WHAT TO WEAR THIS WEEKEND
PUFF SLEEVES
BIGGER IS BETTER
Trends come and go, but the puff sleeve has proven its shelf life to be longer than most. Bursting onto the fashion scene in 2018, this season it’s bigger and more popular than ever. What began as a girly nod to an eighties party dress is now a full-blown love affair. And walking around with an elaborate sleeve is just what we need to lift us out of the gloom of lockdown.
EXAGGERATED ELEGANCE
There’s a romantic feel to this sleeve, whether that’s the subtle Bridgerton version or the overblown style of emma Corrin’s Miu Miu dress at the recent Golden Globes. designers have embraced it in both polished and relaxed ways. On the catwalks, Isabel Marant’s pink blouse was all bohemian elegance, while Altuzarra gave a smart twist to a classic trench coat.
ARM YOURSELF
WhO’d have thought that being back on the school drop-off would feel like a reason to dress up? I’ll be giving myself some va-va-voom (and disguising less-than perfectly toned arms) in this dobby blouse top I’m wearing. It gently flares at the cuffs too, which creates a slimming effect for the whole arm.
STYLE IT RIGHT
There’s only one downside to puff sleeves: coats. stuffing extra material into them is never a good look; pulling them out squashed and flat even less so. Choose a cover up which isn’t too tight — try a sleeveless crewneck or a cardigan. They’re versatile whether on a blouse teamed with jeans or as the focal point of a dress when it’s time to party. Fabric plays its part — a soft cotton on Boden’s T-shirt gives a hint of volume whereas the stiff denim on essentiel Antwerp’s balloon-sized version (both below) shouts go big or go home.