sack frock.
- Fluid blouse over baggy rolled chinos with sneakers.
- A fluid tee semi-tucked into roomy shorts with short boxy jacket.
- A very baggy and stiff three-piece combination.
- Sack dress topped with cropped boxy jacket.
- Extra slouchy window pane trousers with a tucked fluid top.
- Refined slouch with sneakers.
- A very baggy and soft three-piece combination.
- Oversized and swingy with slouchy cropped pants.
- Architecturally oversized.
- Big top tucked into slouchy culottes.
- An extra fluid column of colour.
- Slightly fluid top with tailored jacket and slouchy jeans.
- Tonal Slouch.
- Fluidly Drapey and Soft.
- Oversized sweatshirt with roomy shorts and sandals.
- Oversized sweater with skinnies.
- Oversized and Arty.
- Dramatically oversized moto with baggy bottoms.
- More dramatic head to toe slouch with extra oversized pieces.
- Oversized tee tucked into A-line midi skirt with waist tied plaid shirt for extra slouch.
- Oversized sleeveless pullover with slouchy cropped pants and sneakers.
Colours and patterns aside, half of these slouchy outfit combinations are quite wearable off the runway. In fact, you’ll probably find that most of the looks aren’t as unflattering as you once thought they were, which means that you’ve already adjusted to the changing silhouettes. And that’s a good thing because slouch is completely mainstream and is here to stay.
Combinations that combine fluid and oversized styles with tailored pieces are the easiest to wear because we feel less overwhelmed by them. Wearing fluid or gently oversized pieces both on the top and bottom can also work well when we add subtle structure to the outfit. It’s when we wear lots of slouch both on the top and bottom without any structure that we tend to feel less than fab.
Most of my clients, across all body types, sizes and heights, are happy sporting fluid fits or gently oversized pieces combined with a tailored piece. As long as they can create some structure in the outfit, it’s a winning recipe. In fact, they welcomed the fashionable change because it’s a lot more forgiving and comfortable than wearing tailored and body con looks all the time.
Clients who want to straighten and slim the curves on the bottom part of their bodies enjoy wearing oversized tops with a tailored bottom because the larger top makes their bottom half look proportionally smaller and straighter. Fewer clients are prepared to wear completely unstructured and oversized pieces from top to bottom because it makes them look bigger than they really are.
Personally, I LOVE fluid fits and adore a certain amount of slouch. I believe that wearing your clothes a little bigger makes you look slimmer and more chic, especially when you pair a fluid piece with a structured one. And you can’t beat the comfort. I wear my tailored fits a little loser than most so fluid fits were not a stretch to wear at all. And since I’m a fan of ‘80s fashion, I thoroughly appreciate a gently oversized piece because it’s fun and nostalgic.
I don’t wear dramatically slouchy and oversized combinations not because I don’t like them, but because I don’t have the real estate to wear the silhouettes. With narrow shoulders and a slight 5ft 6 frame, those silhouettes wear me. I just can’t fill them out. Broad shoulders and height tend to pull off dramatic slouch a lot more successfully to my eye, so I’ll enjoy those combinations on others.
Over to you. We are three years in to this watershed change of fashion fits. Do you wear fluid and oversized fits to create a desired level of slouch? What’s your threshold for the oversized look? Or do you stick to tailored fits no matter what.
