Can you imagine a garment without sleeves? Well, it is difficult to imagine. The first thing we see in any garment is sleeves. Sleeves play a crucial role in making any garment look gorgeous and eye-catchy. . Read on more to know about different types of sleeve designs.

Sleeves design can be made in any style to uplift the look of an outfit. It plays the role of a crucial element for  a garment’s look and silhouette. Sleeves designs keep on changing depending on time and fashion. Not only are they designed to enhance the look but they also have some practical functions too.

Fashion keeps on changing and so is the type of sleeve design.  If a particular design is on trend for  a year, it mostly  gets out of trend very soon and after decades it may come back again. Many stylists and fashion designers only focus on sleeves to give a completely different look to  any outfit.

Addition of sleeves to any outfit can change the whole look of a garment. But one should have a complete understanding of what kind of sleeve designs will look better with which type of outfit. Keep on reading to explore a  fashion guide on different varieties of sleeves.

Before we start, let’s take a brief look at what exactly sleeves are and what role does it actually plays in an outfit.

Sleeves are that part of a clothing item which covers your arm or through which the arm passes in. Sleeves come in a variety of length i.e, short, mid-length or long, depending upon its styles. It can also be extra loose or extra tight on the basis of its pattern.

Role of sleeves in fashion 

Sleeves have a dual role when it comes to  fashion. It covers  both functional and designed elements of a garment.

As a functional element, sleeves allow freedom of movement and comfort .

As a design element, sleeves compliment the bodice to which they are attached.

Let’s move further towards 12 different types of sleeve designs which you can try on your garments to enhance your outfits.

Bell sleeves

Bell sleeve is one of the most trending sleeves going on within the fashion industry. It looks equally flattering on western or indo-western dresses. They are also known as peasant sleeves.

Bell sleeves are long sleeves which are fitted around the shoulder and upper arm and flare out to the wrist like a bell.

Kimono sleeves

Kimono sleeves are a style obtained from traditional japanese dresses and adapted as today’s fashion. The main advantage of kimono sleeves is that it gives you a high level of comfort because of its loose pattern. You can check out your favorite and more items on Fashionterest which shows the latest fashion trends.

Length of the sleeves depends on the type of a dress. Kimono sleeves come in short, medium and long lengths depending on its pattern.

Cape sleeves

The name itself defines this type of sleeves design. The sleeves are full and flowing sleeves that look like capes. In cape sleeves, the fabric is gathered at the shoulder and flares out like a cape from there.

Balloon sleeves

Balloon sleeves, often referred to as bishop sleeves, are long, puffed sleeves which are gathered at the shoulder and then puffed out and gathered back at the wrists.

They not only add an extra element to any blouse design but also look extremely flattering and feminine, especially in sheer tops or net fabrics.

Dolman sleeves

The term dolman means robe. It is narrow at the wrists and wide at the point where the arm attaches to the garment. It is generally used in womens’ sweaters and dresses.

Raglan sleeves

Raglan sleeves are among the most trending sleeves in the fashion industry now. The sleeves extend from a garment’s neckline rather than from the shoulder and this allows better movement.

They are usually kept loose for your extra comfort and at the same time looks equally flattering.

Cap sleeves

Cap sleeves are generally short styles of sleeves that are cut to fit on the shoulder. This design is not usually loose as standard short sleeve t-shirt style.

Cap sleeves are known to have a gathered, elastic or even a loose seam. This type of sleeve design is perfect for casual tops and dresses.

Lantern sleeves

Lantern sleeve is known to be a  long sleeve that balloons out between the wrist and the elbow and then gathers again around the wrists. Lantern sleeves require heavy-weight fabric to maintain the shape.

Juliet sleeves

Juliet sleeves are   long, tight sleeves  with a puff at the top. This style is inspired   by the film Romeo and Juliet from  the late 1960s.

Juliet sleeves somewhat resemble the leg of mutton sleeves. The only difference is that the juliet sleeve has two parts.

Leg of mutton sleeves

 Leg of mutton sleeves is gathered and puffed by the shoulder and upper arm and then fitted on the forearm.

Leg Of mutton sleeves, when drafted and sewn, looks like you have a leg of mutton on your arm. Usually, this is a long sleeve and it is  tight  from the elbow to the wrists. If you want to design some unique party wear dresses, this type of sleeve design will look perfect for your occasion.

Slit sleeves

Slit sleeves is a sleeve that has a slit down the center, usually exposing some  parts of your arm. This sleeve can also be called a cold shoulder sleeve because it kind of resembles it. .

Flutter sleeves

Flutter sleeves is a type of sleeve which is  short and  loose-fitting  that falls over the upper arm. If the right fabric is used for flutter sleeves, it can create a fabulous masterpiece. Flutter sleeves look equally flattering on all body types because their width balances the figure.

By this, we come to an end of 12 gorgeous sleeve designs which look stunning if added to your garment. If you want to customize any garment,  go through this fashion guide which will give you a clear understanding of different varieties of sleeves to create a perfect silhouette.