Use the Sleeve Tapering Calculator to create instructions for a unique and custom sleeve shape with these sleeve silhouettes as inspiration. The shaping descriptions are described top down, but they can also be reversed if working bottom up.
Classic Taper
- Look: Smooth, gradual narrowing from upper arm to wrist following the natural arm shape.
- How to Shape: One continuous taper or two or more sections to be more precise in the shaping to follow your natural arm shape, adding as much ease as desired.
Bell Sleeve
- Look: Usually a more fitted upper arm with a flare outwards toward the wrist.
- How to Shape: Work a standard tapered section until the elbow or mid-forearm, then increase steadily and rapidly to create the signature wide cuff.
Lantern Sleeve
- Look: A “diamond” or “lantern” shape, typically peaking at the elbow or mid-forearm.
- How to Shape: Increase steadily from the upper arm to a wide mid-point where desired, then decrease at a similar rate to create the lantern shape. Then add a fitted cuff.
Balloon Sleeve
- Look: Lots of volume that collapses into a cuff.
- How to Shape: Increase rapidly at the upper arm to hit maximum width, work straight for the length of the arm, then decrease rapidly before adding a fitted cuff.
Puffed Sleeve
- Look: Usually worked as a short sleeve with pronounced fullness at the upper arm. Best with a set-in sleeve construction so the puff stays concentrated at the sleeve cap.
- How to Shape: Start with a standard set-in shoulder, work rapid increases to reach your desired fullness, then decrease sharply into a fitted cuff.
- You can also include a long fitted lower sleeve for more of a Juliet Sleeve look. For a Gigot/Leg-of-Mutton Sleeve, you can increase to a very dramatic fullness before decreasing sharply to a fitted lower sleeve.
Bishop Sleeve
- Look: Long, increasing fullness that drapes softly above a fitted cuff.
- How to Shape: Increase gradually from the upper arm to create gentle fullness to the forearm, then work a sharp decrease into a fitted cuff. A longer cuff gives the full part of the sleeve extra room to drape down.
Kimono Sleeve
- Look: Straight, wide and relaxed with little to no taper.
- How to Shape: Work one long, nearly straight section from armhole to wrist.
- To create a peasant‑style sleeve, attach the straight sleeve to an armhole and cuff with a smaller circumference so the fabric gathers at both ends.
