15 Clever Ways to Hide Flabby Arms and Look Stylish
We can all joke about our flabby midlife arms that jiggle like jello. But they’re no laughing matter when you struggle to find clothes to cover them up in summer.
If you are self-conscious about your arms and want solutions to hide the jiggle and stay cool, this post is for you. Here are 15 clever ways to hide flabby arms in Summer.
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1. Wear 3/4 Length Sleeve Tops
My favorite top for covering your arms is a 3/4-length sleeve top, especially this one from NYDJ. I have a few of this style. See how the sleeves highlight the narrowest part of your arms?
This makes your arms appear slimmer, and your legs look longer. Three quarter length sleeves are also called bracelet sleeves because they create the perfect spot on the arm to add a few bangles.
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2. Wear Blouson Sleeves
If yon’t stand anything tight on your arms this relaxed blouson sleeves is lovely. It’s a feminine way to highlight your arms without baring all.
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3. Choose Eyelet Sleeves
Tops with eyelet sleeves or laser cutouts are one of the prettiest way to cover arms. The tiny embroidered holes let the air in and keep you cool, but these sleeves don’t reveal much.
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4. Enjoy a Flutter Sleeve Blouse
The best long sleeves are lightweight and airy like the ones on this statement making flutter-sleeve blouse.
These sleeves looks so summery and romantic the way they gently cascade down into big, soft ruffles. I love that juicy peach color, too!
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5. Get Yourself a Ruffle Sleeve Top
If big ruffles feel a little over the top for your style personality then a ruffle sleeve top can work for you since it’s not as dramatic. This is pretty one with just a touch of ruffle at the end.
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6. Wear Roll-Tab Shirts
Long sleeves can look a little frumpy in the hot summer. But if you push up your sleeves your going to look a lot more modern. Roll-tab shirts make it easy to keep your sleeves in place. They’re also sporty, and sporty translates into youthful.
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7. Try Crochet or Lace Sleeves
I just wrote a blog post about how Crochet and open-stitch tops are trending this summer, so why not use them to your advantage if you prefer to cover your arms?
This breezy summer top covers trouble spots but doesn’t look hot and heavy. Netted tops worn over over tanks or camisoles work well too.
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8. Try Tops with Elbow Length Sleeves
Elbow-length sleeves are slightly shorter than 3/4-length sleeves, are great when you are arm shy, but they can be hard to come by. So, if you find one, snap it up.
Be sure your sleeve hits right at the crux of your arm. When you start you start to go higher and you have heavy arms it can look unflattering since the sleeve cuts your arm off at its widest point.
More Tops with Sleeves
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9. Wear Voluminous Sleeves
Extra wide sleeves are a great way to cover your arms and add drama. Kimono sleeves, long flutter sleeves, bell sleeves, and wide sleeves cut on an angle all look great.
Scarf and Poncho tops have flowy batwing-type sleeves that nicely conceal the upper half of your arms. and give your outfit a touch of drama.
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10. Slip on a Light Cardigan, Wrap, or Cute Jacket
If all else fails, wear a cute, lightweight jacket or sweater. For layering purposes, choose something thin and lightweight, like a linen cardigan.
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11. Go for a Puff Sleeve Top
Puff-sleeve tops are a pretty way to cover your arms and make a fashion statement. Go for a large, dramatic puff sleeve or a more subtle one like this sweet puff sleeve blouse with side ties.
Puff sleeves, big or small, look soft, youthful and romantic.
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12. Distract with an Off-the-Shoulder Top
Most women have great shoulders, so a top that covers your arms but reveals your shoulders can be beautiful and alluring.
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13. Opt for Sheer Sleeves
Floaty, sheer sleeves that end at the elbow, forearm, or wrist are pretty and summery. Try a top with sheer chiffon, or semi-sheer organic linen sleeves that looks and feel as light as air to camouflage arm jiggle.
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14. Cropped Cuff Sleeves Work
You can cover your arms with a long-sleeve shirt, but even better is a long sleeve shirt with a sporty cuff that shows off your wrists. The cuff draws attention away from you upper arms to you lower arms and exposing just a touch of skin above the wrist also creates a more youthful look.
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15. Refocus Attention with a Cold Shoulder Top
A cold shoulder top is a great option if you want to highlight your arms, just not the flabby bits. You get some sexy skin showing through, but only where you want it to! This is an elegant and alluring look.
My Favorite Top to Cover Arms in Summer
Whether you want to cover jiggly arms, prevent sunburn, or stay warm in the air conditioning, these tops can work for you. Try a few on and feel confident in your summer style. Here is my favorite summer top to cover aging arms.
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I’m not so precious to admit that I have fat, flabby arms. Finding the right top can be time-consuming and discouraging. I found your post tonight and loved every one of your recommendations, and they all fit my body type. I now have three open carts with Nordstrom, AnnTaylor, and Dillards, but I wanted to stop and say thanks for doing all the heavy lifting. ❤️🙏👏
Hi Elle, I’m go glad to be of help. There’s so much choice, I’m happy to narrow done some of my favorites for you and others. Arms are sensitive area and while many say bare your arms, who cares, if that doesn’t make you feel confident than a pretty sleeve can help. In the end looking stylish is all about feeling classy and confident! Thanks for dropping by.
I read this article so that I can get the perfect gift for my wife. Thank you so much.
Hi Deborah! I almost wrote to you earlier but stopped myself. I think what’s causing the issue is the word “flabby.” We are all here because we have the same problem with our upper arms. The wording got me, not that you presented tops to cover the upper arms. I love the options, but I believe the topic could have been given more gently.
Thanks for all you do; I love your newsletters!
Great looking blouses.
I think you have provided some very good choices. I didn’t find this blog to be body shaming at all. It just provided some options to consider.
I am interested in a print cardigan that is in #7 of this article if it is still available. Thank you.
I am an older lady and I like the choices you’ve suggested for blouses for us!
Just saw your post! Looks very interesting.
Hi..,is there a way to find out where the clothes are from, especially the jeans pictured? Thanks!
Hi Jena, which jeans would you like me to source? This is an older post but I may still be able to find them.
Hi there,
Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately though, all the models in the pics had slim arms.
regards
Leena
Hi Leena,
I have no control over that unfortunately. I have to work with the photos supplied by the stores online. The tops will still work though. All the best, Deborah
I don’t wear dresses, so I am opting for white jeans for my work Xmas dinner, what type of top and shoes would go with the jeans, Thankyou.
Hi Karen,
White Jeans at Christmas always look great when you create a white-on-the-white monochromatic look and throw in some gold or silver. For example, white jeans and a creamy white or even taupe sweater with gold sparkle or silver embellishment. Don’t try to match the whites because you never will, and it won’t look right. You are better to layer various whites and whites and be sure they are different textures to keep your monochromatic look interesting. As for shoes, light taupe or off-white booties or metallic or sparkly pumps would be nice. Here are a couple of posts with white jeans outfits for Christmas that might give you some ideas: https://bit.ly/3rPEBvo and https://bit.ly/38WVT11
Great tips. This is why I love your site.
I’m very disappointed with this article. Usually, your articles affirm our capacity to look good and feel great, but I found this one was body-shaming. As mentioned in a previous comment, the flabby arm in the picture was not flabby at all; mine is much worse. I found the sleeved pieces you showed to be quite beautiful, and I’m happy to read an article about wearing sleeves, I am very light-skinned and need them. Please don’t try to make me feel bad about my body.
Hi Andrea,
I’m sorry you were disappointed with the post because I don’t mean to shame anybody or make anyone feel bad about their body. I have flabby arms too, no matter how much I work out. It’s just the way things are at a certain age. In fact, my girlfriends and I joke about our jiggly bingo wings all the time. My arms don’t bother me, and I’m fine with sleeveless most times, but many of my ladies are arm shy and email regularly asking for suggestions for “tops with long sleeves to hide their flabby arms”. I’m here to help. As for the feature photo, you are right, her arms aren’t so much flabby, as she is just showing loose skin, which is often the bigger problem, however, you get the idea. I’ll be on the lookout for a better photo, and I’m all for my readers going sleeveless if they like, at any age. No one is judging them. It’s how they feel that counts. Thanks for taking the time to write in. Cheers, Deborah
Hello there everyone
I am a fashion designer specializing in crochet, knitwear, and fabric fashion … I have a shop where I design, make and sell my designs
It’s amazing just how many times I hear the words ….”I have to have sleeves I hate my arms, I’m so upset I can’t wear pretty sundresses anymore. “
So I’m now in that age bracket and while I’ve always made things to help with this problem I now realize just how upsetting it is …
So I’m currently y hot on the case designing and making my summer stock of beach dresses and everyday dresses.
My absolute 2020 mission through this year is to come up with designs that sort this problem out for good.
I make sheer sleeves with a bolero style top and crochet pieces you can add to any sundress to cover those bits of the arm that we don’t want to show without it being a heavy too hot cardigan.
Please feel free to let me know your heart’s desire ( mine is covering the awful wrinkly skin and bingo wings “
Any input would be instrumental, and I can honestly say here we go again with no catwalk designer speaking for older fashionistas or offering a cute feminine sexy but classy range for growing old prettily !!
It’s all in the pipeline hoping to be ready for this spring-summer.
Would love to hear from any of you xxx Mia xxx
Hello. I live in Georgia, and of course, it’s hot here from spring to early fall. I have the flabby arms issue, and years ago, tops with kimono sleeves were perfect for hot temps. Is this no longer “the style”? Also, finding all cotton, loose-fitting tops is becoming a challenge to find, as well.
It’s a picture she used as an example. If you can’t put an outfit together just say that. These tips are amazing.
It isn’t the point of how much jiggle; jiggle is jiggle. I have slim arms, but at 63, I have some terrible wings; probably not horrible, but they bother me.
I agree with Dawn. I live in Tennessee where it not only gets hot, but incredibly humid. I love to explore different parts of the city and surrounding areas on foot. I love tank tops but can no longer wear them w/o a cover-up. I lost some weight and my arms just literally went south along with my thighs. I have several white linen or cotton, longer Greek fisherman’s shirts which I can wear over almost any sleeveless top for casual wear. A hat and a small cross-body bag finish up my wanderlust clothing. I also love men’s pleated golf or walking shorts, cotton, for casual exploring. They are at-the-waist, usually looser and longer and have deeper pockets than women’s shorts. If put together right, you can look smashing while being comfortable and covering up.
Thank you! So helpful!
Just bought ELLE Mix-Stitch Flyaway Cardigan from Kohl’s it is the perfect weight for warm weather!
Why can’t somebody design and market net or lace arm covers much like the sort of thing Audrey Hepburn would have worn for sophistication
Do you know anybody who does this?
Hi Liz, have you tried Cami Confidential? Take a look at this post I did:https://www.fabulousafter40.com/handy-fashion-fixes/
Search arm coverup sleeves! So many choices! Sleeveywonders
I lived in Tucson, Arizona, for three years and learned some essential fashion tips. Always cover your arms and carry a 3/4 or full-length sleeved, breezy white linen top with you to cover up with. Wear it unbuttoned over anything. (Only “not-in-the-knows” went bare-armed.)
Always wear or carry a hat, wide-brimmed or straw, and always carry a bottle of water in a cute holder. A water bottle is a fashion statement! And never let a perfect patch of shade go to waste. Locals would laugh at the bare arms and faces of tourists and newcomers with good reason. The sun isn’t just hot; it sizzles on your skin, regardless of ethnicity.
I now live in St. Louis, Missouri, and I still apply my Southwest fashion tips. I am fashionable and UV conscious, and I always look fab. If someone comments that my arms are always covered, I agree that yes, they are and always will be, and I do it with the best fashion statement of all, a smile.
I’ve lived in Tucson for years, and I’m so so not concerned about arms. I wear shorts when I want and no sleeves when I want, which is much of the time I’m out running around. If you don’t want to look, you don’t have to. On a scorching day, when I have to drive a long way or if I’m out in a park for hours, I wear a UPC 50 shawl and a UPC 50 hat from Coolibar (or Amazon). If I am going somewhere that I do care, I wear a kimono over sleeveless or, very occasionally, an elbow-length blouse which on a 5’2″ person like me, ends up being a 3/4 ” sleeve.
If a person is concerned about the size of their arms and not flab from losing weight or if there is a lot of flab, any sleeve is constricting, hot and uncomfortable unless it is huge, which, if you are concerned, makes you look fatter. So I decided to embrace a problem I can’t do anything about (my weight is due to prednisone, which I need to take, but which balloons my upper body out. And I’ve always had disproportionately large thighs, even as a child. If I can live with it, so can the rest of the world. If you can’t, look the other way and miss out on knowing an awesome person!!!
Hi Lin,
That’s great. I love your confident attitude, but for the gals who are self-conscious about their arms, or just prefer to cover up, I hope I have provided some good solutions! Cheers, Deborah
This is just the help I was looking for. I don’t care to have my flabby bumpy arms showing. So your ideas were a great help. Thank you for the time you took to help those who want it out.
I must find a ball gown with at least 3/4 inch sleeves to hide my flabby arms. It is challenging because the dress designers all put sleeveless or 1/4-inch sleeves on their creations! It is also hot, and I don’t know what to do.
Hi Jessica, I’m sure you are overly self-conscious about your arms. I really wouldn’t worry about it. Everyone will be in the same boat. Nonetheless, have you tried a specialty store like http://www.davidsbridal.com?
Besides being a bridal store, they carry a lot of party gowns, and you will probably find something. There are a lot of dresses with sheer 3/4 length sleeves, which are nice because you get the coverage you want, but the dress doesn’t look heavy or hot. Another suggestion is to take a light wrap. A wrap looks elegant but camouflages jiggly arms. I hope that helps. You’re a beautiful woman, and no one will be focusing on your arms, so relax and enjoy.
Or,….make untoned arms invisable with My New Arms sheer sleeves (www.mynewarms.com)
Hi Jessica, What about wearing a pretty wrap? Have a look: https://www.fabulousafter40.com/lightweight-shawls-and-wraps-for-a-summer-wedding/
Why not use a model that has flabby arms? If I were this thin, I wouldn’t worry :(
Hi Kaiah, Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I am limited by the photos supplied by retailers; we all know they use skinny, young models. I always tell the young gals at various brands to imagine looking at an online catalog of clothes with all 50 and 60 years olds wearing the clothes..wouldn’t it be hard to imagine how it would look on you. But nothing seems to change much, which is why I do at least try to feature some 40+ bloggers in outfits. You can check out my Styleblazers series here. Cheers, Deborah.
This is a brilliant idea; thank you for sharing. I have just purchased some. Now I can wear all my sleeveless dresses without showing my flabby upper arms.
This is not a good thing to write to make women feel good about themselves.
You can dress up, put on makeup, and get a flat stomach, but these are just tools to help. Until you feel beautiful and authentic inside, style and beauty tips are just sticking plasters, like plastic surgery; the scars will always be there, the aging process will catch up with you, and one day, you will have to come to terms with that. Confidence is beautiful. If you want women to look and feel beautiful, help them celebrate their natural beauty. Don’t tell them they are ugly and that they should cover up!
Hi Janette,
Sorry to have offended you. I’m not telling women they are ugly and should cover up. I’m just saying that we all know that our bodies are getting softer and rounder as we age, which can be unpleasant sometimes. So you have to chuckle about your wobbly arms and move on or find a dressing solution that makes you feel more comfortable. I’m okay with going sleeveless, even though my arms are not so firm anymore, but many of my readers are not. I get hundreds of letters asking what to wear to cover flabby arms, so that is why I have tried to supply my readers with some dressing suggestions. I agree that it’s important to celebrate our beauty and know clothes are just tools, but I don’t see anything wrong with wearing a sleeve if you want to. Cheers, Deborah
Thank you for the tips! I have thick arms and legs and am always looking for clothes that will flatter my figure.
Thank you for this article. I, for one, choose to cover my arms in summer. This type of article subject is just what I needed. Thank you for writing it for me and those like me. Reggie
This is precisely the kind of feedback. I needed some suggestions on how to camouflage the giggly wobbly underarm flab. Thanks
Frankly, this type of article is what a lot of us appreciate since the reality is our arms are flabby when we reach a certain age. To each their own. I want to project a confident image and part of that is looking my best.
This isn’t what this article is about. If you want to embrace your body, go for it. I do what I can to make myself feel better and hide those flabby batwings.
Deborah has never called anyone ugly. She is simply providing suggestions on dressing to look one’s best. There are women who appreciate her fashion tips. Confidence is beautiful but wearing flattering clothes makes a difference too. She is not forcing anyone to adopt any style; you can take her advice or ignore it.
Great tips; I liked the ‘roll up your sleeves’ end. Quite obvious, but I had never thought of it!!
Wow!! It’s a clever way to cover your arms in summer. It is an excellent solution for all who want to look stylish with sun protection. I love this post lot. Thanks for sharing this lovely blog with us.
Thanks
Margarita
http://www.margaritasport.com/
Thank you for this post….it seems as though the style bloggers are only sporting sleeveless and tee-shirts these days. I like your options. I was also wondering if you knew anyone posting silver accessories. The bloggers I have seen have had all gold accessories. I am also looking for cool tones and colors, not warm colors. Thanks for your help and hard work; I Love this post.
I have lamented that the buyers have declared war on short sleeves around here! It’s Tank-a-Palooza or 3/4 sleeve. Extremely few short sleeves, half sleeves, or even cap sleeves. What happened? Did we not get the memo?
Deborah provides some great choices as a stopgap until 7th Avenue regains its sanity. Luv the raindrop top.
I love this post, and your blog is just great overall, Deborah! Thanks for sharing your tips. :)
Nice to hear from you, Kathryn! So glad this blog is helpful. Please feel free to suggest topics. I want to know what is on my readers’ minds. Cheers, Deborah
Practice the magician’s art of distraction. A great group of bangles/bracelets draws attention to wrists when paired with a sleeveless or halter top/dress—ditto for a statement necklace and earrings that focus on the neck and shoulders with a strapless gown.
Strut the big bling with those special occasion outfits that are sheath dresses, sleeveless, strapless, and halter styles. And don’t forget that red lipstick: anything red grabs center-stage attention every time!!
It was nearly impossible to buy dresses with sleeves this summer. The winter collections are proving better.
All year ’round in Florida. We live in sleeveless sandals every season.
I have the perfect solution for flabby arms, try sleeves 2 go. It’s a detachable sleeve that snaps on to your bra strap. It offers just enough coverage for the upper arm area & is designed in a soft chiffon that mixes & matches with all types of fabric. Check out http://www.sleeves2go.com.
I’d never heard of sleeves2go before. What a great idea! I just passed the link along to a couple of friends who are always complaining about never being able to find anything but sleeveless. Clever solution!