Oversized shoulders – spring shirts and tops with maxi sleeves

Spring is up on its… shoulders! A theme of oversized shoulders can have many forms. Elongated sleeves, the return of puffs and curved outline of shoulders like in the 80s – these are the most common themes in fashion in recent seasons.

Elevated line of shoulders - that trick works!

Even though every woman is beautiful and inimitable - a slender waist highlighted by corsets and waist belts is a trend of the latest seasons. Taking notes from a manual of clothing construction and having ideal proportions in mind, designers can use a simple optical illusion to slim down woman’s waist by even a dozen of centimetres by adding some volume in the shoulder area.

Due to this method, female silhouette takes the shape of a sandglass, which gives her an enticing and sensual appearance Monica Bellucci would not be ashamed of. Kenzo, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent return to exaggerated shoulder line from the 80s to once again start frolicing with a female body.

Puffed sleeves

Dsquared2, Balenciaga, Gucci, Burberry or Isabel Marant are among these brands that took a volume-enhanced shoulders in shirts and blouses really seriously. A true craziness of Dsquared2 is manifested by cartoonish and inflated puffs that notably stick out of the shoulder line. A duo of designers combined the bodice of the blouse with sleeves crafted from contrasting fabrics. The black blouse adorned with gold shimmering appliqué of a two-headed lion in a crown, was put together with leopard-printed sleeves to add a subversive character.

Gucci on the other hand, as the brand that once created and now endorses the granny chic aesthetic, produces sheer tops with curved sleeves, that protrude far beyond the shoulder line. Burberry uses a subtle shoulder enlargement technique by sewing sleeves at an angle of 45 degrees. That method helps to obtain the effect of an oversized shirt form. At Isabel Marant, the round shoulders of shirts and tops recall models that were present at the catwalks less than 40 years ago.

Super long sleeves

Oversize does not always mean too big. This term relates also to the length, just as in the case of sleeves reaching far over the line of a palm. Some of the silhouettes have a striking resemblance of a straitjacket. But designers found a solution for the ludicrous length of the sleeves, that might obscure a way of reaching for the beloved macchiato. Those are deep vents found in the cuffs of Marni or Burberry designs or deliberate cracks at the seam in Michael Kors pieces.

The length of the sleeves from Vera Wang’s collection, where cuffs reach even below the knee, is offset by the plain, unicolored shorts and mini skirts. What’s more, the designer juxtaposed the concept of flounce sleeves drooping to the bust line, with their maxi size.

Wang who is always quite cautious in using colors, confined herself to use just white and black also this season.