I am not quick to adopt every trend that comes along. It's not my personal style. I happen to prefer a more classic style that leans towards preppy with a splash of trendy. (See, I told you that you can be a combination of styles.) So when new trends come along, I'm usually not first in line. I pick and choose which trends I adopt based on my style and my existing wardrobe. I will admit that when I first saw the bell sleeve trend take hold I wasn't immediately convinced that it was here to stay or that it would make its way into my wardrobe.

Another aspect of my personal style is that I love bracelets. I would buy a new bracelet over a necklace or ring any day. Maybe because of this, I like for my shirts to hit my wrist just right. I don't like when my sleeves are too long, which happens a fair amount. Maybe my arms are a little shorter than the average? Maybe I'm buying regular tops when I should be buying petite? Either way, I run into problems. So at first I thought this bell sleeve trends is not for me.

Back in the fall, I was in Ann Taylor and saw this simple, feminine blouse that looked just my style. All except for the bell sleeves. I decided to try it on. The sleeves have a small snap at the wrist and then the extra fabric for the bell flows on. The material of the blouse made it such that whenever I needed to move my arm the extra material from the bell never got in my way. I was impressed. I could wear my bracelets without feeling they were getting in the way of the trend. In addition to this, I like the feminine detail of the bell sleeve. I'm always looking for detail in the items that I purchase that add something special. This is an easy add to my wardrobe. Its versatile nature allows me to easily pair it with a skirt or jeans. So maybe I was too quick to judge when I thought this trend might not be for me.

Photography credit: Beth O'Brien Photography

It seems this trend is sticking around for awhile. It's even combining with other trends! You'll find bell sleeves in a variety of sleeve lengths (long, 3/4 or short). It has been combined with peplum and off the shoulder trends. If you haven't tried this yet, I encourage you to. You might be surprised! If you're interested in seeing your options or maybe even trying it on, here are a few samples available now from Banana Republic.