We see denim and chambray shirts across a range of washes every year because they’re a classic. More recently, we’re seeing versions with puffed sleeves as a nod to the puffed sleeve trend. The puff on longer and shorter sleeves can be subtle or dramatic. Some puffs are voluminous, ruched, shirred, and very frilly, while the gathers on other versions are barely noticeable. Some sleeves are gathered at the cuff and not the crown, thereby creating a puffy volume on the lower instead of upper part of the sleeve. Most denim shirts are a shade of blue.
The puff-sleeve denim shirt is more than a basic. The voluminous sleeves, plus the odd frill, add something extra to what is usually a very simple shirt design.
Here are some examples.
Denim shirts aren’t that popular with my clientele because they can feel too rigid and look too boxy, even when they are quite soft and shaped. Or they look too Western. Gaping at the bust can be problematic too. That said, some prefer a chambray version, and some like to wear a denim shirt open, much like a soft jacket. Some like to tie the fronts to add structure to the boxiness. Some like to wear them as a shirt tucked, semi-tucked, or untucked.
Personally, I’m a denim shirt fan because shirts with collars are my thing. I quite like them rigid and boxy. I usually have one or two denim shirts in my wardrobe, and can remember getting my first one back in the ‘80s. At the moment I have two. A very dark cropped style with a round hem, and a faded utility style with a high collar and a bit of paint splatter. The white buttons on both shirts are what drew me in. I love these shirts, and wear them in mild and warm weather. I find them versatile and easy to wear, and happily wear them with white denim.
I enjoy wearing sleeves that are puffed at the crown some of the time. My narrow shoulders welcome the volume, and I like the rounded effect. I am open to adding a puff-sleeve denim shirt, or jacket for that matter, to my wardrobe.
Over to you. What do you think of puff-sleeve denim shirts?
