The secret to keeping the sleeves of jackets and tops scrunched is predominantly in the silhouette of the sleeve, although the fabrication of the garment, and the style of the cuffs will also play their part. 

1. Slim-fitting long sleeves that fit closely to the arms and wrists scrunch best. They stay put because they are tight and therefore do not move. Roomy long sleeves with wider wrist openings tend to fall back down.
2. Stiffer fabrics like woven crisp cottons, woven wool blends and denim are particularly scrunch-friendly when the sleeves fit closely to the forearms. Close fitting sleeves in knits and fabric with stretch are also good. Drapey woven fabrics like silks and soft polyesters do not scrunch as well.  
3. Slim-fitting cuffs are scrunch-tastic. The extra button along the cuff placket of a cuff makes it extra scrunch-friendly (check out the rear view of this J.Crew shirt to see that extra button along the cuff placket). The tight cuffs stay put when you pull them up, or when you fold them over once to stiffen and tighten the silhouette of the sleeve. 

The visuals below will help to illustrate the prerequisites for effective sleeve scrunching: 

The sleeves on my faded denim jacket are stiff and slim fitting, which makes them scrunch really well. I first pull up the sleeves, so that the inside of the sleeve shows on the outside. Then I fold them back down so that the outside of the sleeve is visible again.

This crisp white shirt has very slim-fitting cuffs and a tailored forearm fit.

This soft blouse has a slightly wider cuff, but I can stiffen and tailor the cuff by folding it over once after  I’ve pulled up the sleeve.

The tailored sleeves of this dress are made of a thick stretchy knit, so they stay put.

A stiff cotton shirt with narrow sleeves is ideal for scrunching, but the extra button along the placket of the sleeve opening also does it’s bit. The sleeve is tailored even further by buttoning up that placket button, which in turn helps to keep it scrunched.

This cropped tuxedo jacket has narrow, spandex-rich, stretchy sleeves so the scrunch stays put.

I don’t like to fiddle with clothing items during the day, but I enjoy baring my forearms and I love the textural effect of a scrunched long sleeve. So it’s an added bonus when my tops and jackets are scrunch-tastic. This makes slim-fitting longer sleeves and tailored cuffs a big selling point when I’m adding items to my wardrobe. 

Commando’s two tone net stockings are my new favourite hose. They are the daintiest of fishnets made of an interwoven black and beige nylon spandex. The effect of the colour and pattern is both textural, chic and interesting. Commando’s dig-free waistband is pretty fabulous too. The fit of these stockings is looser than most hose so do not size up for length and comfort. 

I wore them for the first time two weekends ago on a mild Seattle Spring night with full skirt and ballet flats. They cost a pretty penny seeing as you can buy nice hose for under $10 these days, but I do believe that they are worth the expense.

Veteran member Jenava suggested to Greg that a day of camera fun was in order. Naturally Greg, who is passionate about photography, welcomed the idea. So with cameras in hand, local Seattle YLF’ers Jenava, Kari, Aida, Amy and Phoebe met with Greg and me at scenic Alki Beach last Saturday on what turned out to be a glorious Spring day. 

Phoebe brought fresh warm donuts to get our sugar levels going right at the start of the meet. Good thinking, Phoebe! The purpose of the meet was to sharpen our photo taking skills. So everyone practiced snapping photos of each other against different backdrops with different light exposures and camera settings while sharing advice along the way. There were lots of individual outfit photos, group photos, photos taken in the sun, in the shade, zoomed in, zoomed out,  photos with and without a depth of field, photos of smiles, growls, frowns and sexy face. So fun. I was the only one without a camera, but I did make myself useful by providing the odd  pose and offering moral support. 

As with all YLF gatherings, there is spades of laughter, admiration for each other’s outfits, non-stop chit chat, and a very delicious midday meal. After a couple of hours of photo taking, we all recharged at Cactus for yummy Tex-Mex cuisine. Jalapeno lemonade, Margaritas, tacos, enchiladas, salsa and guacamole went down extremely well. 

Laptops in hand, we then moved to Starbucks where we looked at some of the photos that had been taken that morning. Post processing tips — like how to correct the white balance, create colour contrasts, add overlays, and sharpen images — were shared. There were several aha moments, even for Greg! 

Below is an assortment of photographs, by and of the individuals at the meet-up. Big thank you to Jenava for organizing the day. I thoroughly enjoyed the different flavour of this gathering and watching all the pretty lady photographers in action. And Greg, of course.

Warby Parker is a popular online site that sells eyewear, and I’ve heard good things about their product and online shopping experience. But it’s the offshoot of that site called Warby Barker, which sells stylish eyewear for dogs, that really grabbed my attention. Apparently the specs are made of chew resistant acetate. The enchanting poses of the canines speak for themselves. 

I don’t know if the site is for real, but the video footage of the photoshoot was entertaining. My goodness — such well behaved models.

This is our friend Morgan, who together with Greg created the iPhone and Android apps for YLF. Greg snapped this photo while he was snuggling up to a little doggie in sunglasses who was passing by. Morgan is super cute, but this little pup gives him serious competition.