The Puff-Sleeve Trend Is Easily the Biggest of 2019

last updated 27 July 2020

Puff sleeves in 2019 were about as ubiquitous as that ‘hold my beer’ meme was in 2017. Although, unlike the aforementioned Twitter favourite, I can confirm the puff sleeve is much less annoying. Whether displayed in an over-the-top way via a Cecilie Bahnsen dress or just a nod to the look in a cardigan from & Other Stories (which does the best high-street versions), puff sleeves have been one of the defining trends of the year.

But of course these weren’t the only brands to get in on the act. Ganni, Topshop, Ghost, Zara, and Batsheva, as well as a host of other designers and stores, also continue to carry this trend in the form of trench coats, frocks, tops, blouses and jumpers. Look to any sleeve on any garment right now, and you will have good odds that it is puffed in some way.

In researching this feature, I looked through hundreds of street style images from the most recent fashion month. There were so many snaps of showgoers wearing this trend that it was genuinely hard to cut it down. There were satin blouses with enlarged shoulders, cute cropped ’80s-style sleeves on oversized midi, and coats took cues from JW Anderson’s cuffed-and-puffed trench coat. If you’re ready to try the trend, keep scrolling for a look at how to style it and then shop the best pieces.