Leg of mutton(because of its resemblance and size to a leg of a full grown sheep or ram)was just one of many styles of full sleeves. I believe it is more often referred as such more by costume historians and critics of the times, rather than in fashion periodicals and discussions between actual wearers. The first really very full, top-heavy sleeves for women that required padding, wiring, or supporting undersleeves to maintain in recent centuries, actually was a trend of some duration, began in the Rennaisance(mid 16th century and beyond for most European countries). The 1590's to about early 1600's was the most notable era. Then sleeves on women's gowns compatively collapsed in size until the 1630s when big sleeves, were again haute couture. The advent of the mantua in the 1670's and 80's, succeeded by the sackback, robe a la francaise, and robe a l'anglaise and all the variations of the 18th'century backfullness gown cycle, coupled with fashion's interest on fabric pattern and use of lace, basically took the big sleeve out of fashion until the 1820's when the line of the fashionable gown, which had evolved from the back and side fullness of 18th c high fashion to the relatively columnal line starting with the Directoire and Empire in France. There were some really bizaare to our 21st century eyes fashions of the 1820's and 30's with fashionable women wearing wider and shorter skirts, the variations on the shoulder expanding wide bertha collar coupled with wide sleeves and intricate hair styles topped with broad-brimmed, usually lavishly trimmed hats. Even men had one last blaze of colorful fashion glory, before the well-dressed fashionable, but in good taste, male retreated back into Beau Brummel's land of discreet, dark colored, but beautifully tailored suits that began during the reign of Charles II.
The super-full sleeve of the 1890's admittedly took its cue from the fashions of the 1820's and 30's, but shapes varied more and started with some sleeve head fullness in the late 1880's. By 1895/6, the huge sleeves with a myriad of names to denote each slight(to our eyes)change in style, got to their largerst length and then rapidly collapsed in size, along with the width of the shoulders. Most fullness dropped to the lower part of the arm, where it was controlled further with pleating and/or stitching The gored skirt of the 1890's changed from a bell created by gores, to a softer curved gored skirt with some backfullness, and the entire line of the skirt moved closer to the figure. Sleeves have never gotten a large again, probably because they get in the way of women doing things, and are difficult to fit and mass produce cheaply. It was much easier in the next(20th century) to manufature set in sleeves with little of no fullness and kimono and short sleeves allowed freedom of arm movement as well as cost-cutting production methods. Hope this helps. Cindy Abel -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gail & Scott Finke Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 11:34 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [h-cost] Re: puffed sleeves Okay, I know what leg o'mutton sleeves are, but I was under the impression that these were something different. Can't say why, exactly. But I thought this was a little girl's style or variation of some kind, not a generic 1890s style. Am I totally off-base? Gail Finke _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
