Sleeve Designs

Sleeveless T-shirt

Also known as the tank top, the sleeveless T-shirt has a deeper neck and the straps vary in width from being very thin to almost covering the shoulders. It is perfect for the heavily muscular body as you can show off your toned upper torso with panache.

It’s not strictly true to say that sleeveless T-shirts exist, since the T-shirt gets its name from the ‘T’ shape which is created by the sleeves. However, cotton sleeveless tops are often called T-shirts, vests or tank tops. For women, the sleeves can be very thin straps, while men are more commonly seen wearing much thicker sleeves. They are commonly referred to as ‘muscle Ts’ when worn by men.

Cap-Sleeve T-shirt

These are rarely seen on men, although men’s cap sleeved T-shirts do exist. Cap sleeves are one of the most popular sleeve types for women, and can be seen on many other items of clothing, including dresses and pajamas. This sleeve covers the shoulder but doesn’t continue down or under the arm like longer sleeves would.

The cap sleeves add a funky twist to the regular sleeves. They extend to some distance over the shoulders without covering under the arm to form a cap-like extension.

Short-Sleeve-Tshirt

Short sleeves are often called ‘regular sleeves’ when it comes to T-shirts, since it is arguably the most popular for both men and women. These sleeves are slightly longer than the cap sleeves and normally extend to the elbow or just above the elbow.

The most traditional type of sleeves yet the most flattering on men is the half sleeve shirts for men. The best way to wear it is to ensure that the sleeve hits the midpoint of your upper arm and hugs the biceps snugly.

These type of sleeves need no introduction as they are one of the staple T-shirts worn by most men. Long sleeves were always associated with shirts but made the crossover to T-shirts, and the resulting look is nothing shy of a fashion favorite.

3/4 Sleeve T-shirt

This type of sleeves covers the entire upper arm ending below the elbow and reaching varying lengths on the forearm.

Three-quarter sleeves are also seen on shirts for both men and women, and are more common during the spring and autumn when the weather is slightly too cool to bare the entire arms. This style goes past the elbow but doesn’t quite meet the wrist.

Long Sleeve T-shirt

Men and women both wear long-sleeved tees, but there are often variations within this style. The sleeve goes all the way down to the wrist, but the men’s version is usually seen with some form of cuff at the wrist. Women’s long-sleeved shirts are mainly non-cuffed and with more flexibility in the material at the wrist. They may even fan out at the end to create a more feminine look.

Raglan Sleeves

Long sleeve T-shirts, which are available in three quarter and full- length sleeves, take inspiration from the baseball uniforms in the cut and design aspect. In this type of shirt, the sleeves are attached to the shirt on a diagonal seam rather than the generic straight up-and-down seam which is more common.