{sleeve, 1}

Effect/drama style ratio

LOOKING AT THE PERSON from the front, what are the possible style details that will catch your attention the most?  1) a deep V-neck, 2) head/belt accessories, 3) an oversized scarf?

Let’s leave the shoes & bags aside this time: first, the bag is too obvious, and second, we usually start looking at a person from the head down. 

Are you ready for some sleeves action? With some imagination you’ll see many possible design derivations. Sleeves are so often overlooked, yet they have the best effect/drama fashion ratio in my opinion. No need for an extra tits show-off, or a special head-on feather to make an impression; your sleeves will give a masterclass. 

In Wikipedia you’ll find 26 sorts of sleeves… 26!!! And there are more if one is to go splitting hairs. The famous one showing arm is the “Juliet sleeve” from Shakespeare’s tragedy, set during the Italian Renaissance, where the open part begins under the puff covering the whole shoulder. I am wearing a two piece & set-in sleeve, where the front seam of the sleeve is open, giving some sort of cape effect. 

 Here are the first five on the list (link):  

1. Angel sleeve: A long wide sleeve that usually hangs loose from the shoulder. 

2. Batwing sleeve: A long sleeve with a deep armhole, tapering towards the wrist. Also known as a "magyar" sleeve.

3. Bell sleeve: A long sleeve fitted from the shoulder to elbow and gently flared from elbow onward.

4. Bishop sleeve: A long sleeve, fuller at the bottom than the top, and gathered into a cuff.
5. Butterfly sleeve: A short sleeve starting at the shoulder and getting wider toward the end of the sleeve, but usually no longer than 4–5 inches. The difference between a butterfly sleeve and a Bell sleeve is that butterfly sleeves usually do not go completely around the full arm. Usually found on the Filipiniana, the national costume for women of the Philippines.