Camouflaging Flabby Arms

I must admit that my arms aren't my best assets. On second thought, I wouldn't consider them an asset at all. Since I haven't been to the gym lately, my arms aren't exactly well-toned. In fact, during "heavy days," (Who doesn't have one? Oh well, lucky girl of the gene pool lottery, you are--in Yoda-speak), they get a little too flabby for comfort. And when that happens, there's that dilemma-slash-curse which every girl has to face: A closetful of outfits and nothing to wear! Even when shopping, flabby arms limits my choices in clothes, what with halters, tank tops, and--heaven forbid--even cap sleeves dominating the scene. Either go with these choices and end up shrinking in a corner somewhere or feeling like you've grown 2 extra legs. These or hide under a baggy sweatshirt. Whatever you choose, you won't feel comfortable, trust me. I don't know about you, but when I'm uncomfortable with what I'm wearing, I don't feel confident at all--and zero confidence is negative 50 on the fab scale. And the holiday parties aren't helping, thank you very much. What's a girl to do? 

Luckily, fashion is becoming more and more flexible, timeless, and forgiving these days. Why not use it to our advantage? I solved my issue about flabby arms and managed to look fab instead of flab. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you to "sweat it, sista"--although that's really the best thing to do. It's plain and simple: camouflage--and I don't mean military wear (although the fashion gods are saying that's going to be in 2010's WHAT'S HOT). It's all in the sleeves.

Best Sleeve Types for Flabby Arms

The Batwing

Sometimes called a "magyar," this sleeve has a deep, full armhole that usually starts wide at the shoulders and gets narrower as it nears the wrists. Some blouses have shorter sleeves, tapering toward the elbow instead.


The Bell

As it name implies, this type of sleeve is long, flaring from the elbow or wrist. The flare is soft and flowing, and not exactly huge and ruffled.

The Butterfly

Butterfly sleeves are actually a lot more common than we think. They are flared and wide, especially toward the end. It is, perhaps, the reason why it is oftentimes confused for a batwing or a bell sleeve. Here's how to tell the difference: butterfly sleeves are not full sleeves, meaning that it doesn't go around the arm. They usually just cover the top of the arm and flaps open underneath. It's just that we don't see this unless we raise our arms in a pose reminiscent of Titanic. Butterfly sleeves may be short or long, so for the very obvious reason, I'm referring to the long one.

Juliette

Last but not the least, the Juliette sleeve is a fusion of the puffed and long sleeves. It's puffy from shoulder to upper arm (or elbow) and then straight down to the wrist. It is derived from Italian Renaissance fashion  (Trivia: It's named after the Shakespearean character who said the line, "wherefore art thou, Romeo?" No, it's not Puck).

There you have it, ladies! As a general rule, just make sure that when you  go for long sleeves to cover up flabby arms, NEVER go for fitted sleeves. It's just the same as growing 2 extra legs--except that they're wearing pantyhose.