I read every email readers send me – and to prove it, this article is inspired by Glennis, who wrote in about the perennial challenge of finding dresses that cover your arms without looking frumpy. “The nicest summer dresses are always sleeveless and a cardigan is not always an option when the weather heats up,” she writes, “dresses with sleeves always seem to be so frumpy, often with layered flounces, or puffy sleeves, or big, loud prints… I want to be cool and chic – without scaring small children with my saggy, wrinkled arms.”
OK, Glennis, you asked, and you’ve made some excellent points there, although I don’t think small children, confronted with Lord knows what on their phones and iPads, would bat an eyelid over anyone’s arms. If they do, it’s a good lesson in non-Kardashian reality. Although by the time they grow up there will no doubt be a jab to give you muscle tone like Misty Copeland.
In the meantime, I share your reservations about flounces and puffy sleeves. Done well, on the right woman, they’re fabulous. But too many high-street brands churn out frumpy, limp iterations year after year and pile on an uninspiring floral print – then moan that business is bad.
There are some great dresses with long sleeves – you just have to look that bit harder. A good starting place is the M&S website, because it stocks a variety of brands alongside its own. Baukjen, Ro & Zo, Crew Clothing and Hobbs among them. Crew Clothing in particular has some great cotton dresses with sleeves, all under £70. The white cotton guipure lace dress here is chic and versatile and could be worn with heels; different coloured belts, including silk scarves; with tailoring; or trainers, depending on the event. Lace long sleeves are your friend: arms more or less covered, but lightly, with holes to allow air to circulate.
I’ve avoided voluminous sleeves and batwings – too difficult to find a jacket or cardigan that will fit over them. I’m with Glennis on puffy sleeves. It’s not impossible to find pretty ones that look sophisticated, but past a certain age you need to be on Bo Peep watch.
Choose a soft, fluid fabric – chiffon, viscose, silk – and you can get away with a bit of fullness. Fluttery sleeves can be extremely flattering – the movement helps disguise any arm inhibitions you might have. You’re not so much disguising as redirecting the eye. Make a focal point of a favourite part of your body, whether it’s your cheekbones (think drop or hoop earrings that skim the centre of your cheek) or a statement cummerbund or great shoes. Avoid excess volume in the dress itself as well as sleeves or you’ll end up with a tent. A raised waist will make legs look longer. Well-placed darts chisel the upper body. Pleats create more movement below – another distraction from your arms.
Long sleeves don’t have to go all the way to the wrists either. They could just cover the top parts of your arm and be fine. And if they are full length, try rolling them up three-quarter-length for a more laid-back look, or to just above wherever the slimmest part of your arm is, to accentuate it. A v-neck with sleeves can be more flattering and interesting than a crew, particularly on fuller busts and broad torsos. It’s about breaking up the horizontal line.
Bangles, oversized pendants and cuffs add interest and drama to plain shirtwaisters and can take them into evening territory. Zara’s £19.99 three-pack features chic, complementary shades.
While cardigans can be too hot in warm weather, retailers are increasingly wising up to the value of unlined cotton or linen cropped jackets – a youthful way to add interest, tonal layering and some shape, especially with drawstring hems. You get a sporty injection, plus you can alter the volume depending on what kind of silhouette you want to create.
Some of these jackets are so light you could conceivably wear them on warm days, which means that the sleeveless dress you’ve fallen in love with becomes a possibility, especially if you can layer it over T-shirts and longer-sleeved blouses.