There are regular sleeves and then there are Bell-Sleeves, the names sounds cute but they mean serious fashion business. Of course, this is nothing new to you, these sleeves have been doing the rounds in all our favorite brands and being worn by any and every celebrity under the radar.
Let’s indulge in a mini-flashback to see where these babies came from, after all bell-sleeves aren’t a new creation. Okay so we did all the digging for you (while you’re happily sipping on tea probably), and here is the long and short of it in 5 quick seconds:
- The bell-sleeve originated in Japan in the year 794
(What?! Yes, that’s a legitimate time-period) - By 1500 the wealthy of the west had adopted it and personalized it with embellishments (No surprise there)
- Over the next 100 years the sleeve came and went with various iterations
- Celebs like Stevie Nicks, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, wore the trend to death between the 60’s to early 2000’s
- (Remember Britney in Crossroads? – Google it!)
Back to 2017 and here we are still talking about and crushing over a 1,223yr old trend.
(Best history lesson ever, right?)
The focus this time around though is on a chic and controlled bell sleeve instead of flouncy and fly-away sleeves. If you’re looking to give your sleeves a twist of new-age fashion and your personal style a shiny new upgrade then look for dresses and tops with fitted sleeves that flare dramatically after the elbow or at the edge of the sleeve.
Go for fabrics which are textured, stiff with elastic, and fitting. What happens with a dress or top like this is that while it fits you well like a glove the most dramatic part of your outfit and center of attention becomes the bell-sleeve. Since the fabric will be textured and stiff the bell-sleeve itself will have a mind of its own and will sit firm on your hand.
And if nothing else, you can make your significant other take you by the hand and escort you out of cars just so you can fawn over your bell-sleeve. (You can tell we have been spending way too much time taking the “Which Disney Princess Are you quiz?” Dammit Buzzfeed)