Different Types of Sleeves Design

Sleeves can change the entire look of your outfit — whether it’s a traditional or western dress. Fortunately, women don’t have to settle for the same old sleeve pattern. There are dozens of designs available in varying colors, types, and patterns, giving you an excellent range of products to choose from. If you love experimenting with sleeves of different patterns, you are on the right page. In this article, we are going to walk you through a list of different types of sleeves design that go perfectly well with your look. Let’s take a look.

15 Different Types of Sleeves Design

First things first, sleeve lengths come in three options, each designed according to the sleeve pattern and the outfit. You can tweak the length to make it suitable to your individual needs. Here are the three popular sleeve lengths.

â-    Short Sleeves: These are commonly used for saree blouses. The length is shorter than the elbow-length sleeves. They are also called arm-length sleeves, as they are just a few inches above your elbow.
â-    Three-fourth Sleeves: Different types of blouse sleeves and Kurtas are three-fourths in length. They are just below your elbows.
â-    Full-Sleeves: As the name suggests, these cover your entire arm and are commonly used for Kurtas, Sarees, and other western dresses. These sleeves also come in various patterns and designs, making them the most versatile option for ladies.

Let’s check out the 15 most popular and different types of sleeves design that work well with traditional and western dresses.

1.    Puffed Sleeves

Suitable For: Saree blouses, Kurtas, tops, shirts, and tunics

Starting with the basic yet most gorgeous sleeve pattern that can make you stand out on nearly any occasion is the puffed sleeve. Whether it’s a salwar kameez, a saree, or a western dress, you can never go wrong with puff sleeves. When in doubt, choose these short-length sleeve dresses, and you will rock the look. These sleeves add volume near your shoulder, drawing attention toward the sleeves. Even a simple outfit looks stunning when paired with puff sleeves. Every woman should have at least one dress with puffed sleeves in her closet.

2.    Raglan Sleeves

Suitable For: Full-length tops, crop tops, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and bodycon dresses

Creating a diagonal seam under your arm, Raglan sleeves are the most common and comfortable sleeve designs. The length is 3/4th, but these can have length variations depending on your outfit. T-shirts and tops mostly have Raglan sleeves. These are extensions to your shoulders, running down the arm and ending just below your elbow.

Bodycon dresses are the best example of western dresses with these shoulder-extension sleeve patterns. Creating a wider area under your arm, these sleeves are comfortable and can be worn at parties.

3.    Kimono Sleeves

Suitable For: Tops, Blouses, Kurtas, and other dresses of all lengths

Inspired by the traditional Japanese attire, Kimono sleeves can be full-length, 3/4th, or short-length, depending on what suits you. These long, loose, and wide sleeves look incredibly gorgeous no matter where you wear them or what you pair them with. You may have seen Kaftan kurtas — trending party-wear and home-wear dresses. Well, these also have sleeves in the kimono pattern.

The best part is kimono looks good with both traditional and western dresses. Whether it’s a long Kurta with loose sleeves or crop tops, this Japanese fashion looks beautiful on all body types and with all outfits. These sleeves also look like bathrobes, except the pattern and design are more beautiful in Kimono.

4.    Cap Sleeves

Suitable for: Traditional and western outfits.

These sleeves are exactly what the name suggests, a cap on the shoulder or an extension to your collar bone. They show your arms while concealing the shoulder. These short-length and most flattering sleeves look incredibly stunning with nearly all outfits. Depending on your individual needs, you can get cap sleeves for traditional attire or western wear. These sleeves are much more than your collar bone extension. These give an illusion of broad shoulders, which ultimately create a slimmer waist.

5.    Bishop Sleeves

Suitable for: Western Dresses, tops

Bishop sleeves are on the rise when it comes to the fashion industry. We’ve seen how actresses and models have flaunted the traditional bishop sleeves on runways. Commonly seen in period dramas, the bishop sleeves are back in fashion, and this time, it seems, they have taken the fashion world to a new level. The contemporary-style bishop sleeves fit well near your elbows and then open into broad and puffy sleeves, ending at your wrist, where they form a cuff-like pattern with buttons.

6.    Off-shoulder Sleeves

Suitable for: saree blouses, tops, one-piece dresses, long tops, and maxi dresses

Off-shoulder sleeves are pretty common for western tops, one-piece, and bodycon dresses. They leave your shoulder bare and start from your shoulder. These are mostly short-sleeves, but you can also find them in 3/4th length. Because of their growing popularity, fashion designers have introduced many off-shoulder blouses for saree. So if you want to give your outfit a western touch, try off-shoulder sleeves. These are perfect and go well for all occasions — be it a romantic date with your beau or a Saturday night at the pub.

7.    Angel Sleeves

Suitable for: gowns, one-piece dresses, tops (both crop and long), saree blouses, and other western or traditional dresses.

This is another sleeve pattern that gets its name from the angel-wings-like design. Just like an angel has wings, you can have your fairy wings, too, attached to your top or a traditional dress. The length may vary, but the pattern is the same. They don’t fit your arms. Instead, the material is loose and is mainly used on gowns, tops, robes, and other western dresses. These are mostly long sleeves ending at your wrist and hanging loose from the shoulder with asymmetrical ends. Available in a variety of fabrics, angel sleeves can turn your simple outfit into stunning attire.

8.    Bracelet Sleeves

Suitable for: Indian and western wear, Kurtas specifically, and dresses with high neck

Bracelets sleeves run down to the wrist, just a bit above your wrist and at a place where you wear bracelets. These differ from your full-length sleeves covering your entire arm and the wrist or the three-fourth length just below your elbows. These are most famous for Kurtas — long and short, but western wear also has bracelet sleeves. They are simple, with no fancy patterns or designs that can draw attention. Put it this way; bracelet sleeves are below the 3/4th sleeves and above the full-length.

9.    Bell Sleeves

Suitable for: Blouses, crop tops or long tops, Kurtas, Anarkali, and western dresses

If you are looking for different types of sleeves for blouse that can draw attention, bell sleeves are for you. Have you tried the bell bottom pants? Well, bell sleeves have the exactly same pattern, except they come in varying lengths. They fit your arms and flare down at the end of the sleeve. If you want to add volume to your arms, try blouses with bell sleeves. Women with broad shoulders must try bell sleeves. They work for nearly all body shapes. Bell sleeves are mostly used for saree blouses, but due to their increasing popularity and high demand, women are buying Kurtas, western tops, long Anarkali suits, and other dresses with this stylish sleeve pattern.

10.    Half Sleeves

Suitable for: Saree blouses, tops, t-shirts, shirts, and other traditional or western attire

These are the short-sleeved designs that fall right above your elbow. The sleeves get their name from their length. It has nothing to do with the design, as the length is all that matters here. This gives you an option to try a wonderful variety of designs and styles, but the length will remain short. Half-sleeves also include puff design, bishop sleeves, and bell sleeves. These are quite popular for Indian wear, especially Banarasi saree blouses that feature a plain sleeve with one lace at the end. These sleeves are perfect for a formal look.

11.    Cape Sleeves

Suitable for: Saree blouses, bodycon dresses, gowns, lehenga blouses, and bridal dresses

Made of sheer fabric and attached to your existing sleeves, cape sleeves give you a princess vibe. The pattern has become a trend in the fashion industry and is so popular that many celebrities, including Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra, are spotted flaunting these glamorous sleeves. Cape sleeves are an extension to your dress and are usually available in sheer fabric, although they also come in the same fabric as your dress. These can be built within your dress or used as an attachment. Either way, if you want something different from regular short or long sleeves, you should give this one a shot.

12.    Open Sleeves

Suitable For: All western and Indian attires

Also known as cold shoulders, open shoulders are exactly what you can guess from the name. These are short sleeves that end above your elbows. The length can vary but never runs down the elbow. It is perfect for ladies who are not comfortable wearing sleeveless tops but want to flaunt their shoulders. These will definitely draw attention to the open cut. You can also try this for your saree blouses to give your saree a western touch. For knee-length dresses or tops and t-shirts, open sleeves are pretty common. You can try several variations, including designs that leave a wide area open.

13.    Slit Sleeves

Suitable for: one-piece dress, crop tops, long tops, and other western dresses

This one is a common variation of the open sleeves. It is 3/4th in length and can run down to the wrist. The sleeves are split into two at the center and end at your wrist with a cuff. If you are looking for stylish different types of sleeves design, a slit sleeve pattern is your best bet. Suitable for different styles of clothing, especially western, every woman should have a couple of blouses and tops with slit sleeves in their wardrobes. This is what you need in summer. Whether you are going out on a coffee date or hanging out with your friends, slit sleeves can give a wonderful touch to your look.

14.    Petal Sleeves

Suitable for: crop tops, long tops, saree blouses, and other varieties of Indian and western wear

The sleeve gets its name from its design which looks like the petals of a tulip. These are short-sleeved designs, a variation of the cap sleeves, that became famous in the ‘40s. They have risen to fame once again and most models and fashion bloggers have tried them with clothes and blouses of varying designs. If you are looking for something eye-catching and different from the regular sleeve patterns, try petal sleeves. Giving an illusion of tulip petals, these are exactly what you need when attending your best friend’s wedding as a bridesmaid or any formal event.

15.   Long Sleeves

Suitable for: T-shirts, shirts, saree blouses, long tops, crop tops, gowns, bridal wear, Kurtis, Anarkali, all traditional and western outfits.

Whether it’s a saree, suit, or a western top, long-sleeves look good with nearly all types of outfits. This is just the length of the sleeves and it has nothing to do with the design. You can find variations in terms of colors, styles, and patterns. They look incredibly stunning with all bridal wear but are mostly chosen for saree blouses and long tops. As mentioned earlier, long sleeves cover your entire arm and run down to the wrists. They can leave the shoulders bare or conceal them, depending on the design you choose.

Bottom Line

These were the 15 different types of sleeves design that are perfect for all types of outfits — whether it’s a bridal gown or a regular dress. Whether you are meeting your friends or going on a date, the above-sleeve patterns look incredibly stunning for all occasions. Choose the one that fits your needs and style, and rock your look with the most beautiful sleeves.