Wedding dress sleeves
A wedding dress is not just all about the skirt and the bodice – the sleeves play a big part of the overall look and can have more impact than you might think.
Choosing the type of sleeve you have depends a lot on the style of the dress but also on trends and comfort, many of us aren’t that comfortable bearing our arms.
Here’s our guide to the most common types of wedding dress sleeves.
Cap
This is a small, rounded sleeve that just caps the shoulder and top of the arm. Great for girls with very slim arms and small shoulders.
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Petal
A really pretty but subtle sleeve design. This is a short sleeve that criss-crosses over the top of the arm. It’s also known as the tulip sleeve. Great for all arm shapes and sizes and really works with simple and modern dress designs.
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T-shirt
Just like a T-shirt sleeve, this ends halfway between the elbow and the shoulder. It’s a really simple design that’s great if you want a bit of a cover up.
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Juliet
A traditional wedding dress sleeve, it’s puffed at the shoulder then becomes fitted around the arm. It’s great for big, frilly or period-style wedding dresses, but if you have large arms you need to be careful with this sleeve and the res of the dress as it could make you look very broad on top.
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Balloon
Fabulous for a bit of drama, this sleeve is full and balloon-shaped over the upper arm, then narrows from the elbow to wrist. If you’ve got a large bust and have broad shoulders make sure your neckline is low-cut and simple.
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Poet
A beautifully romantic sleeve, this style works really well with floaty-type dresses. It’s wide and gathered at the shoulder and continues from the shoulder to wrist, where it is gathered again or tapered.
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Long/Illusion
If you don’t like baring your arms try a long/illusion style sleeve. It’s a long sleeve that covers the whole arm but is made of sheer fabric so you don’t feel too covered up and there’s a hint of glamour too.
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Bell
A really flattering sleeve design. The bell is narrow at the shoulder and gets wider at the end – just like the bell-bottomed shaped flares from the seventies. The bell sleeve can be as long or as short as you want, so it can stop at the top of the arm, the elbow or wrist.
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