This is apparently a generational thing. You see someone who is always wearing long sleeves whenever you see them. Do you assume they are covering up
A. That they cut
B. Tracks
C. That they are always cold
My daughters chose A. My wife and I chose B. My mom would choose C.
I’d assume that they like the way that long sleeves look. Why does there need to be another reason?
Covering tattoos, scars that are not from cutting or drugs, covering skinny arms, hairy arms, covering skin problems. I’m with your mom, you kids are just too ready to think bad of people. Maybe they are just always cold.
The first thing I think of is to cover up tattoos.
C works, but not in the summer…
A and B never much occured to me until your post (I knew they were possibilities but never would assume them without other info)…
Brendon
My aunt only wears short sleeves in the hottest weather because she hates the fat on her arms. Because of that, it’s never seemed unusual to me. I’d probably assume they just didn’t like the way their arms looked (though not neccesarily for reasons like cutting or needle tracks).
Long sleeves are d’ rigor for a gentleman, or proper office attire.
Some people with certain genes, and some on certain meds may be suseptable to sunburn.
I wear long sleeves in the winter because I’m cold. When I was a kid I wore long sleeves in the summer because it was the 90’s and I was an “alternateen.”
I’ve never worn long sleeves to cover anything up…never assumed anyone else did either.
D. Body image issues.
It does depend on the person and situation, of course.
I’d assume C or perhaps like some of my family members, they have psoriasis.
Perhaps they also want to dress modestly. I have a good friend who is a fairly conservative Muslim, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her with short sleeves, even in the dead of summer. I think it’s for religious purposes.
I worked with someone about my age (born early 70s) who wore long sleeves since she’d been in a bad fire that left nasty scars and a couple of graft-spots on her arms.
And having lived for a while in the 90s in Portland, heroin capital of the nation, you learn not to ask, because you might not want to know. But I’d just assume generally that they are Bauhaus-fan types if over 35, and Good Charlotte or some other weak thing-fans if under 35. If they were over 75, had a last name like Stein or Fuchs, and had a German accent I’d be intrigued but wouldn’t ask (I’ve met a few people who had KZ tatoos here and there).
Another vote for body image issues.
I’ve put on 75 pounds in the 6 years since High school and I’m not happy about it. If the sleeves aren’t at least 3/4 length, I’m not wearing it. Haven’t worn shorts for the same reason.
For about a year after returning from Australia (where I lived for ten years), I would wear long-sleeved shirts, even in summer.
For some reason, I found 85-95*F summer temps back in the USA to be a bit chilly.
Er, I’m 52. And ex-junkies have just always been a fact of life for my wife and I. No judgement; just there and we’re glad they are.
Anyone who has met me would assume that body image issues would be my first guess but my body image weighs about half what I actually do. It never occurred to me.
When it was 115 this summer and the secretary came in in long sleeves EVERYDAY, I had to ask, “Do you have Ugly arms?”
No, she has few short sleeve tops appropriate for work…
Oh (why do I always hit [ENTER] too soon?), the modesty/Muslim suggestions are good since obviously modest and/or Muslim people are all over the place here, but since the “negative” associations with long sleeves wouldn’t occur to me there I guess I forgot.
It wouldn’t even occur to me to wonder. I question (silently) some people’s choices to wear short sleeves sometimes, but long sleeves never strike me as odd. Short sleeves seem like sportswear to me.
Tabby
I’d say they’re always cold or body image issues.
I would assume, if I even noticed, that they just like the look of long sleeve shirts. I almost always wear them myself for that very reason.
If it’s a child or adolescent and they wore long sleeves ALL the time, I might wonder if they’re hiding bruises from abuse. But then again I’m a social worker, that line of thought is sort of an occupational hazard.