You probably never gave a lot of thought about how to roll up the sleeves on your dress shirt, it’s just something you do naturally out of habit when the mood strikes you. But, what if I told you how you do this actually says a lot about you to people who know a thing or two about dress shirt fashion. How to roll up sleeves on your dress shirts is actually something you should give some thought to so you make sure you are signaling to your coworkers and acquaintances that you are thoughtful in how you approach your wardrobe. So, let’s go over some of the fine points about how to roll up your dress shirt sleeves.
There are many reasons to roll up the sleeves on your dress shirt. You may be dressing down a more formal outfit, or, signaling that you have a more laid-back attitude, you may even be just getting ready for some good old fashioned work with your hands. One good reason to roll up your dress shirt sleeves that you might not have thought of is to show off your arm muscles, this can be a great look for guys that many people will notice right away, but maybe you were not aware of the effect you will have rolling them up. No matter what the reason though you should familiarize yourself with a method that works well, and memorize this move so that you have a uniform way of doing this when the occasion strikes.
The first step to properly rolling your sleeves up is to unbutton both the shirt cuff button and the gauntlet button. The gauntlet button is the smaller button that is located about halfway up the shirt sleeve. Don’t forget, there are usually two buttons at the cuff, be sure to unbutton both of these, and then the gauntlet button. The next step is to roll your sleeves up evenly about two widths of the cuff length, fold evenly and make sure you smooth the creases so that everything looks straight. Then, roll one more time so that you cover the cuff. You can leave a small space to show off your cuffs inner lining if your shirt has this high-end feature. You can then roll your sleeves up as far as you like, but you will want to leave some of your forearms exposed, and not roll past your elbow.
One more important step involves carefully checking to see if both of your sleeves match in length. That is the biggest mistake people make when rolling their sleeves up, and having one arm rolled longer than the other will instantly make you seem sloppy and disorganized. Smoothing the first roll, and making sure the roll is tight, and then double-checking the length are the key points in having a respectable dress shirt sleeve roll. Keep these points in mind when you are ready to roll your sleeves up. Practicing a few times at home will give you an opportunity to get this technique down so you can quickly make your move when you are out and about.
Choosing a high-quality dress shirt in the first place is the best bet for making this something you can easily do. High-end shirts will allow you to fold and crease your sleeve easily, and these shirts will not be ruined by multiple rolls. Long-sleeve dress shirts are the norm in almost every setting, and there will be many occasions when you will want to roll your sleeves up for a variety of reasons, including being overheated and just needing to cool off. Having these moves ready will keep you prepared to look cool and be cool the next time you need to use them, good luck out there!