Claire’s Pick of the Best Balloon Sleeve Tops

I’m guessing I wore two years before it occurred to me that balloon sleeves weren’t a dress, they were a top. My ill-informed opinion, which I stood by staunchly: anything that balloons out beyond the shoulder is for women who wanted a photo taken at a garden party they were not invited to. I was wrong, and I want to address my uninformed taste directly: sorry, balloon sleeve top. You were never the issue. I was just buying ones that had too much fabric and not enough beef-to-the-bust. It’s the difference with this sleeve.

The good ones earn that volume.

The sleeve has to hold it shape, rather than droop to nothing the moment you sit down, so there’s usually a cuff giving your wrist some real action to do, or enough heft in the fabric that it doesn’t look like it’s about to take flight. Cotton poplin does this, a good crepe does this. Limp viscose will not do this and you will learn this lesson the hard way, probably at dinner and as you’re trying to tuck into some pasta, the sleeve will try and eat the pasta before you.

Style-wise, I think it’s letting the top be the funky one and keeping everything else simple. Slim or straight leg trousers, a plain skirt, jeans but nothing else doing interesting things. Tuck it in, if it’s got a fitted body. A full tuck shows off your waist and prevents your whole look looking like one big blob with nowhere for the eye to rest. If it’s more of a loose body, leave it untucked and let the sleeve have all the conversationalists. I once tried pairing a puff sleeve top with a full skirt and became, per my sister: “a collection of lampshades.” She was not wrong. Keep the volume in check, don’t layer it.

Balloon sleeves work at weddings, the office, anywhere slightly dressed up but not funeral/black tie. Lunches you’ve put thought into, offices days when you’ve got clients to meet, wedding guest outfits that need one element of interest, not five. They photograph well too; the sleeve creates its own shot-ready shape in pictures so it’s either a blessing or cursing depending on how you happened to stand. I just pop my arms in a mirror now when I leave the house. See ya from both sides.