A roll tab sleeve shirt or dress has long sleeves with tab detailing that allows you to shorten the sleeves. The idea is to roll up the sleeves to the desired length, pull the tab over the roll, and fasten it to a button that is positioned further up the sleeve. The sleeve rolls stay in place, while the tab adds visual interest.
Here are some examples.
I was with a client who cuts the tabs off shirts and dresses with roll tab sleeve detailing because the rolling part annoys her. I laughed, and said that I don’t prefer rolled long sleeves either, but love wearing shirts and shirtdresses. I suggested that she might want to try my way of wearing sleeves with tabs.
My approach is to keep the sleeves unrolled AND use the tabs. First I un-button the sleeve at the cuff. Then I pull the tab through the sleeve slit and fasten it to the button. Then I fasten the button on the cuff. It creates a shorter, slightly scrunched sleeve that looks interesting and stays put. If you don’t like rolling up long sleeves, this is one way to go, provided the sleeve has a tab. The pics illustrate the hack with a gauzy white cotton embroidered shirt worn with a pair of floral jeans.
