There is a proper way for how to roll up sleeves, which I personally did not know up until last year.
Until I did the research on how to roll up sleeves, I was rolling them the way my mom used to roll my hand-me-down pants as a kid. I would roll, roll, roll several times, until my sleeves were at the height I preferred. I coined this the “sushi” sleeve, and they would end up looking like a round snake of Play-Doh wrapped around my arms. This was not a good look.
Sometimes, instead of the “sushi” sleeve, I would just keep pushing my sleeves up past my elbow, fussing with them as they fell down every few minutes and wrinkling the hell out of my shirts.
Of course, I tried just folding my sleeves, leaving the cuff unbuttoned and flapping around my upper forearm and elbow.
None of these three options looked good or worked.
So, with some research on how to roll up sleeves, I found two great options. Both options involve the same basic steps.
The above figure shows how to roll sleeves at or above the elbow, but sometimes it’s just not possible to roll that high, either due to larger arms or shorter sleeve placket (slit at the cuff on dress shirts).
If you prefer to have a lower roll, below the elbow or at the center of the forearm, roll the sleeve so the bottom of the cuff (instead of top) is at the elbow crease. Then skip to Step 4.
The proper method makes for a clean look that can withstand the day and prevent the sleeves from falling down every few minutes.
Hope this helps, and thanks for reading!
-Chris
Like learning about how to roll up sleeves? Check out our article on how to build a minimalist wardrobe or how to remove salt stains from shoes!