The History of Vintage Sleeves with Alicia Vellante
So we love an over the top sleeve here at The Octopus Garden! But where did it all begin? We chat with the incredible Alicia about the history of sleeves! Hi Alicia! So when did over the top sleeves become a thing? Well, sleeves have had many ‘big’ moments throughout history. Examples of exaggerated sleeves span thousands of years and across hundreds of cultures. From the wide, layered robe sleeves of Japan’s Heian period to the excessively long, flowing sleeves of the middle ages, in 12th century Europe and beyond. (Japanese Layered Robe Sleeves) (Sleeve depiction from the Middle Ages) I’ll highlight some of my favorite sleeves throughout pre-20th century history, as they are what influenced the amazing sleeves from the 1960s and 1970s that we know and love. I’ll focus on Western fashion, as that is the scholarship on which I am most informed! The Renaissance, particularly the 16th century, gave a vast variety of extravagant sleeves. In Europe, these differed f