In the age of Instagram, it’s not enough to have a good body, you seemingly need a very good body. We are living in a time of body anxiety, where either you are a clean-eating and BBG diehard with a flat stomach and lithe sculpted legs, or, you are a proclaimer of plus-size and proud. Body is part of brand. In between? Gained a few pounds? Lost a few pounds? We don’t really know where to place you.
One of the things I get asked most about as a fashion psychologist is why certain strong trends occur and why they linger. Lately, the focus has been around the oversized dress trend, such as the bold silhouettes of London-based brands Molly Goddard and Simone Rocha, or new cult-fave Scandi label Ceclilie Bahnsen.
Molly Goddard’s pouffy pieces go viral each season. Pictured: FW19 at London Fashion Week
I am a big fan of the big dress trend, and have given its prominence a lot of thought through the lens of fashion psychology. I believe that one reason for the appeal of balloon-like silhouettes is that they evoke a little-girl aesthetic and all the positive associations of childhood: long days of playing outside, nice people who tend to your every need, and a lack of adult responsibilities. Being an adult is tough for the current generation, and as we know, millennials especially are struggling with "adulting". Little-girl looks comfort by reminding us of a simpler time.
But I think the other reason we are loving oversized dresses is not that profound. It really hit me the past month when I gained weight. I have two modes. In my normal life, I like to workout regularly, take probiotics, eat fairly healthy, and all the rest. I have anxiety and IBS, so if not adhering to a fairly respectable routine, I turn bloated, nervous, and angry. And in the past four weeks, I have been neglecting all the above due to moving, writing a book and setting up my company. Bloated and generally inflamed has become my norm. No one feels like themselves when going through periods of self-neglect, but now we have impossibly good bodies on Instagram to remind us that even if we’re a normal healthy weight or lucky to be in the generally slim camp, nothing but super fit will do. An oversize dress that hides a bloated belly and makes you feel dainty becomes the perfect bandaid. Should we look to self-love and acceptance first? Sure. But no one enjoys the jeans that almost fit and unabashedly dig into the waist, and a floaty dress is the very antidote.
I know this sounds like I am advocating what social media is doing to us, making our collective body dysmorphia worse, but alas, I only explain cause. Psychologists don’t put forth a moral judgement, so I won’t get into the ills of society. Simply, Instagram has started to make us feel bigger than we are. Oversized dresses make us feel smaller. Anyhow, I’ve never been a fan of bodycon, and these confidence-inducing silhouettes are fire. Without further ado, some current favorites below.
(Agree or strongly disagree? Tell us why in the comments!)
MOLLY GODDARD
Pearl shirred tulle midi dress - Click pic to shop
CECILIE BAHNSEN
Alexa oversized tiered cloqué dress - Click pic to shop
SIMONE ROCHA
Pintucked taffeta midi dress - Click pic to shop
CECILIE BAHNSEN
Sofie open-back floral-appliquéd organza midi dress - Click pic to shop
MOLLY GODDARD
Tiered tulle mini dress - Click pic to shop
In the world of post-pandemic dressing, one word has taken social media by storm: cheugy (pronounced: chew-gee). In the worlds of fashion and lifestyle, cheugy describes a look, a thing or a person that’s considered out of date.