How to Style Puff Sleeve Dresses

As its name suggests, the sleeves of puff sleeve dresses are drummed and just like two lanterns. After more than six centuries of development, puff sleeves now appear on many women's clothing, especially dresses, as a symbol of romance.

In recent years, puff sleeve dresses are one of the most popular items among girls. Due to their uniqueness and sweetness, it is easy for girls in puff sleeve dresses to stand out. There is no need to add too many patterns or decorations, a solid-colored puff sleeve dress alone is very design conscious.

But you may be wondering if you are suitable for puff sleeve dresses or not, and how to choose the right dresses for yourself. Since puff sleeve dresses come in many different materials and styles, we need to choose the right ones. Here we have some advice on choosing and styling puff sleeve dresses for you.

As a clothing element, puff sleeves are with a long history. It is believed that at first puff sleeves were used in men's military uniforms. The wide puff sleeves facilitated the movement of the soldiers' shoulders, making them easier to fight. But not long after that, puff sleeves have become a popular trend that is acceptable by more females.

In many portraits of noble ladies in the 15th century, we can see that their sleeves and hems are extremely fluffy. Their wide and gorgeous sleeves are decorated with embroidery and various jewels. And the higher the status of the ladies, the more ornate and puffy the sleeves were. In the 16th century, puff sleeves gradually became more popular because Queen Elizabeth I liked them. But no more than 300 years later, puff sleeve dresses regained their popularity. In the 19th century, the puff sleeves became not as exaggerated as before. In addition, short puff sleeves appeared. Puff sleeves were also combined with off the shoulder dresses to show ladies' beauty. These changes have not only provided convenience for ladies to move and walk, but also made women's outfits more diverse.

Nowadays, most puff sleeves are not overly exaggerated due to modern women's demands for commuting. But in the retro trend, designers will also design some extra wide puff sleeves ingeniously. The sleeves of these dresses are even comparable to those worn by noble ladies in the fifteenth century. However, these dresses with extra wide puff sleeves usually appear on the red carpet or in movies rather than in our daily lives.

So it could be said that the popularity of puff sleeves is completely expected because this element is so classic and beautiful. In addition, puff sleeves can also modify some problems of figure, although they seem difficult to match with. Maybe you have always wanted to try a puff sleeve dress but are confused whether you are suitable for them or not. So we need to know who is suitable for puff sleeve dresses.

We all know that clothes that are particularly versatile are not very common. Most styles of clothing will have a group of audiences that are more suitable. Puff sleeve dresses are no exception. So who is the audience of those puff sleeve dresses?

💕Girls with a "pear shape" figure are especially suitable for this type of dresses. We have mentioned this type of figure in many articles before. Girls with a "pear shape" figure are generally with narrow shoulders and relatively wide hips. So the puff sleeves that emphasize on the shape of shoulders is suitable for them to make their figure proportion more coordinated.

💕Girls who have an "inverted triangle shape" figure are not suitable for this type of dresses. As mentioned above, the wide puff sleeves would make your shoulders even broader. So for those whose shoulders are already broad enough, the puff sleeves are not suitable.

💕Puff sleeves are also a good choice for girls with a longer upper body. Puff sleeves can visually widen girls' shoulders and arms, making their upper bodies look stronger. In addition, emphasizing the upper body horizontally can also help visually shorten their upper body, thereby modifying the body proportions.

💕Girls who have the "hourglass shape" figure are suitable for clothes of most styles. But puff sleeves dresses might be an exception. Girls with “hourglass shape” figures have wider shoulders and hips, but a thin waist. So, if these girls wear a dress with puff sleeves that emphasize the shoulders, their shoulders will appear wider than their hips. Unless they choose an A-line dress with puff sleeves, their body proportions will remain harmonious.

💕Puff sleeve dresses can effectively modify the defect of girls with sloping shoulders. Since puff sleeves can visually increase the volume of the shoulders, the shoulders of girls with sloping shoulders can look flatter. But these girls need to remember that off the shoulder dresses with puff sleeves are not a good choice for them since they need puff sleeves to modify their shoulders rather than arms.

Nowadays, we have many different options when buying puff sleeve dresses. Whether materials, styles or colors, they are very diverse. And we have also known that puff sleeve dresses are not compatible with everyone. So if you want to try this type of dress, how can you choose the right one for yourself?

💕Although puff sleeve dresses are not that suitable for girls with broader shoulders in most cases, if they want to have a try, they can choose one with relatively slimmer sleeves. Since the sense of existence of the puff sleeves are not too strong, they can make your outfit sweeter, and at the same time will not overemphasize your shoulders, making you look extremely strong.

💕For several formal or business occasions, you may choose a shirt dress with puff dresses. Therefore, your outfit will be formal as well as chic. On more casual occasions, you can choose an off the shoulder dress, an asymmetrical dress or a Bohemian dress with puff sleeves.

💕In terms of colors and patterns, if you are new to clothes matching or are afraid of making mistakes, then you can choose puff sleeve dresses in solid colors or with stripes. To show your uniqueness, more personalized patterns such as leopard pattern are acceptable. To make your overall outfit more elegant or eye-catching, you can choose dresses with flounce or other decorations.

💕There is no doubt that the best material for making puff sleeve dresses is cotton. Puff sleeve dresses made in cotton are not only easy to style but also breathable. The sleeves may look too heavy if the puff sleeve dresses are made of wool. The dresses may seem lighter if they are made of silk, but silk is too soft to be created the shape of puff.

💕To show the curve of your figure, a tight puff sleeve dress is more suitable for you. But for vacation, you can choose a loose dress to create a cozy atmosphere.

💕Choose the puff sleeve dresses with the appropriate length and neck shape according to your figure. To petite ladies, too long dresses may not be appropriate. And for those whose necks are relatively short, then a v neck puff sleeve dress can be chosen.

Although puff sleeve dresses are more commonly seen in summer, they can also appear in your outfits in autumn. As autumn comes, we have several tips for wearing puff sleeve dresses in autumn for you.

💕As the temperature goes down in autumn, we need to layer our puff sleeve dresses. Since the puff sleeves are relatively wide, wearing a top under a dress will make you look stronger. So it is better for us to wear an outerwear such as a jacket over the puff sleeve dress. We can even try to wear a dungaree over your dress. So we do not need to worry that our shoulders and arms look more puffy.

💕In terms of the choices of shoes, puff sleeve dresses are relatively versatile. From high heels, tennis shoes to sneakers, nearly all types of shoes go well with puff sleeve dresses. But different styles of shoes will certainly create different feelings. For example, a pair of high heels will make you look more elegant, while a pair of tennis shoes or sneakers helps you look more energetic.

💕The puff sleeve dress gives people a sweeter and more delicate feeling. Therefore, a delicate handbag is in line with this kind of feeling. As for the color of the handbag, you can choose one in similar color with your dress. Otherwise, the classic colors such as black and white are also good choices. In addition, contrasting colors to that of the dress are also acceptable to create different feelings.

💕Some accessories are also needed. As it gets colder, you can choose a scarf to pair with the puff sleeve dress. If your dress is in solid color, then it is better for you to choose a printed scarf. If you have chosen a v-neck dress, then you can wear a necklace as decoration.

💕You do not need to wear heavy makeup. Since the puff sleeves are already eye-catching, you can just wear light makeup to look energetic. Otherwise, your whole outfit would be dazzling.  

Although puff sleeves are not suitable for everyone, they can modify some defects in certain cases. Of course, the premise is that you can choose the right dress and match it with the suitable accessories. So, you can continue to explore more options to style puff sleeve dresses, and you can show your uniqueness and personality through your outfits.