Arm cover ups in the form of slip on sleeves for your dresses and tops that reveal too much upper arm wobble are a fashion accessory you’ll love! Sleeves for dresses come in different styles and fabrics, and this post shows a variety of options along with how to wear them.
No matter how elegant sleeveless tops and strapless dresses are in their design, they don’t suit everyone, and they can be a nightmare for those of us who don’t like the look of our upper arms.
So today let’s take a look at the various sleeves for under dresses available to buy online. There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to styles or colours.
Click on the images for further information.
You can choose beautiful sheer sleeves in black for cocktail wear, white lace sleeves for under dresses to create a romantic look, or long sleeved jersey sleeves for under T-shirt-vest style garments. You can even find suitable detachable sleeves for a wedding dress, compression sleeves, or reversible sleeves that can not only pull in your upper arms but also hide too much cleavage in a low cut garment.
Table of Contents
Sleeves for Under Dresses
Most slip on sleeves for dresses will help make your arms look slimmer as well as help disguise bingo arms.
If you’re a bit self conscious about wearing sleeveless tops and dresses then you should really give them a try. They can enhance your wardrobe, and cut down the amount of clothes you need to store.
Click on images to view more styles and find out prices.
You can wear fashionable sleeves not only to trim the look of your arms, but also to give your outfit a new twist; perhaps wear your Ponte Pants with that flowing sleeveless top you’ve never worn, and still keep your look balanced with a full arm lace sleeve underneath.
Jersey slip on sleeves are also great in providing a bit of extra warmth to help you transition between the seasons.
Low self-esteem and lack of confidence can be a challenge as we age especially when it comes to fashion. Mostly because we our bodies are changing, and it’s not always easy to accept what’s happening.
Wobbly tuck-shop upper arms can become a problem, and although here at Lifestyle Fifty, our style advice is always – wear what you like, sometimes wearing what we like doesn’t make us feel confident. We say wear what you like but only if it makes you feel confident.
If you want to wear floaty cover up garments, that’s fine. If you want to show off everything that’s fine too. But if you are a little stressed about flabby upper arms then consider wearing modern sleeves, because sleeves to cover upper arms come in all shapes, styles and sizes – how about sheer mesh, or lace, or jersey fabrics?
Sheer Sleeves To Cover Arms
Sheer sleeves can magically transform a sleeveless outfit into something new!
Slip on mesh sleeves are really versatile.
Although they’re sheer, the effect that sheer arm sleeves can have in making you feel great about yourself and what you’re wearing is a game changer.
Mesh sleeves, such as these in black, can help you feel more confident because they offer you super-sheer cover that adds elegance to any sleeveless outfit. Wear them under dresses or tops for a sleek, sophisticated appearance.
Wearing sheer sleeves under your more revealing sleeveless tops and dresses can improve not only how you feel about the way you look but also help make an outfit look even more stylish.
Lace Sleeves For More Va-Va Voom
- You’ll find a host of lace sleeves online in lots of different colours and styles.
- Lace sleeves for under dresses really can make your outift more romantic, sexy or even edgy.
- Play around with styles and colours until you find the right one for each topless garment you want to wear it with.
Lace sleeves in black or white work really well under a variety of dresses, and can appear as one with the outfit.
You could also wear this lace sleeve under a pretty sleeveless top in summertime for a celebratory lunch date, or pop it on under a strappy summer dress for an al fresco night dining under the stars.
My advice is to hang the lace sleeve with the garment you’ve chosen so that it’s there ready when you need to get dressed in a hurry.
Sleeves For Dresses That Reveal too Much Flesh
So you’ve found the perfect dress. You love the colour, you love the fit, the length, the style, everything – it’s perfect!
BUT it’s got spaghetti style straps, and in that regard it’s not perfect at all because you don’t like wearing this type of strap – not only because you have to wear a strapless bra, but also because it shows too much arm.
If only it had sleeves you cry!
To show less cleavage you might consider reversing your sleeves so that you have great coverage at the front of your dress. This is really handy if you want to wear a plunging neckline to work but you don’t want to show too much flesh around your cleavage.
Click on the images to find out price.
Can You Add Sleeves To A Sleeveless Dress?
Yes absolutely! And if you pick a complimentary colour the sleeve can look as if it’s genuinely part of the dress.
Once you get used to wearing sleeves for sleeveless dresses you’ll never look back.
There’s a huge variety of slip on sleeves to choose from online which means that magically a wide variety of fashion garments that you have perhaps passed on as ‘too young’ or ‘too revealing’ will suddenly come back on your radar as a possibility.
If you enjoy op-shopping then visit your nearest charity store and buy some inexpensive sleeveless dresses, then vamp them up with a gorgeous slip on sleeve!
Click on the images to discover price and sizes.
How To Add Sleeves To A Sleevelees Dress
The type of dress you want to wear is the deciding factor here.
Adding sleeves to a sleeveless dress depends on the look you want to create.
Do you want the sleeves to look as if they are seamlessly part of the dress, or do you want to make a statement?
- Sheer sleeves and lace sleeves in black are perfect for party dresses, cocktail dresses and more formal wear.
- If you want to wear a light or pastel coloured dress then opt for white slip on sleeves instead.
- For an everyday dress you might be better off choosing a jersey, t-shirt style sleeve. This also goes well with sleeveless tops.
- If you want to make a statement choose beautiful bell bottomed sleeves.
- If you want to ramp up a syle to look really trendy, then choose a waterfall sleeve that gives your shoulders a little peek. There’s nothing sexier than a bare shoulder.
Arm Cover Ups You’ll Simply Love
Most under sleeves make perfect arm cover ups without adding an extra layer to your whole upper body, as in a full undergarment (which could make you feel too hot).
Perhaps you have an aged, but much loved ballgown or cocktail dress in your closet that you’d love to wear again, and yet DANG, it’s sleeveless or a shift dress without arms.
Try lace sleeves and watch the dress transform from Ho Hum to super glam.
Sleevey Wonders
This is a very popular brand offering a variety of sleeves to wear under sleeveless dresses.
Created by Ruthann Greenblat, Sleevey Wonders sells patented, reversible slip-on sleeves that are made to wear under sleeveless tops and strapless dresses, “As a creative solution for women who don’t love the look of the bare arm dangle.”
You’ll find under sleeves in lots of different styles to suit even the most fussy fashionistas.
From 3/4 sleeve jersey arm cover ups, to long sleeved mesh, and also lace – you’ll be tempted to buy more than one of these easy sleeves for sleeveless dresses and tops.
Slip on sleeves can not only help make your arms look more toned, but they can also be reversed to add extra coverage for an outfit that dips too low at the front.
In this way you can cover up cleavage, and get more wears out of a dress or top that you might previously have put to the back of your wardrobe because it was unsuitable or just felt too revealing.
The design has a four-way stretch that gently hugs & slims your arms. There are no shoulder seams, so they look like they’re part of your top or dress.
As sleeves for sleeveless dresses go, these are hard to beat.
Click on images and find your size.
Love These Awesome Styles
If you’re self conscious about wearing sleeveless tops and dresses then give one of these a try. Experiment with different outfits and wear slip on sleeves under your tops and dresses to trim the look of your arms, or to just give your outfit a new twist, and also to help you transition between summer and autumn or spring and summer seasons.
Shaperin and Brabic Arm Compression Sleeves
If you’re looking for a little more shaper support and compression then you might also like to take a look at these Shaperin and Brabic arm shaper compression sleeves.
These will offer more compression and will feel tighter because they are designed to help slim down your arms, correct your posture, support your back and push up your breasts.
They feature a hook closure which makes it easier to adjust the tightness around your ribs.
Think of these styles as shapewear for your arms along with the added benefit of pushing up your boobs. If you’re upper arms are saggy, or if you’ve lost weight recently and you just can’t tone up your arms again, then take a look at these sleeves as an option.
Please always remember to check the manufacturer’s guidelines, as well as find out if compression styles are suitable for you before purchasing.
Click on images to find out more.
Black Lace Arm Cover For Sleeveless Dress
Lace is hot, always has been, always will be. It adds a touch of va-va-voom to your look.
The lace arm sleeves below could soon become your best fashionable friend. Wear them under a cocktail dress, or a ballgown, or how about slipping them under a slinkly sleeveless top to wear with black trousers for a night on the town?
Reviews
People are saying the best slip on sleeves are quite costly but they’re worth it in the long run. Some people say that you should consider going up a size when ordering lace styles, and that once you buy one style and it fits nicely then you’ll probably want to buy several!
Handy Tips
- Most sleeves should be gently Hand Washed Only to help maintain their shape.
- Reversible slip-on sleeves are made to wear UNDER all your sleeveless and strapless tops and dresses.
- The four-way stretch gently hugs & slims your arms; there are no shoulder seams, so they look like they’re part of your top or dress.
- To show less cleavage, turn your sleeves around & have instant coverage.
- If you find a shape and style that suits you, buy it in a couple of different colours to give you more options.
Detachable Sleeves For Wedding Dress
This classic 3/4 length sleeve comes in a lovely vine-like lace and would be gorgeous to wear under a wedding dress.
Depending on your outfit and what you wear over it, the lace sleeves can be made to look chic, sexy or even prim and proper.
It’s often hard finding a wedding gown with sleeves, so if you fall in love with a gorgeous but revealing dress, then before you discard it altogether, consider pairing it with gorgeous lace or sheer sleeves.
The four-way stretch gently pulls your arms in, while the lace discreetly hides any lumps, bums or even tattoos that you might want to keep hidden.
Cami Confidential – If Only It Had Sleeves
I was first introduced to the idea of an undergarment sleeve by Cami Confidential, a company which was founded by couture designer Yvonne Gillon. Sadly it appears that they are not trading anymore, and despite emailing them, I can only find their Instagram page. I was gifted products and wrote about them previously.
I think they really do illustrate how much better some dresses will look with slip on sleeves.
I love how this lace sleeve pictured on the woman below has transformed a mother-of-the-bride dress into something even more elegant and sassy.
Cami Confidential had some lovely ideas and products. Search for similar products online to give you the looks below. If they begin trading again, I’ll let you know.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post about sleeves for sleeveless dresses, and really look forward to seeing images of you wearing them. Let me know how you go, won’t you!
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Jo! I was just thinking about such a thing this morning! What a great idea!. Thanks for the info!
Oh so glad Jill! These sleeves are great! In my next blog post I’m posting a photo of me wearing a black pair which I love and which are so useful.