Shirt Sleeves Too Long? On-The-Spot and Long-Term Solutions

Shirt sleeves that are too long are a pain and a common issue for us shorter guys. Here are some easy solutions.

I don’t make absolute statements often, but I will today. Wearing shirt sleeves too long—and I mean sleeves that are visibly longer than your actual arms—will ruin your outfit. If the shirt’s body is too big, you can always tuck it in and bunch it up in the back. If the arms are excessive, all the bunching is plain to see. 

Are your sleeves too long? They may very well be if you’re a shorter gent like me. Shirtmakers tend to cater to the average height and proportions. No worries, though.

Fortunately, there are several hacks you can employ. Are all of your shirts at the dry cleaner, and this overly long-armed one is all that’s left? I’ve got on-the-spot solutions that don’t require a needle and thread, either. Let’s start with dress shirts.

Are Your Dress Shirt Sleeves Too Long? Here’s What To Do

Obviously, the best thing to do with dress shirt sleeves that are too long is to get them tailored. And truthfully, with a dress shirt, it’s worth it. Getting the perfect fit on a classic dress shirt allows you to keep it forever. And you can wear it in both formal and casual situations.

Often, formal clothes alterations are definitely worth the price. That said, here are some short-term solutions.

Wear Another Layer

First, fold your overly long sleeves so that no excess hangs over your wrists and hands. Then, throw on a nice pullover or overshirt over it.

Problem solved! No one will know what’s going on under that layer. Moreover, there’s more wiggle room with slightly long arms on types of sweaters like crewneck or v-neck pullovers. The extra layer underneath will smooth out much of the sweater’s excess. And a little bunching on outerwear doesn’t look as bad as on a proper dress shirt.

Your collar will still pop out, so you can show off the color or patterns on your dress shirt. You can even wear a blazer over your dress shirt. I know that, technically, your shirt sleeve should peak out of the blazer arms. But I promise you that few people will notice. Or they’ll assume it’s a short-sleeve dress shirt under there. Nothing wrong with that.

The Faux French Cuff

Fold your sleeve up once, fully inverting the cuff cleanly. Then, button it up in reverse. 

If you’re more traditional, feel free to save this hack for days when you wear a suit jacket or blazer. However, I don’t think it’s wildly unconventional to wear it alone. The interior of your shirt becomes your cuff, adding a nice contrast color. I actually did this recently.

A brand sent me a shirt to wear to one of their events, but the sleeves were too long. I didn’t want to wear anything over it because the whole point was to show off the shirt. I did the faux cuff trick, which added a white contrast cuff against the green plaid shirt. Then, I threw a white sweater over my shoulders to match the cuff, adding intentionality to the look.

I know that styling requires some brainwork, but the option is there. Really, all you have to do is incorporate another piece to wear that’s tonal with the interior of your shirt. 

The faux cuff will work beautifully if one fold gets your sleeve to land in the right place. Don’t try this if the sleeve is too long after one fold. Double-folding it will look sloppy. Instead, just roll your sleeves up.

Roll Your Sleeves Up

Are you wearing your dress shirt in a casual or smart casual situation? Then just roll them up all the way. Show off that forearm and that wristwatch.

Depending on the context, this might even work in certain business casual situations. I know some offices and networking events that would allow this. In fact, a rolled-up dress shirt tucked into trousers, topped off with a tie?

I think it’s much more professional-looking than a short-sleeved dress shirt. Just make sure to fold or roll your sleeves neatly, not haphazardly, so you don’t constantly have to re-roll them. 

Now that you know what to do with your dress shirts, let’s talk about t-shirts!

T-Shirt Sleeves Too Long? No Problem

Many of the solutions regarding dress shirts can also apply to T-shirts, whether they’re long-sleeved or short-sleeved. For example, you might be surprised at how attractive you look when you roll up your long-sleeved tee. Again, forearm action is a non-gauche way to show a little skin.

You can even use the added-layer hack with T-shirts. Choose something with full zips or buttons so you can wear it open. Otherwise, you’re just hiding the shirt and relegating it to an undershirt. If your short sleeves are too long or, worse, tent out, you can roll them up, James Dean-style.

Here’s how I do it. I pinch the inner sleeve, near my underarm, isolating the excess. Then I either fold it in or use a small safety pin. This fixes the overly big armhole issue. You can also use a ladies’ bobby pin. Then from there, you can neatly roll up the sleeve twice (at least), to cinch the hem.

Conclusion: Shirt Sleeves Too Long? It’s All Right

And there you go! Are your shirt sleeves too long? Here are your options:

• Wear a layer over your shirt.
• Invert the cuff, creating a contrast cuff.
• Fold your sleeves for an effortlessly handsome look.

Finally, I can’t let you go without further emphasizing the importance of fit. Therefore, I’d like to remind you that you ultimately want to get your long shirt sleeves tailored. If you have the budget, you can also shop for specialty brands or get your shirts custom-made.

You can still do any of the looks mentioned above, in addition to wearing it alone. Basically, a tailored shirt is just far more versatile. You want all of your clothes to go a long way.

Questions? Comments? Let us know below.