Oversized Coats: Fashion Form and Function
Oversized coats are a dominant trend in the realm of outerwear this year. It’s not surprising since fashion has landed, like Marty McFly’s DeLorean, smack dab in the 80s. Those of us who have lived through this era once have a healthy dose of skepticism as to what styles we’ll revisit. The question often asked is, “Why?” When it comes to oversized coats, I can answer the question from a problem-solving viewpoint: an oversized coat is necessary for some of the pieces you may already own.
Capes and ponchos came into fashion the last couple of years, which led way to many styles with volume both in the body and in the sleeve styles. We’ve seen a wide variety of sleeve styles such as raglan, lantern, bishop, and dolman. Have you ever tried putting on a coat with a normal arm opening with some of these voluminous sleeve styles? It’s as though your arm is being squeezed into a sausage casing. That super cute top you purchased with a “celebrated sleeve” can’t give you your cost per wear in the winter months without the proper piece of outerwear. Taking this into consideration, introducing an oversized coat doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
I am completely empathetic to those of you who want to keep your wardrobe simple. Adding superfluous elements to your wardrobe is not the goal. Capitalizing on trends to solve other problems in your wardrobe is what I practice within my own closet and how I help my clients.
Another idea is to purchase a coat in lieu of a dress since a coat will be an item that will get more play with your denim wardrobe. Have you considered this inverted style equation? Instead of outerwear being an afterthought, make the coat the outfit! This is your year to make a statement with a coat, and choosing the oversized trend could satisfy form and function, a tried and true rule of thumb for great design.
There’s a natural tendency to avoid trends that seem too challenging, so let’s break down some basic guidelines to entertaining an oversized coat.
It’s as simple as putting on your favorite staples and adding a fantastic coat.
With suiting also in vogue this season, what are you suppose to wear over your suit?
Some of these oversized coats can be used to frame a polished suit.
By keeping your elements minimal, the oversized coat will offer a clean and sophisticated take away.
Keeping your details bold will help carry the scale of the coat.
Resist folding turtlenecks down; keep them part of the supporting cast!
With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, purchasing a coat may be the last thing on your to-do list. In the name of compromise, TSALT has a transition style trench, the Adrian Cotton Canvas Trench Coat, that will offer you a chance to explore all of the tips above at a tempting price.
2 Comments
Please find a new alley. Your clothes deserve better scenery.
Hi Ms. Sanders!
I’m the photographer behind these shots, and I always love feedback from our clients! There’s a few reasons why we continue to use this unique location.
1. We shoot dozens of outfits within a short period in order to share incoming product as quickly as possible with the awesome women of Alexandria (and beyond!). This alley is next to the store and allows us to shot, change, shot, change – etc. very quickly so we can share as much content as possible.
With previous shoots, we were unable to shoot anywhere close to the amount of product in the time allocated.
2. We completely understand everyone’s ascetic preference is different. Since shooting here, we’ve had many customers comment on how much they like the “LA”/fashion forward/edgy style of images.
However, I do agree, I would love the water situation to change (we all agree that is less than admirable!) but the easy access of the alley paired with the overall fashion-forward feel, has outweighed our decision to change location. If it were up to me, I would revamp the entire alley including mural walls and a new layer of concrete.
Thank you for your feedback though, I truly appreciate it as an artist and clothing lover.