Amen, Angie! I couldn’t agree more! I’ve rejected so many otherwise great tops because of sleeve length. Retailers, please listen to Angie.
Question: What do you think of “bracelet” length sleeves? Do my eyes need to adjust to this length or do they look like one is wearing an outgrown top?

I totally agree. I was looking at some beautiful summer shirts at T M Lewin yesterday and the best fitting one, in black, which is what I want had cap sleeves – so I put it back on the shelf.

i agree with u angie.. i always wear half sleeves (just above the elbow!) I love sleeveless too.. but still not very comfortable sporting ‘em!

Hear, hear! That little tidbit from Kendall Farr’s book was to me, the best tip she offered in the entire book. Buying long sleeved garments and shortening them to a flattering length is brilliant (and made me wonder, why hadn’t I thought of that before??). But you make a good point: Why should we have to go to the trouble?

I hear you, Angie. My biggest frustration is coming across nicely patterned shirts (button-down) in that awful 3/4 sleeve length which is neither here nor there.

My best “short sleeve” is a little shorter than the just-above-the-elbow kind, but still longer and slimmer than most. I find unisex tees (I wear some from American Apparel) and vintage tees are particularly good for this. I haven’t bought a woman’s short-sleeved tee since I was in high school, since the sleeves are ALWAYS too short, or else strangely shaped in some other way.

Strangely, I like some cap sleeves on myself. I don’t have the best arms by any means, but I feel that they balance my hips and create a nice, face-framing shape.

I am lucky that I can war almost any sleeve length, but I still get frustrated with the options. Cap and similar sleeves are the most abundant. I wish for more variety, especially elbow length and completely agree with both you and Kendall .

I read that tip in Kendal’s book and thought it was great! I’d especially like to get some elbow-length sleeved layering t-shirts. I’m waiting for retailers to roll out the long sleeved t-shirts and then I’ll be sure to stock up.

totally agree!!
Here in Portugal it is almost impossible to find in the summer a flattering sleeve!

cap sleeves = crap sleeves !!!!!

I misread the title. I thought it would refer to retailers making button-ups and long sleeve blouse sleeves too short. I too, am of a similar build to you, and have a heck of time finding classic button-ups/shirts with too short sleeves. I am “twigly” in the arm area, so sleeve type was never really an issue. I have to agree that bracelet length and jackets (for me) that have the 3/4 length make me look like I stole a kid’s jacket or something.

I do hope that women’s shirts will someday *sigh* come in varying lengths for us longer armed girls.
Thank you for your wonderful insight to clothing–I truly look forward to your posts with my work lunch every day!

I have walked into shops in the UK looking for some nice summery tops only to find that there was barely one that did not sport the dreaded cap sleeve. For me it seems to rule out most summer fashion as I do not (yet) have the arms to go sleeveless. It is so frustrating (not to mention wardrobe limiting)!

I also noticed one of the pretty, petite news readers on BBC the other day wearing cap sleeves that made her look HUGE. So even on those who are less voluptuous of upper arm it looks horrible!

Keri, I know who you’re talking about! It was pretty bad, wasn’t it?

Don’t even get me started on the style quotient of the BBC. Every morning I make my boyfriend listen to my running commentary on why whoever looks good looks good, and why whoever looks bad should be fired (or at least get a stylist). It probably makes it hard for him to pay attention to the news…

My upper arms are nice enough, but being broad shouldered makes cap sleeves a bad look for me. That reminds me that I’ve been wanting to look around your blog for how to soften a shoulder line.

Ditto Cricket! Another broad shoulder’d woman here and the cap sleeve trend is horrific for me.

I LOVE elbow length sleeves. JCrew has a few dresses with that sleeve length right now. I’m worried though, I just bought a cap sleeved dress. Maybe I ought to reconsider.

I have finally learned to love sleeveless (always thought my arms were too big), and now I’m finding it difficult to find any.

My favorite summer cardigans hit just above the elbow. I would think that a tee with sleeves this length would be too hot in the summer, but maybe that is just me. I think I have only one tee that is like this, from H&M, and I would not wear it in this weather.

So I do wear cap sleeves this time of year, because otherwise I’d have practically NOTHING to wear….

I hear you on this one Angie, I had to put back a shirt I really wanted because the sleeve length made my arms look huge and my chest look wider. I was very disappointed because the shirt was perfect everywhere else and a very lightweight cotton perfect for the southern heat.

I agree 100%. When I look at pictures of myself in cap-sleeves I am always horrified at how the girth of my “arm jiggle” is accentuated. Many women who don’t have thin arms seem to be afraid of sleeveless tops, but I’ve always been comfortable with them, I’d rather my whole arm show than create a focal point at the largest part of my arm!

I wonder why there is such a disconnect between what is being said here and the clothing designers. Don’t they do their research? It must have something to do with saving fabric in the pattern layout again.
To me cap sleeves is yet another in the list of ways to make women feel bad about their bodies. If we cannot wear what is being sold we think it is because the problem is with our own body. If we see high heels in the stores everywhere we think we must be the only ones who cannot walk in them. If we see cap sleeves in the stores everywhere we think we must be the only one who has fat arms. Then we start the thought process, “I am such a clutz, I have fat arms”. Not good. As a grand mother, I’ve seen this happen with 3 generations now.

I totally agree. Cap sleeves can look good on some women, but we need a greater variety of sleeve lengths available.

Actually 4 generations if we count my mother in as one who thought her waist was not small enough in the 60’s and put on a corset with about 100 hooks and eyes in the back. I had to hook it up for her and it was a struggle. Luckilly this was only for a party. I bet she didn’t enjoy herself much!

Angie–will you please comment further on the sleeveless issue for those of us with more curves? I have always thought that since I have a few extra hours in my hourglass, I should avoid going sleeveless. Some of the previous posts have me re-thinking this. What would keep sleeveless flatering for women like me?

I like cap sleeves, flutter sleeves, and other “unflattering” sleeves and actually prefer them to sleeveless shirts. I belong to the Stacey and Clinton school of thought on this. But I agree that there is no harm in having options.

Thank you, ladies. I feel a need to respond back to many of you:

Judy, you crack me up.

Ele and Keri, you crack me up too. I like your little side conversation about the BBC.

Marianna, you rock! I wholeheartedly believe that sleeveless dressing is 100% more flattering than cap sleeve dressing on any arm. (Sorry Maya, Stacey and Clinton!)

Redhead, I hope that answers your question for the meantime. Go sleeveless instead of cap sleeved, but make sure you find the right type of sleeveless top. I’ll post about that soon.

Shiny, what’s going on! Why can’t you find sleeveless tops to fit? There are PLENTY of those around too. It *is * too hot to go elbow sleeve in Summer. That’s why I encourage sleeveless. But not everybody is comfortable going sleeveless. We’ll tackle that another day.

Danja, I always scrunch my three-quarter sleeve tops to elbow length. I find that helps a lot. And on that note, guess the sleeve length of my perfect Anne Fontaine shirts – elbow length. She has it down. No scrunching required.

Janine, sounds like we are body type twins. I am also a long armed girl, and you lose sleeve length when you wear a small size. I cannot find long sleeved American garments with sleeves that are long enough. I have to shop mainstream Euro or designer for those items because the arm lengths are usually longer. (Thanks for the lovely compliment about our site).

Broad shouldered gals, I hear you. Stay away from cap sleeves. Sleeveless or something longer and sleeker is your friend.

Sandy, you are astute and I like your insightful comment. Fashion buyers are responsible for putting cap sleeves into stores. They are working back from successful sales at store level, meaning that their sales figures must show that cap sleeves are selling, otherwise they wouldn’t be repeating the style at nauseam. People are buying cap sleeves because they feel desperate, not necessarily because they love the way they look. I think that buyers are besotted with cap sleeves because they feel it’s a safer mainstream option than sleeveless (still covers some of the top arm). Such a disconnect! As a former fashion buyer, I understand how such a disconnect can happen, but it’s no excuse. I am not taking the side of retail on this one.

You needn’t be sorry Angie, we just see things differently. It’s an optical illusion: you see two faces and I see a wine glass. I certainly don’t think cap sleeves are for everyone, but I appreciate them a lot for myself. They give my sloped, narrow shoulders extra width and extend my shoulders beyond my bust. When I’m in a sleeveless top, my bust “sticks out” the most on the sides. When I add a cap or flutter sleeve, the sleeve comes out the most and makes the rest of me, bustline and all, look narrower. I know I have explained this before and you don’t agree, but that is just what I see. I have lots of disagreements with Stacey and Clinton, but I’m glad they are with me on this so I know I’m not totally crazy. That said, I know they’re not for everyone. If they broaden my shoulders, I can only imagine they would be awful on ladies who already have broad shoulders. But, there are also lots of different types of cap sleeves and I do find some of them more acceptable than others (for example, not even I like the ones that are just a half inch of sleeve).

I’m not Shiny but I also have trouble with sleeveless tops. The arm holes are always too big and end up showing a big chunk of bra band. I find myself having to layer under them, which sort of defeats the purpose. Therefore I purged my closet of most of sleeveless tops (except for a tunic and one top that I just liked too much). Also, sleeveless tops with a deep v fall off my shoulders just like bra straps and purses do….and since I have a big chest, I need the deep v. This has always been a problem for me in every sleeveless top I have ever owned or tried. One of the reasons I sent back that black UO shirt dress was because of the arm holes. I knew if I went up a size, the arm holes would be even larger.

The sleeve lengths available now are KILLING me! I have short arms and narrow shoulders. And I have developed the under-arm dingle-dangle so common with us 45 yo gals. I am finding the cap sleeves are yelling “Look everyone! See the biggest part of the arm?…BIGGER now!” Any sleeve that cuts across the biggest part of the arm is a bad idea.

I am finding that if I get my shirts altered so that it makes a VERY small cap sleeve, I can visually broaden my shoulders without enlargening my flabby arms. Its a challenge to find that sweet-spot tough. Going sleeveless is a safer route.

I found some great half-sleeve tees from Old Navy this summer and I am kicking myself for not buying every color.

As a woman with a disproportionate amount of upper arm flab and jiggle (vestiges of past pregnancy weight gain), I’m really only comfortable in half, 3/4 or long sleeves.

But when it’s scorching out, I will reach for a short sleeve before a sleeveless style because I feel too exposed in sleeveless. It’s definitely not as flattering as a longer sleeve, but I am way too self-conscious in no sleeve.

Timely post. Last night I looked through tops and dresses on Banana Republic online. Too many cap, ruffly and fluttery sleeves–very unattractive on my arms. (I’ve tried on a lot of them, so I know.) I can wear a certain type of cap sleeve but it has to fit the upper arm and shoulder just right. The loose-fitting sleeves look frumpy. I have long arms and hate the 3/4 sleeve too. I’d rather roll or push up a long sleeve to the right spot.

Pay attention BR: There’s a reason I’ve stopped spending money with you this summer, and it isn’t the recession. Sell something I can wear.

Like Maya, Stacy, and Clinton I don’t find cap sleeves unflattering. I have very slim arms, but have seen them look great on many other people. I do like variety in my sleeves, though, and think that selling all, or even most, things in one sleeve length is ridiculous. We need variety for the changes in weather. I wouldn’t wear elbow length sleeves yesterday when it was 97 degrees, but flutter sleeves felt great on a day like that. The only sleeve length I don’t like is the odd sort of half-cap sleeves that show off your arm pits. They are like “Look I shaved today!” Or worse yet if you didn’t… As a girl with strong shoulders, I still love cap sleeves. I don’t mind emphasizing my shoulders a little, because they visually balance out my small chest and make me more hourglassy. But then I wouldn’t be caught in big puffed sleeves; that’s must too much. I can certainly see caped sleeves not working on someone who is an actual inverted triangle though (not just with tendencies toward inverted triangle like me). Maya, I have the same problem with armholes on sleeveless tops! I’ve not had the v-necks issues though, since I’m not busty and don’t usually wear v-necks without camis.

I wonder why on earth they’re so enamored of cap sleeves? Maybe they’re not getting enough negative feedback about how unflattering the style is.

I am a broad shouldered girl who for the most part stays away from cap sleeves and flutter sleeves. Other than that, I have slim arms so I can wear any other style or sleeveless. My pet peeves are “long sleeved” shirts with sleeves that are too short, and elbow sleeves with cuffs that hit right at the elbow so that you can’t bend your elbow without crushing the cuff. I bought one blouse with the latter problem (bad decision!) and always have to remember to roll the sleeves up. Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to shortening them.

I can see why these sleeves would not work for most people and will probably not work for me as I age. And I am all for variety. However, I disagree that sleeveless looks better on *all* people. I have narrower shoulders and slim arms – but a big hip. The short puffed sleeves look wonderful as they balance out my hips. Much better than all the sleeveless I own!

I totally agree with all the comments here. I have really been working out hard and lifting weights over the last few years and feel confident in my sleeveless tops as I feel my arms are toned enough. Caps sleeves though make them look huge and I just bypass them whenever I see them on a garment. They only work on women with slim arms — being toned or muscular does not help at all.

Some days I like cap sleeves, some days I don’t. My problem with button down shirts is opposite from Angie and some of the other posters. I have short arms, so shirts that fit everywhere else have sleeves that are too long. Even most 3/4 sleeve shirts hit at a funky spot, so I have to roll them up to avoid making my arms look even shorter.

One of my very favorite places to buy basic tees and shirts is Down East Basics (www.downeastbasics.com). The body of their shirts are longer in length (great for us girls who have a long torso!) and they have a bunch of sleeve lengths to choose from – sleeveless, short, half, 3/4, and long. They’re super soft and come in a myriad of colors that change every season.

More great comments.

Thanks for your viewpoint, Maya. You are one of the few lasses I know who wear cap sleeves and flutter sleeves beautifully. Your slim toned arms, shapely bust line, and dainty neck and shoulders are the perfect prerequisite. It’s no wonder that you love them! Also, your specific challenges with sleeveless items are warranted and I understand your reasoning completely. Because you look so good in cap sleeves, you don’t need to worry about sleeveless. This is your sleeve season

Marlene, nice explanation.

Sal, you hit the nail on the head.

Sri, your body type sounds like it was made for short puffed sleeves. Enjoy! That’s another sleeve style that few lasses wear well. But I bet those pretty arms look good in the right sleeveless top or frock too.

Jwomack, you are onto something.

Joy, bracelet length sleeves can work if the styling is very retro. That’s my opinion anyway. Does that make sense?

I love 3/4 length sleeves, but living in a hot climate makes them impractical during the summer. I do wear cap sleeves and feel like the fuller/puffier ones look okay on me, though my arms are hardly slim. I don’t like to wear just a sleeveless top because that tends to draw too much attention to my chest somehow, so all my sleeveless tops go under jackets. I will wear sleeveless dresses because they seem less likely to be interpreted as skimpy on a busty woman.

I’m far from thin, but my limbs are long and my body is a well-proportioned hourglass overall, so perhaps that’s why I’m willing to break the rule on this one.

Thank, you! I’m 60+ and love to dress in an updated but age appropriate fashion. I live in the south and it’s hot, hot, hot in the Summer. Please, where are the short sleeve shirts that not only cover the upper arm but also serve as a substitute for sleevelss and cap sleeve blouses? The 3/4 length sleeve is wonderful for Fall, Winter and Spring but not Summer in the south!!! I don’t understand how designers can completly misunderstand what women want. Also, It’s very difficult to find beautiful basic clothing for the older woman. What are we, chopped liver? Hello!!!!

The whole lack of flattering sleeves on evening wear frustrates me the most. I have many clients who don’t wish to show off their upper arms, needing a nice cocktail frock, who can’t find anything that’s not sleeveless.

You are too kind Angie. Such lovely compliments. To be clear, much as I love these hard-to-wear sleeve styles, I still understand the need for more variety, so we are in agreement on that.

Well, somebody is buying those flutter and cap sleeve tops..Maya and many, many others.,
They fly out of AT. so they do sell well. I guess it must be like the high heel mystery…If you aren’t buying it, wearing it..or it doesn’t work for you…then who does it appeal to??

Something for everyone

I’m listening. And YTD we haven’t produced any unflattering sleeve lengths. We do have a sleeveless, but its main function is to go under a jacket as a camisole.

You are right Angie, and Kendall too. Her sentiment about sleeveless & caps from her first book is forever embedded in my psyche. No matter how slim the torso/hips/legs look, if one has an untoned, unclothed arm, that is what will draw people’s eye.

Carissa, are you saying unless one has toned arms to not wear sleeveless?

I agree women are fussy when it comes to showing arms, but in areas where it is so hot in summer it just isn’t practcal to not wear them..

Not to mention a huge segment of the population…like over 30, who do not have perfect arms , but will still wear sleevelss, or cap sleeve. The market, I think demands it.

As I said earlier, at AT the sleevless, cap sleeve and flutter sleeve all fly out the door this time of year.

Amen Amen

I am also a long armed girl, and you lose sleeve length when you wear a small size. I cannot find long sleeved American garments with sleeves that are long enough.

Angie, I’ve occasionally had luck with slim-fitting button-down shirts from the Express having long enough sleeves. But that’s been about it. What I’ve been doing lately is just buying 3/4-sleeve button-down shirts and rolling the sleeves up to my elbows. Living in California, I can get away with that year-round. I don’t know what I’ll do when I move back to a colder climate!

Thanks, Becky. I appreciate the heads up. Club Monaco (a Canadian chain) actually does sleeves long enough for my gorilla arms.

Carissa and Taylor, I believe anyone can wear AND look good in the right sleeveless top or dress. I am very pro sleeveless, but I’m not pro cap sleeves.

Another point about cap sleeves is that they *can* look juvenile. While this aspect is adorable when you’re younger, it’s not a great look when you are older despite slim, toned arms.

I like cap sleeves and short sleeves because I look so much better with a sleeve than not. If I don’t have a sleeve of some sort I appear to have no shape at all. I have a thick waist and narrow hips so a sleeve gives the illusion that I am not tubular.

There is a market for all sorts of sleeve lengths, but I agree there needs to be a range available to suit the multitude of body types that humans come in.

I like a 3/4 or just at elbow length t or thin knit for layering undering jackets at work. Then, if I want or need to take off my jacket I still feel covered up enough for work. Very sleek, non bulky sweaters work perfectly in winter.

The fluttery cap sleeve is most annoying – not flattering and not layerable.

I would also appreciate a bit of sleeve in cocktail wear – Imogen is so right on that. And dresses!