Restyling A Mannequin with Dolman Sleeve Top

Happy Wednesday ladies. Spring collections are everywhere now so mannequins are getting redressed, yay! I spotted this one wearing a dolman sleeve top and decided to restyle it to change the proportions.

As always you can click the red text for more info and to shop the item at no additional cost to you.

mannequin wearing dolman sleeve top and crop pants
WEARING –Ā  DAYDREAMER DOLMAN TOPĀ  –Ā  LINEN STRETCH FULL-LEG CROPS IN OLIVE OILĀ  –Ā  NECKLACEĀ  –Ā  BRACELET

Let me start by saying, I am personally sensitive to dolman sleeve tops because they are one of the most unflattering on my silhouette. They make my shoulders look much larger than they already are so I never wear them. That said, here you are…

woman wearing dolman sleeves top with jeans and crop pants
DOLMAN SLEEVE TOP –Ā  LINEN CROPSĀ  –Ā  SLIM LEGGED JEANS

Of course, everything would look better with the wrinkles steamed out but I basically grabbed these right out of the box. The color is not as bright as this picture shows and it’s more accurate on the mannequin.

I’m never a fan of large over large so I tried this top with some high-rise slim jeans and much preferred the proportion. I’m wearing medium petite in the crop pants which are too large and a petite medium in the top which fits. The jeans are 6 misses and fit.

WEARING – RELAXED PULLOVER ON LEFT –Ā  FULL-LEG STRETCH LINEN CROPSĀ  –Ā  Ā TEXTURED PULLOVER ON RIGHT

Then I tried the crops in a small petite which is a better fit with two different tops. The width of the pants is screaming for something slim on top so I twisted the front of the sweater on the left and tucked it into the waistband. The sweater on the right is shorter than many in this latest collection but still pretty boxy. The vertical stripes attempt to mitigate its squareness, but it would be more effective if it were a V-neck.

What are your styling ideas?

Would you put this dolman top with full leg crop pants like the mannequin is wearing?

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Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.

 

 

46 Comments

  1. If you look at the merchant web site for those pants, they aren’t showing that top with those pants. They’ve got a top that’s shorter and slimmer. The store could get away with showing the pants and top together, and I will say that I like the colors, because their model is tall and straight. Anybody with curves will not look the same.

  2. For myself find dolman cut sleeves very comfortable though can pose an adjustment problem, when overlaying with outerwear. Do like the other tops you featured but not too sure about the cut ‘n length of the FLS Linen Crops. -Brenda-

    1. They can be bulky under jackets and coats.

  3. Angela Pea says:

    I love a dolman sleeve! I also have wide shoulders….and very muscular arms AND a generous bustline. A dolman, especially one with a nice drape in the fabric, feels [to me] like it softens the bulk of my upper torso. Of course, I am somewhat style challenged, so my insight may be misdirected!

    1. Your insight sounds perfect for you! Bravo

  4. I love the rich blue of that top but I would have to try it on to be sure it isn’t too roomy for me. I like the way you styled in with the jeans. My lower legs are pretty thin so cropped wide leg pants do not suit me. I do like wide full length pants, but not with that top.

  5. beth byrd says:

    With a long torso and shorter legs, the wide-leg cropped pants are a big no for me. They do look lovely on the model on the store’s website. Very relaxed and comfy looking.

    The sweaters here are very pretty. I haven’t worn a dolman sleeve in years so I’m not sure if that is a style that would work for me.

  6. I like lantern pants. I get the full leg look without the extra fabric flapping around my ankles and making me look rooted to the ground. I suppose they are “trendy,” but I’m sort of hoping it’s a silhouette that might stick around.

    1. I have 4 pair of lantern pants and love them. Keep an eye on Eileen Fisher because she often makes them.

  7. The dolman top is great. Itā€™s the flared pants that are unattractive. Straight leg slacks or jeans with shoes of the same color of pants would be slenderizing and elongating.

  8. Like you, I donā€™t wear dolman sleeves because I think they are unflattering on me. However, I have narrow shoulders and the oversized armholes and sleeves make my midsection look enormous. Also, cropped pants, especially wide leg, make me look short and stumpy. Putting a dolman sleeve top with cropped wide leg pants would be the worst look for me.

  9. Over the weekend, I tried on an embroidered boho top with dohlman sleeves. Even though I loved it, it was just too, too much fabric. I considered having it altered, but seriously, why waste one’s time and money on a “difficult” piece of clothing? Applies equally to wide-leg crops, btw.

  10. Love JJill clothes and have quite a few!! I’m not ready for wide leg pants… Quite a few clothes from JJill you cannot dry in the dryer and you either reshape and lay flat or hang on a hanger. That’s a problem for me because sometimes my husband puts the clothes in the dryer. Any suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks!

    1. My helpful husband has ruined more cashmere and ā€˜no dryer allowedā€™ clothes than I care to remember.
      Keep him out of the laundry room?

  11. As a woman with an entirely different body shape than yours, I love Dolman sleeves. I do think you look great in the Dolman top with the fitted jeans. It’s always about knowing our shape and what works or doesn’t. I have found that if something looks great on a model, I can pretty much know it won’t be anything close to that look on me. Maybe sometime you could be side by side with a friend with different body issues to help us all understand and have a visual aid. Thanks so much.

    1. I think dolman sleeves are very chic, I just donā€™t like the shape on me.

  12. Wide leg pants are not flattering on me. But I think the fabric theyā€™re made with makes the difference as whether they are stylish looking. I favor jeans – fitted but not too skinny.

  13. Your restyle is so much better. I’m ordering the jeans!
    I like the color combo but dislike both dolman sleeves and wide leg pants, especially on my small frame. Having said that, wide linen pants are probably quite cool and might suit someone who doesn’t wear shorts or where wearing shorts is not appropriate. And these pants are nowhere near as voluminous as some I’ve seen.

  14. Love the color combination and dolman sleeve. Being very short, I would wear the top with skinny jeans or straight legs for a more inverted triangle shape. Love the jeans & top on you.

  15. I like the dolman sleeve top with the olive pants. I also like the wide legged pants. I am tall, and it is nice to have different styles to choose from.

    1. I love, love, love wide leg pants šŸ™‚

  16. jan st amant says:

    After 50 years of coloring, let my hair go gray andwhite. Got short short boys haircut and it looks great and SO EASY TO TAKE CARE OF.
    love your style and always check it out.
    Jan

    1. Would love to see a pic of your haircut!!

  17. I can’t wear wide leg pants. I love the denim on you. That would be my choice.
    Hope your hand is better.

    1. Thank you Leslie. It has a way to go yet

  18. I do not for care for wide leg pants on me, ever. I like dolman sleeves if the top is not too much. I don’t think this goes well with the pants though. I really like the slim jeans on you.

  19. I like both of the sweaters with the grey crops. I had planned to stop by JJill and try on the one with dots. I guess I need to try on the crops this spring but in a petite. I have a friend who looks good in a dolman top but I never feel comfortable. Later I end up donating.

  20. I might wear a loose, short top with fitted crops or ankle pants. I do not think wide legs look complimentary with this top. I am petite , so too much material does not flatter my figure.
    You look very slim and tall in your slim jeans.

  21. Dolman sleeves are a fashion ā€œnotā€ for broad shouldered, full busted, short waisted ME!
    They are saving money and time by not tailoringšŸ˜–

  22. The olive and navy together is simply classy and something I would definitely wear! When my eye sees the full leg crop it seems to create a rectangular shape. Your shoulders and pant hem are almost equally wide. Ultimately, it creates a look that pulls the whole style downward rather than focusing your style closer to your face. I love a slim leg crop!
    Thank you for sharing your latest spring fashion finds!

    1. I think the olive and navy is a very chic color combination too. Happy Wednesday Jan

  23. Good morning!
    IMO the proportions are off on the mannequin. I like to balance the volume on the top with a closer fitting bottom, most likely skinny jeans or leggings. I am not a fan of the color of the slacks, but if you can wear that color, there you go!

  24. Hi Jennifer,
    I love the olive and navy combination. I’m not sure about the dolman sleeves, but would be willing to give it a try. Unlike your other readers, I like the wide leg crops. That being said, I usually shorten them a couple of inches. I am relatively short (5’3″).

    1. I’m with you Susan – I really like the wide leg in both crop and full length pants. They can look very chic when styled correctly. Although that look probably doesn’t suit all body types, but then neither does the skinny leg style.

      1. Great point, Yvonne. Nothing is flattering on every body shape.

  25. I totally agree that dolman sleeves are hard to wear. The top looks better with the slim dark jeans but I would not wear it. The sweater is a no go for me.
    The wide crops are cute. I think they work best with a slim fitting tucked in t-shirt or a cropped sweater that meets the top of the pants.

  26. yes, I agree with most of the posts…I have to mix bigger fit and smaller fit…either palazzos with a closer to the body shirt, or slim fit jeans with a bigger top. if I try to do loose and loose, then it tends to look like my widest part goes shoulder to ankle instead of some definition.

  27. Carol Eberhardt says:

    Evidently wide leg pants are a thing this season and Iā€™ll be hanging onto my not-wide pants until this blows over. There is nothing flattering about those pants, from color to style.
    The top, doesnā€™t bother me, looks good with the jeans. But if itā€™s a style that doesnā€™t flatter an individual, myself for example, Iā€™d move on. My shoulders are narrow and the fullness is unflattering on me. But I do like them on other people.
    Boy, I just hate when old styles like the wide legged pant comes back after it looked terrible the first time around. Honestly, I think they are very aging. My mother is over 90 and I had to really work with her to throw those pants out six years ago and go with skinny jeans. She looked ten years younger when she changed it up. Even she realized it, and she had tried to cling into the excess fabric fashion for ā€œcomfortā€. Then she realized skinny jeans flattered her and were warmer without all the air blowing up her legs!šŸ¤­

    1. I love this comment! Age is just a number. My mom just turned 88 and wears leggings and slim-fit jeans all the time, and looks fantastic!

    2. Wide leg pants have been in style for the past few years. Terrible? Aging? Gosh, I hope not. I own several pairs and enjoy wearing them, although at the age of 60 thereā€™s not much I can do about looking older, haha.

  28. Liz Steeb says:

    you are missing the beautiful benefit of broad shoulders; they make your clothes hang perfectly. they act like hangers so any other faults disappear. they make you look strong and your waist thin. if you had small shoulders you would be pointing them out and complaining. nothing is perfect so get on with it. you look great.

    1. Oh, I do know their benefit and am grateful for them šŸ™‚ I just prefer to not make them look wider than they are. I prefer to balance my look when I can.

  29. Paulette Levy says:

    Youā€™ve definitely got this look right! How anyone in a fashion position could pair this loose dolman sleeve top with full leg, loose short pants baffles me! It looks awful!
    Youā€™ve got this look right as always! It looks much improved with slim jeans ( or other trim leg pants). Thanks for sharing !

  30. Hi Jennifer,
    I love dolman sleeves but I also have narrow shoulders and the width especially with a boatneck is very flattering to me and balances out my silhouette. I thrilled to find some this year!
    Needless to say, Iā€™d never wear the full leg cropped pants. I have no idea who they would flatter!
    Thanks for all your posts!

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