ABSTRACT
A contemporary of the style noted that when situated behind a pair of leg-of-mutton sleeves, one could always discern a curious creaking sound resulting from their rubbing together at the back. Between 1825 and 1835, leg-of-mutton sleeves represented the most striking article of the female wardrobe. According to fashion historian Elizabeth McClellan, 'It is not known who invented these sleeves or gave them the name which so well describes their shape, but like most popular fashions they increased in size until they became absolutely grotesque'. During the 1830s, exaggerated leg-of-mutton sleeves were even worn by boys. The sleeves were so voluminous that the wearer found it necessary to pass through an ordinary doorframe sideways. Portraits from that era indicate that not only the sleeves, but the trousers also followed this shape; the most pronounced examples belonged to prepubescent youths.
