How to Roll Your Sleeves Up (and What NOT to Do) - YouTube

So you're wondering how to roll your sleeves up the right way.

Well, you're in the right place.

Today, we're gonna talk about a few different methods that you can use to roll up your sleeves

and a few mistakes that you're gonna wanna avoid.

Alright. So, maybe it's hot outside and you wanna let your arms breathe.

Maybe you're washing your mug in the office sink

or maybe you just like the way that rolled up sleeves look.

No matter the reason, you wanna roll your sleeves up the right way,

and at the very least, you wanna avoid the dreaded "sloppy roll".

Speaking of which, let's talk about what not to do.

First, you wanna avoid The One and Done.

This is where you just unbutton your cuff, turn it over once and then just call it a day.

This looks really unfinished and unkempt and

I'm surprised at how many times I see this out in the wild, because

to me it just looks kinda sloppy.

The other version of this is The Pull Up and that's where you do The One and Done and then

pull the cuff up to your elbow or above your elbow.

Again, this looks very sloppy,

it doesn't even stay in place as you move around.

I've heard this called The Italian Roll, but

I've been to Italy and I didn't see anybody doing it there, so

I would avoid this method too.

You also want to avoid The Twist and this is where no matter which method you're using,

the cuff gets kind of twisted as you're rolling it.

This not only doesn't look great,

but it also creates a very tight roll that's kinda constricting around your arms

so it's not very comfortable.

Then, finally, you want to avoid The Elbow Bender and this is where

you have a roll that's not quite below the below,

that's not above the elbow but it's right over that elbow joint.

So, every time you bend your elbow, it kind of folds the cuff in half

so it creates a big crease in that cuff.

It's not comfortable, it gets worse throughout the day and it doesn't look great either.

So, now that we know what not to do, let's talk about the right way to roll your sleeves up.

I'm gonna give you options and based on your sleeve length and your arm length,

and just your preferences,

you can choose one or two of these and they can be your go-to rolls.

We're gonna go in logical order, from simple to complex.

So, the first one is The Two Turn.

I like to call this one The Forearm Hugger, and

this looks great especially on guys who actually have bigger forearms.

So, you just take your cuff, unbutton it, you roll it over itself twice.

So, you fold your cuff back, and then fold your sleeve over the cuff.

Now, this is very easy to do.

It's very easy to undo. So if you just need to roll your sleeves up quickly,

like if you're washing something in the sink and you don't wanna get them wet,

this is a good method to use.

If you have thin arms, you can leave that placket button, that second button fastened

and that'll create a tighter roll if you use this Two Turn method.

This looks especially nice on casual button-ups

like Oxfords or like linen shirts during the summer time.

I don't think it's the best method for dress shirts.

With dressier looks, you probably want to avoid rolling your sleeves or go with one of the above-the-elbow methods.

Next up, let's talk about The J. Crew Roll.

Now, this is also called The Kennedy. In fact, I think it was popularized by John F. Kennedy.

I'm not sure about that, but I usually see it called The J. Crew Roll.

Now, this is the method that leaves a little bit of your sleeve cuff poking out of the top of the roll.

It looks really cool.

The great thing about this roll is you can do it below the elbow or above the elbow.

So if you're gonna do it below the elbow,

you unbutton your sleeve cuff-- both buttons,

you pull the cuff up about 3/4 of the way up your forearms, so,

below the elbow.

Then, you fold that inside fabric over the cuff just enough that you leave a little

sliver of cuff poking out of the top.

So, this produces the same basic look as The Two Turn,

but with just a little bit of visual interest,

it's a little more complex, a little harder to do, granted, but

I think it looks really cool.

Of course you can also do this above the elbow.

So, it's the same thing, except for when you unbutton your cuff, you're gonna pull it all the way above the elbow.

Now, you're gonna have more fabric that you fold over the cuff

and again, just leave a little bit of the top of the cuff poking out.

This is a very sturdy roll. It stays in place all day.

I think it looks really cool.

If you have contrasting cuffs, it's gonna show a little sliver of contrast.

This one is gonna take a little bit of practice.

You wanna make sure to get your fingers in there and make sure there's no, like, weird folding or twisting going on,

to make sure it's a nice clean roll.

But once you get the hang of it, this very well might be your go-to method because it looks really good

and it's very comfortable.

Now, if you have shorter arms and you do this standard J. Crew Roll,

it might leave the roll right on your elbow which we don't want.

So, what you can do is what I like to call The J. Crew and a Half.

So, you basically do the J. Crew Roll above the elbow. Then,

you just fold the cuff over itself.

So, you fold the cuff in half. The entire thing.

This creates a shorter cuff which looks good on shorter guys or guys with shorter arms.

It's a very tight roll, it stays in place all day, it's comfortable

and it can solve that problem of the cuff being right over your elbow.

As a shorter and thinner guy,

this is usually my go-to method for an above-the-elbow roll.

Next up, we have The Three Turn or The "Basic" Roll.

Unlike the J. Crew Roll, this one really doesn't take much practice to get right.

It's the method that most guys are probably using right now.

You basically just roll your cuff over itself three times.

So, it's just like The Two Turn but with one extra turn.

You're probably gonna wanna unbutton both buttons for this one.

If you have really thin arms, you can unbutton just the cuff and leave the placket button fastened

for a tighter squeeze.

For most guys, you're gonna wanna unbutton both buttons.

This will likely result in a roll that's above your elbow

but depending on the length of your arms and your sleeves,

this may result in a result in a below-the-elbow roll which is fine.

Now, if you do The Three Turn Roll and it ends up right on your elbow,

not below or above,

you can do one half turn.

So, again, just like with The J. Crew and a half roll,

just turn the entire cuff, the entire roll over itself once to cut it in half.

So, this helps get that roll above your elbow

and it also creates a thinner roll which,

again, I think looks good on shorter, smaller guys.

Finally, if you have very short arms or if your sleeves are just a little too long for your arms,

you can use the Mack Daddy of all sleeve rolling methods,

The Quadruple.

You roll your sleeves over cuff four times

which results in a thick, sturdy roll.

It's gonna stay in place all day and should be above your elbow even if you have shorter arms.

I really like this method,

especially if I just want my sleeves to be rolled up all day

and I want an above-the-elbow roll,

I'll use The Quadruple.

It's really important to avoid twisting when you're doing this, so

at each turn, make sure to run your finger along the inside of the cuff

and make sure to get out any weird twists or folds

because if you mess up on like the first turn or the second turn,

it's going to be amplified on the third and fourth turn.

So, if you do mess it up, I would just start over because you don't wanna be uncomfortable all day.

That's it. Now, you have six or seven methods.

Any guy should be able to find one or two that works for him.

You're probably gonna need one go-to method

for below-the-elbow and then another one for above-the-elbow

which is fine.

I'd love to hear from you.

Did I miss anything?

Do you have a different method that you like to use to roll your sleeves?

If so, let me know down in the comments section.

Thank you as always for watching and until next time.

Stay stylish.

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