Butterfly Sleeve

I'm delighted to announce the release of the first of two pattern expansions for October: the Butterfly Sleeve for the Cosmopolitan Dress.

I have a long-held fascination with 1930s sleeves. There was an incredible variety of sleeve styles in fashion during the 1930s. After the minimalist lines of 1920s fashion, the 1930s embraced a sense of whimsy - and nowhere was this more evident than in sleeve design, as designers experimented with volume at the shoulder to shape the silhouette and give an illusion of a slender waist & hips.

From the ruffled confections inspired by Gilbert Adrian's 1932 "Letty Lynton" dress for Joan Crawford, to blousy leg-o-mutton sleeves toward the middle of the decade and the airy puff styles of the pre-war years, the 1930s was a high point in sleeve innovation!

The Butterfly Sleeve expansion for the Cosmopolitan Dress takes its inspiration from the late 30s / early 40s, with the exaggerated puff and slim bicep typical of this period. The shirred section pulls the sleeve puff into soft gathers, creating an attractive heart-shaped sleeve and echoing the shoulder detail on the Cosmopolitan Dress bodice.

The Butterfly Sleeve is available in vintage sizes 14-24. Get the pattern and instructions on my Patreon page, and look out for the Swingtime Skirt (also pictured), coming soon.

Charlotte Dymock

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