How Ladies’ Sleeves Blew Up in the 1890s

When we look back on some of the fashion trends over the years, it’s hard not to giggle at some of them. Poodle skirts in the ’50s, paper dresses in the ’60s, jumpsuits in the ’70s. But, in the latter part of the 19th century women embraced a spectacular trend that defined the era: leg-of-mutton sleeves! These huge, conspicuous sleeves were the order of the day, gracing the arms of both rich and middle class women alike. But, how did this unusual silhouette come to be so enviable in the years surrounding the turn of the century?

The term “leg-of-mutton” might not be known to everyone. Mutton is another word for sheep meat, although it’s called lamb if the animal is young. In the US it’s often made into a stew or barbecued. The back leg in its entirety has the familiar cone shape like you’d see on a spit in a Greek restaurant.

This shape is where the name of the sleeve comes from, though in most locations you rarely see mutton on the menu these days. It’s not been popular in the US since the end of World War II, but once was an in-demand type of meat. Another term for the sleeves was the gigot sleeve, from the French word meaning the hind leg of an animal.

The voluminous shape was created using a lot of fabric at the top of the sleeve where it joins the shoulder section of the garment. Then as the sleeves near the wrist it becomes much tighter, resulting in a vast visual difference from the shoulder to the wrist. This type of effect, using fabric to draw the eye up or down, has been used in many eras. Think of the bustle in the 1870s, or the New Look in the 1940s. Playing with proportions has always been at the top of the fashion playbook checklist and in the 1890s this sleeve exploded with women in North America and Europe.

The globular sleeves were paired with a padded pigeon breast type of bodice and to go with that- a small, corseted waist. A rounded bum thanks to the use of bustle pads completed this ladies’ look. The effect was a very feminine and overall rounded silhouette that required precise tailoring to achieve.

This look featured in all types of ladies sewing patterns, in women’s magazines, and was of course immortalized in highly popular studio photography which had taken off thanks to advances in both camera making and in the developing of photos. Even children were dressed in these big sleeves. But, this trend was a play on some earlier periods in fashion history when big sleeves were also en vogue.

Queen Elizabeth I embraced giant, puffed sleeves all the way back in the 1500s. The many portraits she had painted of herself show a woman obsessed with fashion and with presenting herself in particular ways. She was the trend setter, and her court followed suit, as well as other members of the upper crust. But, the lower classes would not have had the means to indulge in these large sleeves.

Again in the 1820s-1830s a trend for big ol’ sleeves made its way to the fashion plates and seamstresses backrooms. At that time some dressmakers even employed small whalebone hoops in the upper part of the sleeves so they would keep their shape all though the day or night! Some also used horsehair to keep the sleeves big. This material was woven into stiff tapes that could keep clothing in the proper shape.

The peak year for this style of sleeve was 1895, though ripples of the trend could be found even into the early 1900s. Some of the most extravagant sleeve designs took up to 2 1/2 yards of fabric to make! As you might imagine this was not a trend that everyone could afford.

By the 1910s the fashion had moved towards smaller puffed sleeves and by the end of WWI sleeves had dramatically decreased in size as women’s clothing became ever more practical. But, the leg-of-mutton sleeve remains a fascinating part of fashion history to look back on.