How to wear an oversized jumper after 60 without looking swamped
How to wear an oversized jumper after 60 without looking swamped
Six rules I give every reader who loves a big, easy knit but worries it makes her look shapeless, and the one piece this winter that keeps every one of them.
By Helen Marsh, Style EditorTwenty years as a personal shopper · 6 min read
As soon as the mornings turn cold, the same letter starts arriving. "I love the look of those big, easy jumpers. But every time I try one on, I disappear. I look twice the size and like I have given up." So back it goes, and out comes the fitted cardigan that pulls across the middle and never quite feels comfortable.
Here is what I tell every one of those readers. Oversized is not the problem. In twenty years of fitting rooms I dressed hundreds of women in loose knits, from a size 8 to a 24, and the ones who looked wonderful were never the smallest. They were the ones wearing the right kind of oversized. A big jumper flatters when its shape is built in on purpose. It swamps when it is simply a normal jumper made larger.
Oversized is not the problem. A big jumper flatters when its shape is built in on purpose.
So here are my six rules. They will help with any loose knit you already own. And because readers keep asking about one piece in particular, I will show you the one that keeps all six: the Celinda, a soft knitted hoodie from Nottingham Boutique, the boutique behind this journal. You may well have seen it already. Here is exactly why it works.
The Celinda in khaki, worn with ordinary jeans. Every rule below, in one outfit.
Let the shoulder drop on purpose
A loose jumper with a shoulder seam that sits where yours does just looks like the wrong size. A seam that drops softly down the arm looks designed. The eye reads it as a style, not as a jumper you are lost in.
On the wardrobe door. You can see the easy, dropped shoulder before anyone puts it on.
I was sure an oversized jumper would make me look huge. It does the opposite. It just looks relaxed.
Jean H., CarltonShow a little wrist
Sleeves that swallow your hands are what make a big jumper look borrowed. A sleeve that stops before the wrist keeps the whole outfit looking light and deliberate. In winter, a long-sleeved tee underneath gives you the warmth and the line at once.
Over a plain long-sleeved tee for November. The cuff stops where it should.
Love the length of the sleeves. Nothing dangling in my tea for once.
Brenda K., ArnoldKeep a V at the neck
A high, round neck on a big jumper makes one solid block from chin to hip. A V-shape at the neck breaks it up and draws the eye upwards, to your face, which is exactly where you want people looking.
The little V at the neck makes all the difference. It is roomy but I still look like I have a shape.
Sandra M., BeestonGo slim underneath
Volume on top needs a narrower line below it. Big jumper with wide trousers is where swamped happens. Big jumper with straight jeans, slim trousers or leggings looks balanced and easy.
The whole outfit, laid out the night before. Nothing new to buy to go with it.
I wear it with my straight jeans and white trainers. My daughter said I looked very modern.
Linda F., HucknallChoose a hem that moves
A tight band at the hip pulls a big jumper in like a balloon, right at the widest point. A hem that falls straight and opens at the sides lets the knit hang and move with you.
The ribbed hem and side split up close. This is what stops the balloon.
The little splits at the side are clever. It sits over my hips without clinging anywhere.
Patricia D., West BridgfordSoft knit, not stiff knit
A stiff, heavy knit holds its own shape, and that shape is a box. A soft knit falls into your shape instead. It is the difference between wearing a jumper and wearing a cardboard carton.
Straight out of the post. You can see how softly it lies.
Soft and comfortable, and it does not look like a sack. I have ordered a second colour.
Maureen A., Long EatonOversized that swamps, and oversized that flatters
If you have a big jumper you never quite feel right in, hold it up against the left column. I suspect you will see straight away why.
Shoulder seam in the usual place
Sleeves past the fingertips
A high, round neck
Wide trousers underneath
A tight band at the hip
A soft, dropped shoulder
Sleeves that stop past the elbow
A V at the neck
Slim jeans or leggings
A straight hem with side splits
Helen's styling notes
Three small things that make a big knit look deliberate
- Let a little white show. A plain white tee peeping at the V-neck and the hem frames the knit and lifts the whole outfit.
- Tie the drawstrings level. Pull them to the same length and let them hang straight. Two clean lines down the front make you look taller.
- Mind your shoes. A plain white trainer or a neat flat keeps the look light. A chunky boot under all that volume tips it over into swamped.
The details
The Celinda is £35.95 at the moment, down from £72.00 in the sale. For the piece you will reach for most mornings this winter, that is very fair.
I always read the reviews before I recommend anything, and I would encourage you to do the same. There are just over three hundred, averaging 4.2 stars. I trust that more than a perfect five. The same things come up again and again: how soft it is, how easy it is to wear with jeans, and how it looks relaxed rather than sloppy.
You asked
Readers' questions, answered
Which colour should I choose?
It comes in ten. If you live in jeans, khaki is the one I would start with: warm, soft and easy with denim and white. Brown and black are the richest for winter, navy and grey are the quiet classics that go with everything you already own, and green, blue, pink, purple and red are for the days you want a little colour near your face.
Is a hoodie too young for me?
Not this one. What makes a hoodie look young is a sweatshirt fabric and a slogan. This is a soft knit with a small V-neck and long drawstrings, so it reads as a jumper with a hood, not gym kit.
What size should I order?
Your usual size. The oversized shape is built in, so there is no need to size up. Sizes run from UK 8/10 (S) to UK 24/26 (5XL), and with thirty days to return it, there is no risk in trying.
Helen's verdict
If you have given up on big, easy jumpers because they made you feel swamped, it was almost certainly failing one of these six rules. If you want one piece that passes all of them, this is the one I would choose. A soft knit with a dropped shoulder, sleeves that stop past the elbow, a V at the neck and a hem that moves, over the slim jeans you already own. You will not look lost in it. You will look like you chose to be comfortable.
The Editor's Pick
CELINDA | Chique Oversized Sweater
- Soft knit with a pleasant, smooth feel
- Relaxed oversized shape with a dropped shoulder
- Hood, small V-neck and long drawstrings
- Wide sleeves ending just past the elbow
- Ribbed hem with side splits
- 10 colours, UK 8/10 (S) to UK 24/26 (5XL)
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
In the sale now. The middle sizes go first.
About the writer. Helen Marsh is the Style Editor of the Ageless Style Journal. She spent twenty years as a personal shopper, dressing women in fitting rooms from a size 8 to a 24, before starting the Journal to share what she learned there with women over 55. Her golden rule: the best clothes are the ones you can put on without a second thought, and still feel like yourself in.
The Ageless Style Journal is published by Nottingham Boutique. This page is an advertisement for Nottingham Boutique.
Nottingham Boutique · free UK delivery · 30 day returns