What’s Up Your Sleeve? February 11, 2024

 Sleeves? Not Sure I have ever given sleeves a second thought until I saw this fun exhibit at The Museum at FIT. This space has been showing wonderful exhibits these past couple of years. This latest one is no exception. ‘What is a “statement sleeve”? The fashion media has regularly used the term for less than a decade, yet many of us can conjure images of what it describes: a sleeve style that is exaggerated, embellished, elaborately constructed, or otherwise eye catching to the extent that it defines a garment. Statement sleeves have been spotted on innumerable fashion runways in recent years, with no sign of waning. From puffed to ruffled, split to sheer, there is a style for everyone. The exhibit showcases nearly 80 fashion pieces from The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection – the majority of which are on display for the first time – and features the works of renowned designers such as Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Schiaparelli, and Vivienne Westwood. They are organized thematically or by complementary aesthetics rather than chronology. The exhibition highlights how sleeves serve as a vital mode of self-expression that reflects our gestures and movements, showcases their ability to indicate specific fashion eras and their related trends, and proclaims their role as signifiers of status, taste, and personality’. So what’s up your sleeve?