# I'm a short guy - how do I make long sleeves work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060 "2004-11-04T22:08:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/1 "2004-11-04T22:08:03Z")
I’m 5’8, and have broad shoulders. I work in a “business casual” environment, which means button-down shirts. Short sleeves are fine for the summer, but now that it’s fall, i can’t seem to find any long-sleeved button-down shirts that don’t make me look like a little boy wearing his dad’s shirt. Is it because I’m short? What can I do to compensate for this? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/2 "2004-11-04T22:19:52Z")
Do you have an odd neck/sleeve combo size? If so, find yourself a good tailor, buy quality shirts (Brooks Brothers, Jos A. Bank, Nordstrom) and have the sleeves shortened. You can have the sleeves shortened at the store, too, I think. Don’t sacrifice on quality; the places I mentioned have great sales. Also, check out L.L.Bean ([www.llbean.com](http://www.llbean.com)). You can select a sleeve size and their shirts cost a little less. If you’re shopping at stores that don’t offer shirt sizes by sleeve lenghts (like Banana Republic, Gap, J.Crew) still find a good tailor and have the sleeves shortened. Also, a shirt under a thin, v-neck sweater is still a very nice look. This will allow you to cuff the sleeve once. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/3 "2004-11-04T23:02:00Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > Also, a shirt under a thin, v-neck sweater is still a very nice look. This will allow you to cuff the sleeve once. Cool, thanks. The above is actually my old standby - it looks great, but gets a little hot during the fall when it’s not that cold yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/4 "2004-11-04T23:48:13Z")
5’8 is SHORT? Since when? Thats not short. Maybe you just have short arms… ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/5 "2004-11-04T23:49:58Z")
Have you considered a thin, crewneck sweater by itself for the transition months? Then when it gets colder you can start wearing shirts underneath. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/6 "2004-11-05T00:25:39Z")
I can’t wear long-sleeved shirts without looking dorky either. Broad shoulders + small hands = not a good mix. Roll the sleeves up two turns, baring your forearms. It makes you look industrious too. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/7 "2004-11-05T07:03:11Z")
Yeah, I think that’s my killer - broad shoulders and small hands. I look like a monkey-child playing dress-up in long sleeves. I think the suggestion of getting the sleeves shortened is the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/8 "2004-11-05T09:17:19Z")
Or you can pick up english clerk style armbands-- they go around your biceps. You’re the same height I am, and that ain’t short. I find the biggest problem is most shirts are cut for a man with a basketball-sized gut, which does more to contribute to that ‘little boy’ feeling than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-short-guy-how-do-i-make-long-sleeves-work/273060/9 "2004-11-05T21:18:26Z")
I’ve always been a sleeve-roller-upper myself. I can’t stand to wear sleeves rolled down and buttoned, even if sleeves are the right length. And I’m not a big fan of short sleeved dress shirts either – for some reason they just scream “Nerd!” (I can handle being called a geek, but not a nerd. 🙂 )