Posted on January 03 2018
When wearing a dress shirt, you might want to roll up your sleeves for multiple reasons. So, if you are going to do it, you might as well learn to do it properly.
But under what conditions would you want to roll up your sleeves? And is it appropriate to roll up your sleeves at all when wearing a dress shirt? Lets dive into it.
Okay. First, lets look at a few reasons why you might want to roll up your sleeves. A main reason would be practical necessity. Although you are probably wearing you dress shirt for a formal occasion or at the office, you might simply need to get your hands dirty. Help bring some boxes to your bosses car, or do your dishes in your works cafeteria after you finish your lunch break. So, when this happens, you would be out of your mind to not roll your sleeves, especially if you are wearing a nice, quality shirt.
A next reason why you would have to roll up your sleeves would be temperature. As every human knows, when it gets hot, the least amount of clothing stuck to your skin will help out the situation. So, roll your sleeves. If you are in an air conditioned office, you might want to roll up those sleeves when you go outside for your lunch break, or when you're on your way home.
The last reason why you would roll up your sleeves would be to “dress down” an outfit. If you are having a meeting with your interns or you are at a holiday party or even when leaving work for a more informal setting. This could be known as a “happy hour style”.
Before getting into the 3 different ways you can wear an au noir shirt, we will look at a few pointers of how not to cuff your shirt.
First of all, don’t roll your cuffs unnecessarily high. Unless you’re actually getting your hands dirty, there is not reason to roll your sleeves 15 times up to your biceps. It will not only look weird, but it will create a ridiculously thick sleeve with all those layers.
Next, make sure your cuffs match in regards to their length. This is a pretty obvious one, but it happens often. If you are wearing a dress shirt without the extra button on the back sleeve to keep your shirt in place, this uneven cuff might just happen without you even knowing.
The reason why we mentioned these faux-pas for cuffs is because when you are wearing an Au Noir shirt, these mistakes are almost impossible to make. Au Noir shirts allow you to live your most comfortable life while still remaining fashionable. This is why Au Noir concentrates on every little detail. Down to the inside cuff material. This allows a stylish and sophisticated look, even when you aren't looking your most conservative.
Au Noir dress shirts are exceptional because you can wear them three different ways. Well, lets be clear. You always have to put two arms in, button up the shirt and flip the collar down. What can be worn three different ways with this shirt would be the sleeve cuff.
1 - The classic - This is, as you can imagine, the regular un-cuffed version of the shirt. Arguably the most classic. When you are wearing a shirt with a blazer on top, you are undeniably wearing your dress shirt un-cuffed, maybe sticking out 1/2 an inch from your blazer sleeve. This would be the most professional way of wearing a shirt. If you work in a very conservative office setting, you might not even want to think about rolling up your sleeves. This goes to say that cuff rolling in the work place is sensitive and changes from each work environment. Here is an example of how you can wear a dress shirt in this fashion.
2 - The One-Time-Flip - Although the classic is undeniably an timeless look, the one-time-flip could prove to be the most stylish. Au Noir shirt’s designers concentrate heavily on details. These details are shown on every part of the shirt. From the piping, the embroidery, the button colours, button stitch colours and you guessed it, the sleeve cuff. Au Noir shirts always have an inner cuff that usually contrasts the colour of the main body of the garment. This creates a stylish and unique look when you flip the cuff just once. The one-time-flip is ideal in many situations because it doesn’t give off a look that is too casual or “dressed down”, but still emphasized the detail and style of the shirt. This emphasis will reflect the customer wearing the shirt. Showing the world that you are capable of being formal, professional, but still having a unique style and shirt, that most will not have, like this product by Au Noir.
3 - The Flip and Tug - Alright, so this is one step passed the “one-time-flip”. The Flip and Tug is pretty much what you think it is. You flip the cuff of the shirt one time, the you tug or slightly lift the shirt (without any more rolling) up to your elbow. This might sound underwhelming, but here is where it gets interested. Au Noir shirts feature a top ceramic button on the back of the dress shirt's sleeve. What this does is that it allows you to sport the cuff only flipped once, so you can see all the amazing details but it stays at the level of your elbow because the ceramic button blocks the shirt from un-folding, creating a completely new way to cuff your sleeves. So, although we spoke about how cuffing sleeves might not be the most conservative way to wear a shirt, with this ceramic button and this information on how to roll your sleeves, there is a nice middle ground between comfort, style and professionalism. Take a look at our long sleeve shirt collection to find a shirt that properly suits you, and your desire to roll your sleeves, when you please.
