(Picture from Pinterest) Until a few months ago, I never thought I’d wear a piece of clothing with puffed sleeves. The exaggerated and broad shoulders, just as fashion dictated in the ’80s, are stored in my file of adolescence. My standards of elegance had definitely changed over the years! And do you know who I thought about as soon as I saw them? To Grendizer, the cartoon hero who I had a crush on, who, later, I would have looked at through the sharp eye of an over 50 woman with a passion for fashion. Above all, it was natural for me to associate the puffed sleeves with the crescent-shaped electronic boomerangs he had on the shoulders, which he used to fight the worst enemy, Vega.
Puffed sleeves for balancing the proportions
Then last spring, after a real invasion of puffed sleeves, from shirts to tops and dresses, I got used to seeing them. And in my imagination, Grendizer slowly gave way to the lovely Minnie, to her red and white dress with cute small balloons on her shoulders. I was beginning to like those sleeves, that extra detail, in fact, made the blouse more feminine and romantic, changed the simple shirt completely.
And during these months characterized by COVID19, some have attributed the meaning of need for security to the search for broad shoulders in times of uncertainty and economic crisis. Apart from this additional symbolic interpretation, the puffed sleeves give harmony and grace to the female figure. They better define the body and the proportions between the upper and lower parts. The shoulders look wider with those lovely little balloons, and consequently the waist looks tighter. Overall, the figure appears to be more harmonious and more similar to a woman with feminine shapes and a wasp waist.
Puffed sleeves, how to combine them
The dresses and tops are perfect for creating balanced looks, the roundness and lightness of the upper body, brought by the balloons on the shoulders, go perfectly with pants and skirts with straight and structured styles. Above all, they are ideal for women with hips wider than the shoulders, by virtue of the fact that they help to rebalance the proportions.
For those who, like me, love the mix and match style, these beautiful feminine sleeves can be scrambled by combinations with garments that usually belong to the masculine wardrobe, including cargo pants and combat boots. Another winning combination, so trendy this fall, is with faux leather trousers or skirts, decidedly more aggressive and showy garments that need softness to create an elegant and classy look suitable for women over 40.
For the most romantic fashionistas, the combination with the full skirt is definitely the winning one. And if that’s not enough, this year’s fashion also offers sweaters and coats with puffed sleeves, for sure the cheerful garments that will make brighter the long winter days!
Have a good day, dear readers!
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