November 7th, 2007
Layering an item with a shorter sleeve (either bracelet, three-quarter or short) over an item with a long sleeve is a perfectly acceptable and hip 70’s-inspired look. While layering in this way won’t work with every sleeve type, there are rules one can follow to ensure a streamlined look:
- Stick to layering one voluminous sleeve at a time. Volume on the first layer (a sleek cardigan over a lantern sleeve); or volume on the second layer (a bell sleeve over a fitted long sleeved knitted T) are looks that work equally well. Layering with two sets of voluminous sleeves (a bell sleeve over a bell sleeve) at different lengths can also work, but gets tricky, so it’s best to stick with one.
- Create a colour contrast for the best effect. Contrasting subtle or bold colours with the sleeves that you layer creates an effective statement. It’s when the colour is the same (like black on black) that the effect is less interesting and eye-catching.
Longer sleeves that peek out underneath shorter sleeves can give an outfit a funky and artsy edge. It’s another good reason to buy three-quarter-sleeve outwear.
Good examples of shorter voluminous second layers worn over sleek long sleeves.
6 Replies
Posted on Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Posted on November 7th, 2007 at 9:58 am
I do too. Even with casual wear…a short sleeved tee shirt over a long sleeved tee shirt is very sporty looking. It gives you a chance to wear your favorite Tees when the weather chills down.
Angie, your comment about black on black made me think of this…
If I have a top that is too short in the torso (either because it shrunk or because it’s a few years old when that was the style), I will wear a shirt the same exact color underneath–usually a cami or tank top to keep the bulk to a minimum. As long as the undershirt is long enough, you can get some more mileage out that “too shirt” shirt.
Posted on November 7th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Absolutely Nicole. The strategy that you have devised to lengthen certain tops at the hip and midriff area will work from time to time. You’ve sort of got to get the look right though. You don’t want to “look as though” you are purposely trying to add length to an old top, and your look gets sloppy.
And layering T’s with different sleeve lengths can be a fun and sporty look. It’s not a look that will extend to all ages though. But when it’s appropriate, it’s super!
Posted on November 7th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Thank you so much for making this clear for me, the whole cropped sleeve thing. I don’t know why, guess it’s that knee jerk reaction I have to new trends, but I would never have considered buying a coat with 3/4 sleeves. Earlier in the season I tried on a 3/4 sleeve coat at the Gap that fit perfectly but the sales person said she thought the whole cropped sleeve thing was a waste of time so I decided not to get it. Which is ok because I would not have paid full price for it anyway, Today must be my lucky day; the coat is on sale in my size. Which makes for happy ending on a not-so-happy day. I found out today that the UPS people delivered two of my packages to total strangers, to a totally random address! Sorry to share this but still in a state of shock!
Posted on November 7th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Thank you Angie for this post! I already own two cute coats with 3/4 sleeves, but with the weather that is getting colder, I was happy to know more about layering. I have seen another fashion trend here in Shanghai: wool coats with really short sleeves. Don’t you think that these are tricky to wear?
Posted on November 11th, 2007 at 4:48 am
I had to scroll back to find this post. I hope I’m not too late.
I saw a few of these cropped sleeve jackets on the Gap website…some were on sale for under $50.
http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=5736
Posted on November 28th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
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