I live in oversized clothes but only wore tight, short outfits for five days - here's how it changed

I am an oversized girlie - through and through. Therefore, I find it incredibly difficult to wear tight clothes and short or figure-hugging dresses and skirts. But as every fashion fan knows, mini dresses are all anyone's wearing RN. Why I seem to have a small aversion to anything "short" or with a figure-hugging cut, I can't really say, but I mostly hate the feeling of being "constricted" or found certain garments totally impractical. Now, it's become force of habit.

So I decided to embark on a fashion experiment and get to the bottom of my aversion to tight clothes. I wanted to finally determine whether I shy away from them through fear of others' judgement or whether it's all just really in my bed. Fashion is all about empowerment and I wanted to find out whether wearing tight clothes made me feel good after years of shunning them.

Ultimately, I love layering - even in summer: with wide fabric pants or like here my favourite wide-leg jeans in ecru from G-Star. I combine it with a summery crochet dress from Marc O'Polo Denim x Kangol and a linen shirt in pink over it. The perfect "dressed up" mini dress look for cooler summer days.

Confessions of an Oversized-loving-Girlie: 5 reasons why tight, short looks are not part of my styling routine.

The first reason that comes to mind is the lack of practicality. I'm 1.73m tall, which means short pieces always fit tight when I try them on. Either they end just above my bottom, slide up too far when stretching or leave me bare at the slightest movement.

Then there's the weather.

And last but not least, I ask myself: Are invisible concerns to blame? The worry of being catcalled? Of not being taken seriously? Of being reduced to "appearance only"? Not standing out "further" (because that's what being a non-white person in a majority-white environment does anyway)?

I put all these concerns aside and decide to wear short and tight clothes for 5 days straight, here's how I got on:

It's white, short and looks pretty tiny in my hand. I'm in for a treat, I think, and put on the crochet piece. I examine myself in the mirror. Kind of cute. But so atypical for me. To compensate for the shortness, I decide to wear a kimono. When I leave the house for the first time, I look around all the time as if someone is watching me, but no one is walking next to me. Shortly after, I reach the busy street and walk towards the subway. It's summer, and of course I'm not alone with the idea of wearing short clothes. So I immediately meet a young woman with a similar look, and I feel a little reassured: my dress does not seem to be so short, besides, I wear the kimono for protection.

I'm back home, and here on the balcony in the sun, the crochet mini dress is the perfect choice. It feels like vacation, and I get more and more used to the skimpy textile. When I leave the house in the evening for the second time, I am already a little braver. I decide to wear white cowboy boots, a jacket with fringes (in case it gets cooler later) and this time I put on cycling shorts underneath, because I put the dress through the ultimate endurance test: Cycling! And off I go. First I still wear my jacket, but because it's too warm on the bike, I pack it in my basket and ride the last bit in the strap dress. A few people look, but nothing unusual, and thanks to the biker shorts cycling works great!

It's 27 degrees and therefore the perfect time to test short and tight outfits. The look of the day consists of a mini skirt with a playful hem, a tank top and my favourite summer loafers: pink-green shoes from the sustainable brand Camper. Since it's still a bit nippy at 10 in the morning, I opt for a linen shirt in pink and a vest for over it.

I send an outfit picture to my friend with the message “Who is she?” and all the people I meet throughout the day find the look "very summery" and very unlike me.

With everything I do throughout the day, an inner voice inside me calls out, "Remember the skirt!" Even sitting becomes a challenge, thanks to structured wicker chairs - and I'm still reminded of it some time later by the marks on my legs. It's only in the evening I realise that I had the skirt on backwards the whole time!

I would almost say that the tennis skirt is the shortest piece of clothing I wear on a regular basis. Mostly in combination with a loose fitting top - balance, of course! Although it doesn't even reach mid-thigh for me, it still doesn't feel terribly "mini" to me, which is probably due to the incorporated pants. Rounding out the look are platform sandals from Dr. Martens with an outdoor look. Combined with the super short skirt, my legs look extremely long.

I feel comfortable in this look and riding a bike is also absolutely no problem. Today I notice that a few people are looking at me. I blame it on the sporty look of the skirt (mainly people my parents' age). But I also observe a few others who are also wearing tennis skirt-like styles, and I feel seen! It's unusual because of the combo with the tight top, but all in all it's a good compromise to wear the mini trend in everyday life.

Short, tight and skintight: this green mini dress is helping me break my biggest fashion barrier so far. Here, too, I notice a few unfamiliar limitations right away: Bending down to reach the lower shelves in the supermarket has to be done carefully and in a sitting position - not so easy when people are constantly walking past you. So for me so far, this has to be the "most daring" outfit.

After all the sporty outfits, my final look is a leather dress. Whilst I've worn it on Halloween, I do not wear it day-to-day because it is just too short for me.

I opt for a colourful silk shirt with print (this makes the look more summery) and sneakers for a casual finish. I already know that riding a bike is not an option, and caution is also required for the rest of the "activities" such as running, sitting, walking up and down stairs, bending over and breathing (!).

I conclude that I love the look but hate how impractical it is at the same time.

Because women are so scared of being judged or sexualised for how they dress, some clothes get a certain reputation and short skirts, sheer dresses or visible nipples are often perceived as an affront or scandal - even by other women. It's a shame, actually, because feeling your own damn body and showing it is incredibly empowering and beautiful - I learned that in the 5 days.

I found that venturing out of your own comfort zone and facing things you don't normally do or purposefully avoid provides moments of self-reflection. You see yourself in a completely different way and in my case: develop a completely new body awareness.

This article originally appeared on GLAMOUR DE.

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