Fashion Up Your Sleeve

Sleeves have always been giving a distinct identity to outfits in every era fro toga, bagpipe sleeves, and padded shoulders in the 6th century, and bishop and batwing sleeves during the Middle Ages, to the 18th and 19th century's puffed sleeves and leg-of-mutton sleeve(one that is loose on the upper arm, tight and fitted on the lower arm).
Intrestingly, many of old styles seem to be maikng a comeback. Be it slouchy sleeves by JW Anderson, 80's ruched, puff-sleeves by Gucci, Simone Rocha and Anna sui, sui, or different statment styles by Indian designers like Samant Chauhan, and Archana Rao a lot of variety can be seen.

WHY ARE SLEEVES IN FOCUS?

Designers believe that sleeves elevatethe look of outfits by bringing in some drama. "It helps creating a very edgy style statement, and is very feminine and they look to the garment," says designer Samant Chauhan, who has experimented with sleeves a lot since the last season, agrees. "Sleeves enhance your torso. We can layer ourselves in winters for a sophisticated look," he adds.

EXPERIMENTING WITH INDIANWEAR

The trend is not just restricted to western wear. "sleeves can be played with, in not just western outfits but also in ethnic ones. As the focus has shifted from heavily embellished lehngas to minimalists and comfertable designs, people opt for edgyglam looks, with experimental sleeves," explains designers Ridhima Bhasin.
Floor-length sleeves on a lehenga blouse are a hit. so are bell sleeves and scallop slits in outfits having a flowy look. Bhasin adds,"I recommend extra-long sleeves with slits, as they are eye catchy.
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