Billowy Sleeves Are The Next Thing You’ll Want To Try According To Street-Style Stars

The playful trend combines the best of British style: punk playfulness and historic London.

London Fashion Week kicked off last weekend with a memorial in honor of one of the most influential figures in fashion, Vivienne Westwood, who passed away last December. The late designer was one of the purveyors of punk, a subculture deeply rooted in contemporary British culture.

Alongside Malcolm McLaren, Westwood forged the famed aesthetic that would go on to inform counterculture fashions to this day, while reaching and inspiring countless lives across the globe. Later on, Westwood come to be known for her playful rebelliousness, taking inspiration from historical silhouettes, then deconstructing them to evoke billowing shapes fit for the future.

The British Fashion Council announced that this Fall 2023 fashion week would be dedicated to the dame, the “Priestess of Punk.” This tribute was felt both on the runway and on the streets.

Burberry’s first collection headed by newly appointed creative director Daniel Lee featured an ode to punk fashion and trenchcoats; a famously British attire, which in itself is strongly connected to the brand’s identity. Erdem’s collection centered on the women of Victorian London. Having delved deeply into the culture of the time, the designer’s collection was chock-full of references to the era; puff and mutton sleeves reimagined, ruched skirts, glittering black double-breasted coats, and high lace collars.

On the street, a similar sense of playfulness and fancy emerged. All across the shows, the showgoers were spotted in billowy sleeves across varying styles. Like Erdem, some wore ensembles with clear nods to the Victorian sleeve but with bottoms or tops cropped to more modern lengths.

Not forgetting to add a touch of rebellion for the dame, several paired their feminine sheer peasant-sleeved dresses with casual accessories like sneakers, beanies, and hoodies, which offered a punky high-low balance. The trend was even spotted on the men in attendance, with some in their own ruched lace dresses, and others with oversized bishop sleeves over tailored blazers.

Keen on trying out billowing sleeves for yourself? See how these London Fashion Week street-style stars styled them below: