Neither short nor long: This trend is perfect for the transitional period
22.9.2026
Translation: machine translated
Fresh in the morning, warm in the afternoon: choosing the right clothes in changeable weather is not that easy. That's where the comeback of three-quarter sleeves comes in handy.
Fashion currently seems to have a penchant for things that can't quite make up their minds. The best example: capri pants. After these neither-short-nor-long trousers celebrated their comeback in recent seasons, the principle is now moving one level up. Suddenly, sleeves are also ending somewhere between the elbow and the wrist.
Source: Instagram @coucouintimates
The timing could hardly be better. It is no longer really warm, but not yet really cold either. While T-shirts are slowly becoming too breezy and long sleeves are sometimes still too covered up, three-quarter-sleeve shirts do exactly what the transitional period is known to demand: something in between.
A small, refreshing detail
The trend is not spectacular. On the contrary. Most of the time, they are incredibly simple, solid-colored shirts with a crew neck or boat neck, whose only special feature is that they are missing a few centimeters of sleeve. But after years of getting used to extra-long sleeves and classic long-sleeves, the intermediate length looks surprisingly refreshing.
It changes the proportions of an otherwise unexciting basic and exposes a part of the body that tends to disappear with long sleeves: the wrist. This is particularly practical if you wear jewelry. Rings get more space, and bracelets and watches don't have to be constantly tugged out from under the fabric.
Source: Instagram @lenaovchynnykova
Jane Birkin set the example in the 70s
Arguably the most defining template for the trend is actually half a century old: in the 70s, Jane Birkin was photographed in a simple shirt with three-quarter sleeves. Decades later, Rose Colcord, founder of Cou Cou Intimates, took this very image as inspiration for the "Rina Long Sleeve" launched in 2025. The basic became a favorite of fashion influencers and stars like Olivia Rodrigo or Lily-Rose Depp, helping the almost forgotten sleeve length gain new attention.
The fact that the look is so well-received today is no coincidence. Three-quarter sleeves fit seamlessly into the current revival of 90s minimalism: close-fitting, simple shirts and reduced silhouettes are ubiquitous again. Back then, this sleeve length was also part of the repertoire – Kate Moss, for example, wore it quite simply with a miniskirt and ballet flats.
Interested in the three-quarter length? You can shop the trend right here:
Header image: Cou Cou Intimates
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
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