NEW STYLE: BIG SILHOUETTES

Sporty styling that coordinates an oversize outer jacket with slim pants.

Currently in Japan, the "big silhouette" style, in which large-size clothing is worn, is very popular.

There was also a trend for big silhouettes from the mid-1980s throughout the 1990s. All items such as shirts, pants, skirts, and coats are made in large sizes, and many young people who create skillfully coordinated ensembles from these can be seen in areas such as Harajuku in Tokyo.

At the time, the main trend was to insert thick shoulder pads into jackets to create a square silhouette for the entire body. With the rekindled big silhouettes, the shoulder pads have been removed and changed to an overall rounded design like a cocoon.

The shoulder width and girth are widened, the stature becomes taller, and jackets, shirts, thick baggy pants, and gaucho pants that are very comfortable to wear have become popular items.

Oversize from Top to Bottom


(Left)The MA-1 jacket is also popular among women. It suits the wide pants worn as bottoms.
(Right) A large hoodie and thick work pants. This is a typical big silhouette coordination.

Boyish appearances using hoodies, oversize T-shirts, caps, and wide bottoms take their inspiration from street fashions such as hip hop, which was popular in the 90s, and have now been taken up by women as well. Footwear that mixes sports styles, such as trainers and other sport brand items, as well as skateboarding styles, are also popular. Bucket hats, nylon jackets, coach jackets, and MA-1 jackets have undergone a revival and are also popular

IThe method for coordinating these items is to choose something 2 or 3 sizes too big, and then select something baggy such as wide pants or a long skirt for the bottom, and finish the look off with a polished big silhouette style


Colorful trainers are often combined with the big silhouette style.

High Quality Using Basic Colors


(Left) This coordination chooses both an oversize top and an oversize.
(Right) Style with a big skirt. There are limitless variations within the big silhouette style.

The popularity of big silhouettes has spread among various age groups, not just the young, and has been taken up by fashion magazines many times. However, adopting big silhouettes unthinkingly can give the impression of looking like someone not wearing clothes suited to their size, or looking childish, or looking disheveled. The point to bear in mind to avoid looking like this is to coordinate tones using basic colors. Harmonize the overall coloring using black and white monotones with basic colors such as khaki, gray, and navy, in addition to casual footwear like trainers, or matching shoes with heels (such as pumps) for women. The important point is to look rough while manifesting high quality through a skillful use of color.

A new interpretation of the big silhouettes of the 1980s and 1990s—in Japan, new styles are born every day while interpreting the styles of the past.


Coordinated styles that match bucket hats, caps, and knitted hats are popular among both men and women.