Fashion & Style

Have flabby arms you want to conceal? Try these fashion tips to disguise your arms.

Unless you ask a woman who runs full marathons twice a month and bench presses two hundred pounds, if you ask how she feels about her arms, she will quickly stare at them with disgust, lift up her arms and proceed to shake them so you get a feel of the arm flab she has accumulated over her triceps. If you look online for exercises and type in “arm flab” in a keyword search, you will be bombarded with site after site of ways to firm up your arms and exercises you can do to turn the flab into fab. Until you get to the point where you want to show your toned arms off to the world, in the meantime, what can you do fashion-wise to disguise and conceal your arms?

* If you hate the look of your arms, avoid tank tops. Sure, they are trendy and work great during the summertime with a pair of cute shorts or jeans, but if you are self-conscious about your arms, tank tops will leave them exposed for all the world to see. If you love the feel of tank tops or camisoles, layer them with a long-sleeve blouse that is slightly see-through so you can glimpse the tank top or camisole underneath, but minimize the bulk of the arm.

* When choosing t-shirts or blouses, always try them on first. Different shirts are made with different measurements, even if they say they are the same size. You will want to avoid any type of sleeve that is too tight or snug. Long-sleeved blouses, even though they technically hide the entire arm, will enhance bigger arms if the top part of the sleeve is too tight. The same goes with sleeves of baby tees or regular t-shirts. If the sleeve is tight to the point where it makes a distinct mark on your arm, do not wear it. This will only serve to draw attention to your arm. Choose shirts where the sleeves do not fit too snugly.

* Shirts and blouses that have bell sleeves are great additions to your closet, if you want to disguise flabby arms. Bell sleeves are narrow up on the top part of your arm and then get wider until they form a bell shape. These blouses are not only flattering to your arms, they look great when paired with your favorite pair of jeans or slacks.

* Blouses that have vertical stripes on the sleeve, whether they are short or long sleeves, will have a slimming effect on your arms. They make the upper arm appear narrow and long, which is exactly what you are shooting for.

* Three-quarter sleeved shirts are fantastic ways to help conceal arm bulge. These shirts have sleeves that end right past the elbow, making your entire arm appear thinner.

In short, if you want to disguise arm flab, always opt for a shirt that has a sleeve. Whether the sleeve is three-quarter length, a cap sleeve or a full arm sleeve, you want to be sure you disguise the arms until you have a chance to tone them up.

Written by Tammy Vela – 2002 Pagewise