Best Flutter Sleeve Top For Maximum Impact| Featured Product

Every time I design a new item for my shop, it usually starts with wanting something I don’t have.

This flutter sleeve top is no different. I needed a cute top to wear with jeans that would be long enough to wear with leggings if I wanted. I like options 💁🏻‍♀️

But I didn’t want just a regular top like everyone else was wearing. Nope, that would be too easy. Instead, I wanted something unique that was more reflective of my love for fashion.

So, I set off over the river (and through the woods) to our only fabric store to hunt down some cool & unique fabric for my top.

Flutter Sleeve Top: The Fabric

It was fall at this time so the store had lots of fall-ish fabrics like faux leather, suede, velvet, sequins, etc. I found this green faux suede fabric & decided it was perfect.

This particular faux suede fabric is very soft & not too thick so it doesn’t make you hot or anything. I can wear this top in the spring & summer without dying of heat exhaustion (which is saying something since I sweat so much).

The fabric is 90% polyester with 10% spandex so it has a little bit of a stretch to it.

Once I found the fabric I knew I wanted something fun to go around the neckline.

The idea was to make a top that was unique & that had enough bedazzles (but not, like, literal bedazzles, ya know?) that you wouldn’t need to wear any other jewelry if you didn’t want to.

This would make it a “throw on and go” type of shirt. Takes out the fear of accessorizing!

In the land of sparkles (ok, the trim aisle) I found this fun trim. To me it feels sort of tribal meets glam meets bohemian. Ha – bet you never thought you’d hear that combination together, did you?

Flutter Sleeve Top: The Design & Silhouette

Now, most designers will start by designing their items and then hunting down the fabric.

I, on the other hand, tend to find the fabric & then figure out what to do with it. I will wander the aisles of the fabric store until I see some awesome fabric that inspires me to design something.

It’s fun to be inspired in that way & to look at fabric with an open mind. Like, what could this awesome fabric be?

I seem to have more success with that than trying to hunt down a particular fabric that I don’t even know if it exists.

So for the silhouette (or shape), I knew I wanted it to be a longer top in case I wanted to wear it with leggings. I also knew I wanted to have an elastic waist & then create a belt for it.

I love putting in elastic at the waist because no matter what size you are, the elastic will pull the waist in to fit you perfectly. I added the matching belt to make it look a little more finished instead of just seeing the outline of the elastic.

Flutter Sleeve Top: The Neckline & Sleeves

I chose a V neckline to help showcase the cool trim I bought and to make it feel more like a large statement necklace. I love to add in small details to elevate the look and help it stand out from a sea of other tops. I love the look of gold zippers as a detail on garments, so I added one next to the trim around the neckline.

As for the sleeves, I wanted something different & not too serious. I tend to always do sleeveless things because I am always hot by nature but I wanted to change it up this time.

I noticed these ruffle flutter sleeves start popping up everywhere so I thought I’d give it a try. I have since become somewhat obsessed with these kinds of sleeves 😜 They are just so fun ya know? I’ve never met a ruffle I didn’t like.

I drafted my pattern & started sewing my new fun flutter sleeve top. This fabric was great to sew with & the top turned out just like I had imagined it would in my head. <–that is amazing all on its own!

I can’t tell you how many things looked perfect in my head but terrible once I made them. You don’t know till you try though!

Styling The Flutter Sleeve Top

The great thing about this top is that it can be dressed up or down & it is easy to style. You can layer it over leggings, jeans, trousers, or even tights. Here are a couple of ways I have styled it, but the options are endless!