So, sleeves are getting some love. Bells! Bows! Ruffles! It’s all going on. And frankly, I’m over the moon. There are bows at Top Shop, flutters at New Look and just about everyone is selling bell sleeved tops.
Now the bell sleeve isn’t a new thing but when is a fashion trend ever actually new? Japanese women donned dramatic bell sleeved kimonos during the Heian period (974-1192); there were soft, flowing bell sleeves in the 1970s and the 2000s saw big, bold bell sleeves on crop tops. But 2017 bell sleeves are a much more sophisticated affair: they are sharp, tailored and make a big statement.
The reason I love them is because they work SO well with my wardrobe. I am obsessed (read: am in a rut) with skinny jeans. I have a wardrobe full of them. And skinny jeans are perfect with bells sleeves; they flatter the dramatic silhouette while letting the bells hog the spotlight.
I have shopped around and tried on a lot of bell sleeved tops and this little beauty from Ted Baker is my favourite. Boxy yet feminine, it’s got a gold zip on the back (zips and buttons are usually silver and I prefer gold) and it has the most wonderful, flamboyant sleeves. They are mid-length so they won’t waft around in your food and they are made with different material to the rest of the top (gingham) which further emphasises the brilliance of the bells.
Gingham bell sleeved cotton-blend top, Ted Baker, £99
