SLEEVE - Introduction and Terminology

INTRODUCTION

 Sleeves have always been used as a device for changing the silhouette of garment, throughout the history of fashion. Sleeve is the part of garment which cover the arm of body and it is usually attached to armhole of bodice. Now a days a variety of sleeves are used. There are two major classifications of sleeve:-

1.SET IN SLEEVE:- Set in sleeve cut separately and stitched in armholes of bodice. It can be designed to fit the armhole smoothly or with gathers. They can be fitted or with exaggerated fullness and can be to any length. The hemline of sleeve can be finished in  number of ways.

2.SLEEVE BODICE COMBINED:-The sleeve and the bodice of any kind of garment can be combined in variety of ways during pattern development. These designs can be categorized as follows:

• KIMONO DESIGN:- The sleeve is combined with full bodice pattern.
• RAGLAN DESIGN:- The sleeve is combined with part of bodice armhole and shoulder area.
• DEEP CUT ARMHOLE DESIGN:- The armhole section of bodice is combined with sleeve. 
• DEEP SHOULDER DESIGN:- Part of sleeve cap is combined with bodice.

TERMINOLOGY

1.SLEEVE CAP:- The curve line on the top of the sleeve from front to back attached to the arm hole is sleeve cap.

2.CAP HEIGHT:- The distance from the cap line to the bicep level at the center is cap height.

3.BICEP LEVEL:- The widest part of the sleeve dividing the sleeve cap from lower portion is bicep level.

4.ELBOW LEVEL:- Location with the elbow of arm.

5.WRIST LEVEL:- The hem line of the full sleeve is wrist line. 

6.GRAIN LINE:- Center of sleeve from top to the wrist is straight grain line of sleeve.

7.NOTCHES:- So one notch indicates front sleeve, two indicates back sleeve cap notches indicates where sleeve and shoulder meet.