Fashion Word of the Week #6

Slutty Sleeves Are Baaaaad

Fashion Word of the Week: LEG O’MUTTON SLEEVE

This WoW was inspired by this hilarious exchange from Downton Abbey, suggesting a leg of mutton sleeve is *gasp* slutty or mad. RIP, Dame Maggie Smith.

Leg of mutton or leg o’mutton sleeves are voluminous at the top and tapers to a close fit to the forearm, the wrist, or somewhere in between. Mutton is sheep meat. Leg of a sheep. Some countries call goat meat mutton, but the shapes are similar enough.

Leg of mutton sleeves are also called gigot sleeves. Gigot is also the French word for back leg of an animal, especially of a sheep or lamb. So, you know, potayto, potahto.

I’m sure if you love costume history as much as I do, you’ve seen them so big they look like hot air balloons, you’ve seen some more narrow like a baseball bat, you’ve seen some with tucks and pleats and gathers and bows and you’ve seen some with the most minor fabric manipulation for shaping.

Like much of everything else in fashion, these types of sleeves cycle in and out of fashion. See 1890s Belle Epoque (above), also see 1980s bridal gowns.

Bonus: If your design teacher gave you the assignment to make the leg of mutton sleeve modern, how would you approach it? Would you use a futuristic fabric? Origami style pleating? Embellishments styles previously unseen?

P.S. Here’s my video on bridal and eveningwear vocab!