Considered motivation if you’re on the fence about XXL jackets

By Niamh ODonoghue
26th Nov 2018

Considered motivation if you’re on the fence about XXL jackets

Some people have a magical ability to translate a trend and make it wholly their own. It’s as though they stepped out of the womb wearing said thing but parted ways shortly after, only to pick things up where they left off 20 years previous. They wear it with a sense of aplomb, hell-bent on turning heads at every opportunity.

And when that unsuspecting head-turner is you, you’ll immediately want to park your high-street hiatus to search for something similar. In fact, you will want to do more than just ‘put it on’; you’ll want to be enveloped by it. And this is exactly how I feel whenever I see an XXL, voluminous jacket coming my way (whether IRL or on my screen). Think power-shoulders times one million; the type of power-play dressing that demands consideration and inspection. It’s the kind of sartorial drama that scores 12/10 on the Richter (if the Richter scale were for oversized jackets, not earthquakes).

This hella-oversized bouclé jacket, above, makes a startlingly strong case for going oversized. The billowing silhouette sits in harmony with a wide-brimmed hat and black, simple canvas underneath that makes this coat look like it’s floating around the busy streets of New York. It has all the characteristics of a coat that means business – exaggerated drop shoulders featuring a waterfall flounce, a single-breasted neckline and arresting buttons that are the pièce de résistance – but the soft bouclé pattern and infusion of bright colours make this coat suitable for many more occasions than the board room.

This panelled puffa will envelop you like a plush duvet, and who doesn’t want that??? This model, seen after a show during Paris Fashion Week, perfectly counteracts her off-duty attitude with cosy, skin-tight leggings, biker boots and an oversized puffa to boot. This is a no-makeup-greasy-hair-no-fuss coat and really, don’t we all need this in our lives?

Similarly, this ballooning faux fur jacket in berry pink, below, is a match made in heaven for eager accessories like a pointed boot and a retro baker boy hat. Its shapelessness is both undone and overdone at the same time, a look I like to call ‘designed sloppiness’. For events that require a tailored approach, I imagine this being draped delicately over a three-piece (pink) suit for a punchy hit of sartorial playfulness.

A big coat is definitely a statement piece but that doesn’t mean it can’t be worn by everyone. The most exciting part of new trends is experimentation, after all. So if you’re ready to go XXL, scroll below to see a selection worth trying on.