Puffy-sleeved items are gathered at the crown to create a small or large voluminous pouf. They have been a mainstream trend for a while, in blouses, tees, knitted tops, shirts, sweatshirts, dresses, knitwear, and jackets. Some versions have shoulder pads to accentuate the volume. Now that they have been going strong for several seasons, I thought I would check in to see how you’re feeling about them.
Generally, my clientele and friends have been surprisingly fond of the trend. Most are wearing some version of a puffy sleeve in a top, dress, or sweater, across dressy and casual items. Narrow-shouldered clients are especially loving puffy sleeves, but broad-shouldered clients are too. Those with a larger bust sometimes opt for a more open neckline when wearing puffy sleeves, but not always.
That said, my clients and friends don’t wear puffy sleeves exclusively, and the pouf is quite subtle. Puffy sleeves in ditsy florals are not popular, but as a solid or in a larger pattern, puffy sleeves gained momentum across the seasons across a range of body types. It was a silhouette change that felt right, they were ready for, and was easy to incorporate into their styles. Not too fancy or tricky to wear. Better than basic, quite interesting, and a little flirty and romantic.
Personally, I’m into puffy sleeves and have amassed a collection while the silhouettes are available at retail. Visually, they add that “soft and pretty” touch, which I enjoy wearing. Nostalgically, the silhouettes give me fond reminders of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Proportionally, my narrow shoulders welcome the volume. As long as the necklines are high and the sleeves don’t overwhelm me, puffy sleeves are a design detail that gets my big thumbs up. Some of my puffy sleeves are subtle, and others more dramatic.
These are the puffy-sleeved items in my wardrobe at the moment. Mostly blouses and knitwear, with a jacket and dress thrown into the mix.
Hubs Greg is adamant that he does NOT like puffy sleeves. If I show him a puffy-sleeved item on a hanger or in a photo, guaranteed he will say he doesn’t like the sleeves. But as soon as I put the item on, he loves it. In fact, the puffy sleeve denim dress here is one of his favourites. It cracks me up. I guess when something works, it’s undeniably good. Now I skip the step of showing Greg puffy-sleeved items before putting them on. I jump right to the step of modelling them.
Over to you. How do you feel about the puffy sleeve trend? Do you wear a form of puffy sleeve?
