The Super Sleeve

The super sleeve isn't totally new. Rosetta Getty, Jacquemus, Vetements and Charlie May have all been championing it in recent seasons.

Say those brands and you automatically summon an effortlessly cool vibe. One that is discreet, edgy, laid back and, most likely, worn by the type of girls you wish you were.

Michael Kors definitely doesn't fit into the same mix.

Kors is decidedly more mainstream than most of the designers that have been embracing the super sleeve. He's known for a refined aesthetic that's tailored and reserved - the sort of clothes that are practical and veer somewhere between what you might expect from Tory Burch and Ralph Lauren. He's as American as they come and doesn't usually mess with the failsafe styles that keep customers coming back time and time again. To summarize, he's conservative. And the super sleeve, which obscures your hands thereby making it difficult to eat or use your phone, is the opposite of conservative.

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Thankfully Kors decided to relax a bit with this collection and embrace a styling trick that transformed the feel of the whole show. 

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Predictable and preppy looks suddenly got roughed up and messy due to the super sleeve. Kors shows that the easiest way to update a classic white shirt is to stretch the length of the sleeve a few inches. There is a youthful nonchalance about this collection and it's all due to that wonderful super sleeve.

Benefits of wearing the super sleeve include the ability to go without gloves, the lack of a needed manicure, and the fact that you have an ever present tea cozy attached to your arm. Personally I'm quite keen because I figure I'll be using the extra long sleeve to wipe up the snot of a newly acquired tot come fall.

Photos via Vogue Runway

// FLUFFY SWEATERS & MICHAEL KORS //

Ah, I am one of those people that dreads the transition into autumn. There is nothing I love more than bare skin and the feeling of sunshine. But I'm using my street style photos from London Fashion Week to urge me into that snuggly winter feeling. 

This photo, in particular, is one that I keep coming back to. It's a look I'd like to replicate right down to the bracelet that has been (purposely?) placed on top of the knit. I love the light fluffy jumper with its faded blue colour and ribbed detailing. The nude clutch with nails that match and layers of gold jewelry are perfection. 

Yes, I'm willing to admit it: if I had this outfit in my wardrobe I would welcome in the chillier temperatures that are descending. 

resort 2011 highs and lows...

My personal favourite of the 2011 Resort Collections was certainly Jason Wu's. The sleek aesthetic and the sheer wearability of every single piece that came floating down the runway set it head and shoulders above the others. With a mix of bold strips, summery tweeds and two-toned daffodil prints there was plenty to get excited about. The shapes were spot on. Lady like a-line shifts, swishy floor skimming evening dresses, streamlined shorts and full trousers. The proportions were quirky. Borrowing a bit from menswear at times (army jackets, oversized blazers and big trousers) but always done with a very feminine edge. There were soft colours mixed with bright oranges, watery blues and khakis. Pussycat bows, boater hats, and two-toned heels were the details to watch out for. There wasn't a combination that walked down the runway that I wouldn't wear in full. In my books this show was a serious stunner. I'd pair that outfit on the left with some chunky ankle booties, little socks, some retro sunnies and be good to go...

Hailed as being 'perfectly suited to the modern woman' I took Rachel Roy's collection to be a bit of a mess. Maybe it was just the frazzled hair and striped sheer pieces that threw me... because there definitely are some stunning pieces. But overall the whole thing channeled a bit more a schizophrenic vibe than a Michelle Obama one (who is apparently meant to be a fan). I love the massively oversized trousers, the colours, and the tailored dresses. But it just looks a bit all over the place: one part wigged out 70s hippie and one part sleek upper east side sequined socialite. It just doesn't go together to create a directional collection... rather, it just looks confused.

While we're on the topic of being confused, seriously what was Michael Kors thinking? No doubt there are some beautiful pieces - the man can do classic crisp white perfectly and his cashmere knits are to die for. But, who ever styled this collection should be shot. The models range from being so dramatically over-layered that they look like yeti-wannabes to teetering on the edge of resembling an exabitionist. Surely there is no other reason that you would wear this heinous square python printed coat (presumably with nothing underneath), paired with a massive floppy hat (to shield your face when the police come to find you), bare legs, and sandals unless, of course, you were planning on flashing somebody... she looks like a total bald nutter. Not only is none of it wearable but it looks awful. One of my least favourite things of all time are long boots (especially of the python print variety, hello! can you get any tackier?) worn with short summery dresses and bare legs. It looks so hideously cheap and slutty. Michael, seriously! You are meant to represent American style as a beacon of class. You've seriously let your girl down on this one. To top off the plethora of disconcerting combinations, monstrous layering followed skimpy cut-away python print (yes, there really was a lot of it) swimwear. Really just a bizarre combination that leaves you wondering what time of year it is and just what kind of resort he was planning for? I'm all about mixing things that traditionally don't go together... but you've taken it one step too far this time Mr. Kors.

Obviously this isn't representative of the whole of resort 2011, there were plenty of shows that I haven't mentioned plus more designers still have to show. Check out more of the outfits that came down the runway along with all the other collections at Style.com.