When wearing a button-up dress shirt during the summer, you may want to roll up the sleeves. The hot temperatures of the summer season can leave you feeling sweaty and sticky. With your sleeves rolled up, however, you'll feel cooler and more comfortable. At the same time, rolling up your dress shirt sleeves can enhance your appearance. It offers a unique style that many men prefer. But how exactly do you roll up your dress shirt sleeves without them falling back down?
Make Sure Your Dress Shirt Fit
If your dress shirt doesn't fit, you may struggle to roll up the sleeves. If your dress shirt is too small, for instance, the sleeves may not extend all the way to your wrists. They may stop several inches short of your wrists when worn, in which case you probably won't be able to roll them up. The bottom line is that you need to make sure your dress shirt fits if you intend to roll up the sleeves. Even if it's just one or two sizes too small, it may prevent you from rolling up the sleeves.
Get the Right Material
In addition to choosing a dress shirt in the right size, you should consider the material from which it's made. Some materials used in the construction of dress shirts are lighter than others. Materials that are too thin and lightweight are difficult to roll up. In comparison, thicker and heavier materials are relatively easy to roll up. By choosing a dress shirt made of a somewhat thick and heavy material, you'll have an easier time rolling up the sleeves.
Beware of Undershirts
You can wear an undershirt with your dress shirt, but it's a good idea to stick with a short-sleeve undershirt. If you wear a long-sleeve undershirt, the additional layer of material covering your arms may prevent you from rolling up your dress shirt sleeves.
Step #1) Unfasten the Cuffs
When you're ready to roll up the sleeves on your dress shirt, go ahead and unfasten the cuffs. Most dress shirts have buttons on the cuffs. At the end of each sleeve, you should see one or more buttons. Generally speaking, you should fasten the cuffs when wearing your dress shirt with the sleeves down and unfasten them when wearing your dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
If your dress shirt doesn't have buttons on the cuffs, it may have cufflinks. As explained in a previous post, cufflinks are commonly used an alternative to buttons. The main difference is that buttons are sewn into the sleeves, whereas cufflinks are not. If your dress shirt has cufflinks, you'll need to remove them from the sleeves. Doing so will loosen the sleeves so that you can roll them up with greater ease.
Step #2) Remove Your Wristwatch
If you're wearing a wristwatch, you'll want to remove it before attempting to roll up your dress shirt sleeves. A wristwatch is certainly an attractive, as well as useful, fashion accessory. It adds color and style to your outfit while allowing you to keep track of the time in the process. Of course, it's difficult to roll up your sleeves while wearing a wristwatch After you've unfastened the cuffs of your dress shirt, go ahead and remove your wristwatch.
Step #3) Fold the Length of the Cuffs
Now it's time to start rolling up your dress shirt sleeves. Don't just bundle the sleeves into a ball but, instead, fold them. The proper way to roll up dress shirt sleeves is to fold them the length of the cuff. Most dress shirts have cuffs measuring about 3 to 4 inches. Assuming your dress shirt has similar-sized cuffs, you should fold this amount of material up.
Keep in mind, you may need to fold your dress shirt sleeves two or even three times. Each time you fold the sleeves, though, you should only fold them the length of the cuffs. Continue folding the sleeves until they've reached your desired height. Some men prefer to fold up their dress shirt sleeves to their forearms, whereas others prefer to fold their dress shirt sleeves to their elbows. Regardless, you should fold your sleeves the length of the cuffs until you've achieved the desired height.
Step #4) Tuck the Excess Material In Place
After rolling up your dress shirt sleeves, you should tuck the excess material in place. Depending on how many times you folded the cuffs, your dress shirt sleeves may not stay in place. If you only folded them once, for instance, they will probably fall down. A solution is to tuck the excess material in place.
Grab the excess material around the folded section of the sleeves and tuck it in place. You should try to keep the excess material flat so that it doesn't bunch up. Regardless, once it's tucked it in place, your dress shirt sleeves should remain secure -- at least for a while.
Step #5) Retuck the Sleeves
Even if you follow these steps, there's still a chance that your dress shirt sleeves may fall down throughout the day. This is especially true if you work outdoors or if you're otherwise physically active. You can retuck your sleeves, however, to keep them in place.
Consider a Short-Sleeve Dress Shirt
Folding up your dress shirt sleeves is only one way to beat the heat during the summer. An alternative idea is to wear a short-sleeve dress shirt. With a short-sleeve dress shirt, you won't have to worry about rolling up the sleeves. Short-sleeve dress shirts only extend to about the elbows, so there's no point in rolling up the sleeves any higher. Nonetheless, you can always wear a traditional long-sleeve dress shirt during the summer, as well as other times of the year. Just follow these steps to roll up the sleeves.
