NEED TO KNOW, NEED TO OWN:
Spring's Bold New Sleeve Shapes
Mary Fellowes • 04/17/2017
Photo: Harper's Bazaar
Back in fashion school at London’s Central Saint Martins, a fiercely flame-haired, bespectacled professor
used to bellow at us,
used to bellow at us,
“Silhouettes, people! It all starts there!"...and she was right. In fashion, when a silhouette feels new, everything falls into place.
This spring, we're seeing some very exciting sleeve shapes on those silhouettes—ones that make your standard straight and narrow feel tired. Investing in the myriad of new forms offers an easy way to wake up your wardrobe right now. And the bonus? They deflect attention away from problem areas, so you don't have to strain yourself with that go-to skinny-arm-pose in every photo.
With the eye-catching new volumes cascading from shoulder to wrist, this sleeve is perfection if your upper arms are a little shy for spring sunshine. I
n the same way that a
flared leg makes the hip look narrower, these new voluptuous proportions make the torso leaner—and it's far easier (
and much more fun) than attempting whatever has replaced the latest South Beach Diet.
n the same way that a
flared leg makes the hip look narrower, these new voluptuous proportions make the torso leaner—and it's far easier (
and much more fun) than attempting whatever has replaced the latest South Beach Diet.
This is the classic 1970s bell sleeve revisited—straight at first, then suddenly bursting into flared out fun at the wrist. The 1980s, Victoriana leg-of-mutton has finally re-emerged in multiple incarnations, as well. For the more resolute, masculine, or sports inclined, there are great options which take inspiration from classic men's shirting, featuring new extreme length and deep cuffs. And for the really brave? Harness criss-cross detailing or mixed fabrics.
With all that fun up top, you can pair pretty much anything on the bottom.
Pants and jeans can be ankle-grazing, flared, straight, or skinny. And s
horts of all forms are great. When is comes to s
kirts, go for A-
line, pencil, and ankle length—only with a lean, straight shape, as anything overtly flared could easily get too 'Little House On
The Prairie.'
Pants and jeans can be ankle-grazing, flared, straight, or skinny. And s
horts of all forms are great. When is comes to s
kirts, go for A-
line, pencil, and ankle length—only with a lean, straight shape, as anything overtly flared could easily get too 'Little House On
The Prairie.'
So, knock yourself out—it’s only a sleeve after all...