Loosen Up: 5 Ways to Wear an Oversized Sweater

It’s November, finally November, and all I can think of besides my sorely unattended gift-shopping list (yikes!) is this: bring on the real shift in weather, please!

I attribute my mounting impatience with our stranger-than-usual climes to (a) the insufferable humidity and (b) my fascination with a trend that’s swept the fashion scene in past months. Loose-fitting sweaters, whether slightly larger than you’d usually go for or all-out oversized, have become a staple on street style chronicles and in magazine pages alike. This kind of shapeless style is polarizing, I know—but I for one am smitten (anyone else?).

Unfortunately, it’s also the kind of thing we tropic-dwellers can only dream of pulling off during the faux chill of the holidays. That means November to January or February, if you’re really pushing it. And that’s why I am tapping my foot incessantly against this table, willing the winds to cool down right about now.

Come on, Climate—I’ve been waiting to try this trend since August!

I must admit that I first approached the idea of oversized anything with trepidation. I mean, I have hips just like any other girl who isn’t a waifish supermodel. How do my momma-given assets work in the whole baggy scheme of things? To put it plainly: won’t a big size make my bigger bits look even bigger?

Turns out that’s not the case. If you are a girl of moderate build, all you have to remember is one simple rule: the looser the hem, the better. That’s it! As long as the bottom of your (soon to be bought) sweater swings rather than clings, you’re good. (I know this from air-conditioned experimentation in my bedroom. Ha!) And one more thing: the longer lengths are most flattering on almost all body types. They basically skim over everything—and that’s always a plus.

In any case, I broke my baggy sweater out of jail for a trip to the cinema, which was freezing enough to validate my choice. I’ve been scouring the internet for styling pegs for this new fave of mine, which is similar to the example I’ve used in the gallery. Look through it to see the outfits I’ve come up with, and let me know if you’ve got any ideas of your own!

(In-article photo source: Les Bonbons via Stephanie Castillo on Pinterest. All product photos courtesy of TheMall.ph unless otherwise stated.)