I'm not the most pragmatic of dressers. Voluminous silhouettes? Love. Heels? More often than flats. Head-to-toe leather? Obsessed. "Ugly" shoe trends [1]? So here for them right now. That being said, I do tend toward my fair share of basics, too. Tissue-thin turtlenecks? High-rise jeans? Impeccably cut blazers? Yes, yes, and yes on repeat. My aesthetic certainly errs on the side of minimal and classic, but that hardly means I'm anti-trend. What I am, though, is conflicted about certain crazes that seemingly take over my Instagram feed, like the recent surge of oversize bib collars. A look! A look that I can't quite decide if I'm into despite it being one of those perfectly escapist looks that breaks up the mundane. And what is fashion without a little escapism?
After returning to my Instagram feed only to scroll past one billowing, frilled, or lace-adorned collar #OOTD after another, I'm starting to think I can dig it. What's more, I'm of the mind that the mania is just beginning. Sea's Zippy Sweater [2] or Ganni's Ruffle-Trimmed Cotton-Poplin Shirt [3] might just be this season's Jacquemus Bahia Dress [4], if not the 2020 antidote to bold shoulders and sleeves (personally, puffy sleeves [5] are an extremely on-brand trend for me that I'm hardly ready to give up, but I can understand the fatigue that others may feel).
Another reason I think oversize bib collars have staying power? The bigger-is-better mentality set for the new season ahead. One look at 2020's Spring and Summer trends [6], and the prominence of ample '80s shapes can't be contested. The same goes for the continuance of showstopping sleeves, though as I mentioned before, collars offer a fresh take on these dramatic proportions without going all out (i.e. with a bold-shoulder micro-minidress in an electric shade of taffeta). The key is balancing them with something simple and sleek — a polished leather pant, a clean pair of rigid jeans, a minimal trouser, a skirt sans embellishment — with modern accessories to finish and serve as a final offset to the collar's old-fangled feel.
Ultimately, I think the oversize bib collar trend is perfectly suited to the experimenting type, those who like to make a statement without going too far, or ultrafeminine dressers who have never once in their life resisted the sweetness of a fanciful accent. So, without further ado, ahead, a slew of substantial collars I've witnessed on Instagram followed by my edit of whimsical versions to shop at every price point.