tommy ton, style.com
Honestly, in my opinion one of the most overrated items of clothing - or elements of a garment - is sleeves. Who needs them, really? Well, apart from Russians and people living in or around the arctic circle. But that's their choice. One of the luxuries of living in Australia is that it never really gets cold enough to bring out the big guns of winter dressing. Sure, we love fingerless gloves and beanies as much as the next winter bunny, but ours are purely decorative. Coldness is a state of mind. Even when it gets "chilly" for an Aussie - say, about 13 degrees Celcius - that is temperatures dealt with on a daily basis by a European. Such suckers we are - but hey, we're spoilt.
That's why the sleeveless coat is perfect for us. I have so much love for the sleeveless coat. I can't get enough of them. Since layering is my second language, sleeveless items blend seamlessly (har har, geddit?) into my wardrobe. I have a sleeveless trench that is on constant rotation, even deemed worthy enough to meet garance dore in, and a short sleeved opening ceremony swing coat that is my absolute favourite. It's funny, i hesitated over buying it, but i haven't taken it off since the temperatures have cooled down. The thing about sleeveless coats is that they are interesting. A trench coat, well, that's lovely, but it's been done (and don't we know it). But a sleeveless one - well, to use Vogue UK's words - that's a fast track to Chic City (cringe). Ok ok, if you get cold, stick a jumper underneath it. But trust me, this is not a trend for those who worry too much about things like getting cold. This is a trend for someone with a bit of a sense of humour. Sleeveless things tend to poke a bit of fun at their, well, "fuller" version. Who needs such silly things as sleeves? they ask. And even though I've been in a New York winter with a snow blizzard when my cropped swing coat was a poor foil to sleet and rain and i froze my forearms, everytime I wear a sleeveless jacket I tend to nod my head and agree. Who does need sleeves, anyway?
As I was searching for my original post on sleeveless coats for this post I remembered the first time I wore one. It was a chilly spring day, bizarrely, and I was heading to a post exam picnic in centennial park. I wore it easy and breezy, unbelted, over an asymmetrical shirt with the ends flying loose. It was something I wouldn't normally wear, but it was totally right. Easy, breezy and chic. I've been moving towards things that are just like that, that I can reach for without thinking, that I can wear without worry. I'm sick of clothes that are busy. This doesn't meant that I don't want prints, or bright colours. To the contrary - I love me a good print. What it means is that I am sick of outfits that require forward planning, over-thinking, and all that jazz. If fashion is going anywhere fast, it's to the easy, breezy bracket. Whether we are pulled together like Clare Dhelens or torn apart like an Alexander Wang model and her tousled braid, one thing is clear. We don't want to worry anymore. We just want to have fun. And if that means hacking off the sleeves of your trench coat, then so be it!
Hack away.
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