Customer Watch: Yet Another Styling Faux Pas (or, Long Sleeves, Part 2)
Especially these days, with spending noticeably dialed back and a corresponding interest in taking care of one’s possessions so that they are usable and attractive longer, I find it mind-boggling that the editorial stylists for some of the premier consumer fashion and celebrity-focused magazines continue to style clothing so that its natural lifespan is at risk.
I recently posted on my blog about the trend toward adding dangerously heavy accessories onto fragile embellished dresses. In this case, since beginning to collect my thoughts for my recent post on long sleeves, and continuing my perusal of the fall fashions in popular magazines, I was surprised to find a faux pas relating to the wearing of long sleeves.
The offender in this case is the October issue of In Style magazine, which features a fashion spread based on the premise that a majority of mothers with teenage daughters share their clothes. I contest neither the scenario nor the statistics. Lucky is the girl who can expand her wardrobe by raiding her mother’s closet!
However, I was surprised to see the styling of a shared Marc Jacobs wool sweater. While “Mom” in her photo wears the sweater over a pencil skirt and tops it with a belt, “Daughter” wears the sweater as a tunic over a chiffon miniskirt and bright tights, and with the sleeves pushed up above her elbow.
The look of pushed-up sleeves can be attractive and flattering, of course (see Long Sleeves, part 1). But wearing a sweater that way stretches out the sleeves. “Mom” probably can’t wear the sweater again in the style to her liking after “Daughter” wears it even once.
This issue was captured perfectly in the episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” where Larry David, visiting his dentist, was asked to pull up the sleeve of his sweater to receive an injection. David warned that pulling up the sleeve above his elbow would stretch it out of shape and cause the cuff to lose its elasticity, noting that there are “very few subjects I’m an expert on, and one of them is elastic.” Nevertheless, David finally relented and, of course, the sleeve was ruined.
Don’t ever ask your customer to push a sleeve up past the elbow to display a wide cuff or a grouping of bracelets. There is wisdom in comedy.
CFoshee commented:
Ah, yes, the meeting of jewelry and garments has to be addressed. I
am one of those jewelry lovers who makes sure the clothing works
with the jewerly, not the other way around, especially since I wear
my jewelry all the time
Hedda Schupak commented:
Yeah, I thought of rubber bands. It was the old high school
solution for knee socks that wouldn't stay up (dating myself
here...). But it was really uncomfortable, and I can't imagine it
would be much better on the arms. You're right about the tailoring,
and I should be much more particular, but I get lazy. I have a huge
pile of unworn clothes that need a zipper or hem fixed, or a button
replaced. At least I haven't yet resorted to safety pins!
Cynthia Sliwa commented:
(Oops... the end of my comment was cut off... here it is:) I have
seen stretchy metal "bracelets" from Weekender Fashions that are
worn over the sleeves and are tight enough to keep the sleeves
firmly in place above the wrists. Unfortunately, Weekender went out
of business in June 2008. Perhaps a set of elastic bracelets could
substitute, at least until the elastic starts to give out. Rubber
bands will work in a pinch. Does anyone else have sources or
suggestions?
Cynthia Sliwa commented:
Hedda, I am familiar with the unfortunate meeting of sleeve and
food! The simplest solution for most garments is to take them to a
tailor and have the sleeves shortened to the perfect length. If
there's a cuff (along the lines of Carolina Herrera's shirts), the
cuff can be replaced at the three-quarters length. As an
alternative, if you want to retain the full length of the sleeve,
even at the risk of stretching it out, I have seen stretchy metal "
Hedda Schupak commented:
Wow. Cynthia, thanks for that. For years I have been frustrated
that my sleeves never stay pushed up--but I never really gave much
serious thought as to why. Is there a solution (apart from rubber
bands) for those of us who actually want to wear our sleeves ruched
up? For whatever reason, apart from sweatshirts I can't stand
sleeves around my wrists (not to mention that I have monkey arms so
half the time they don't even reach my wrists...) so I'm forever
rolling and/or pushing sleeves up. And of course after the first
couple of times they don't stay pushed. (When I don't push them up,
there's also an inevitable and unfortunate meeting of sleeve and
food...). Sleeve-wise, I'm a great bracelet candidate, but alas,
computer-wise, I'm not. Ideas there?
