Women living today are fortunate as there are so many different styles of clothes from which to choose. Clothes are now cheaper than at any other point in history, and you can spend as much or as little as you like- although better quality clothes are usually more expensive. There are plenty of different styles of long sleeved tops; in fact, the amount of choice can make choosing a style that suits your figure difficult. Here is a brief guide about some of the most popular styles of womens long sleeved tops:

Popular Styles of Long Sleeved Tops

1. Grandad Style Long Sleeved Top

A grandad style top is so called because its appearance is reminiscent of the long-sleeved vests often worn by elderly men in the early years of the twentieth century.

A grandad top has a round scoop neckline at the bottom of which is a vertical row of buttons; usually between about five to ten. The buttons are small and neat. The style of a grandad top is often quite clingy and a stretch cotton jersey, sometimes ribbed, is a common fabric choice. Grandad style long sleeved tops are comfortable to wear and are generally thought of as casual items of clothing. You could wear a narrow horizontally striped grandad style top with a pair of flared jeans for a retro seventies feel that is currently enjoying a resurgence. Choose rainbow hues for a youthful feel or more muted colours for a more subtle look. Most figure types suit grandad style tops, but their vaguely masculine feel mean that they look especially great when worn by women with tall boyish figures.

2. Scoop Necked Top

A scoop necked top has a deep round neckline that is ideal for showing off your décolletage. Scoop necked long sleeved tops are widely available for women of all shapes and sizes. You could style a scoop necked top with anything- depending on the material or style a scoop necked top could be worn in the evening or for day wear. If you have an apple body shape, a loose scoop necked top would look great in a dark colour and worn with brightly coloured trousers or jeans. Pear shapes could wear a fitted scoop necked top with an a line skirt, which would flatter their body shape.

3. Roll Necked Tops

Sometimes known as polo necks or turtle necks, roll necked tops are always in fashion and are a popular style of long sleeved top. Polo necks have strong associations with Bohemian intellectuals. Amongst the avant garde in Paris in the 1960s, for example, wearing a black polo neck whilst smoking was very de riguer. This is still a chic look. To achieve it, you could wear a silk jersey black roll necked top with a pair of well fitting dark blue jeans, Hair could be worn in a messy bun- blunt fringes also a good look. Team with heels, a good quality leather handbag, large sunglasses and perhaps a clutch of classic books.

Polo necks can be worn by all body shapes, but can make those with short waisted figures look dumpy. To avoid this, wear with heels and wide-legged trousers to make your silhouette look more in proportion.

Popular Fabrics Used in Long Sleeved Tops

Viscose

Viscose is the oldest man-made fibre and is used in many long sleeved tops. It is often used to achieve a silk effect, but is much cheaper than real silk. One disadvantage if the fact that it usually needs to be ironed, unlike real silk.

Cotton

Cotton is highly absorbent, easy to wash and long lasting and is, therefore, used for many womens long-sleeved tops. It does have a tendency to wrinkle, however, and cotton with a high thread count can be quite expensive. Care needs to be taken when washing to avoid shrinkage.

Polyester

Polyester is another man-made material. Tops made of polyester hold their shape well and are unlikely to need ironing.

Many long sleeved tops are made from material which is a blend of all three fabrics. Different proportions of polyester, cotton, acrylic and polyester can create fabrics which have a very different feel and finish. Elastane is often added in varying percentages, as it gives the fabric an element of stretchiness, so that it fits all body shapes snugly whilst remaining comfortable to wear.