You crack me up!!!!!!! Thanks for the rant!

Both of my "batflaps" hear you, sister! Amen!

I totally agree. Sleeves are required. Please bring back the sleeves.

If you find out a source, let us know. In the meantime, I'm coping by rolling up the sleeves on my long sleeve tee-shirts. Not optimal, but sort of working.

I totally agree! I am glad I am not the only woman with upper arm issues.

Am I first? No way!

Right?! Seriously. Who knew we were supposed to stay 12 years old forever, just to be able to wear the clothes? Seriously.

While I am sad for you, I am also unfortunately sad *with* you. Blasted summer.

And let me add that I work at Target corporate in Minneapolis, and I did a fit-test for plus-size clothes. I ranted to the designers about the short-sleeves, so if Target brings back the not-cap-short-sleeves, well, then I am totally taking full credit for it. I sat in a room of executives and ranted about this. So I got your back, Laurie. I really do!

Sleeves are a necessity! I hate hatehatehate women's fashionistas!
That's why I'm reduced to buying Hanes men's undershirts (beefy Ts and Vnecks) and cases of RIT dye .. It's the only way I can get affordable Tshirts with sleeves.
You crack me up and I can't wait for your book!

With the "new" short sleeves I look like I have a slab of beef for an upper arm, very unattractive. If that isn't enough, they can also show my "funky" fat. That evil bit near the armpit and bra. I would've tried the men's shirts, but in addition to the high neck line, the sleeves are to my elbows! Will it never end? The only thing worse is capris with narrow ankles hitting me in my ham calves! Sorry, I could moan about styles for ages! Good luck with the summer clothes hunt.

And could they please make the plus size ones a little longer? Noooooobody wants to see my rolls out in the open!!

Amen. I can't do sleeveless, either (ack!) but every cute summer dress? Sleeveless. Bah.

I've been wearing 1/2 and 3/4 sleeve Tees from Ross and Marshalls. They're in the 10.00- 15.00 range and they cover, even if they aren't quite as cool as short sleeves. I have really broad shoulders, so those nasty little cap sleeves hardly even peek over the edge of my shoulder.
(because, that's the anatomical name of that body part.)

You just have to be patient enough to comb through jillions of shirts to find them.

This is why every single piece of clothing in my wardrobe is Lands End right now. I don't have to fight crowds or traffic, and I can still get plain, simple styles in attractive colors that actually fit and don't look awful.

All the cute summer dresses are sleeveless, too, but those you can cover with a jacket thanks to sub-Zero office airconditioning. I swear, it's like I'm getting ready for menopause early. Take the jacket off to come to work, bundle up while at my desk, take the jacket off to go home.... When I get hot flashes, I will be ready for them with a wardrobe to match.

It's not your imagination, Laurie. The fashion industry truly hates women and is out to get all of us.

And can we talk about the nightmare that is the 3/4-length sleeve? Guess where it hits you? Right at your waist, making you look even fatter. 3/4 length sleeves look good on NO ONE.

Oh you funny, sweet girl!! I live for your posts, do you know that?!

I wear my husbands shirts...only he doesnt like it because my upper regions (ahem...the girls) stretch his shirt out..and then he is left with a stretched out shirt.

Oh well, too bad. I like them.

You create a shirt, and I will buy it! I already bought (pre-ordered) your book!

Spaghetti Strainer? Aunt Purl endorses?! CHARGE IT!

Cat Litter!?! Aunt Purl Says So?!

CHARGE IT!!!

Loving your posts in Texas!

Christina

Amen Sister!

Answer: Sears!

Okay, I know it's not the most fashionable place to shop, and I'm a little leary myself about buying clothes and socket wrenches in the same store, but, they've always been pretty good about not abandoning the masses for the trendy few.

Good luck! :-)

My batflaps and I are on your side, sister! Here in Ohio & Michigan, and maybe a couple of other adjacent states, we have a chain of stores called Meijer. How do I love the Meijer? Let me count the ways.

1. You can buy yarn there.
2. You can buy t-shirts with real, genuine sleeves there, and you can buy them in real, genuine human female sizes. The colors change according to season; buy one or two per season, and vwa-lar, you are all set.
3. You can do your grocery shopping there without going broke. (The things you don't buy at Trader Joe, that is. And by "you," I mean "I.")
4. You can buy yarn while you grocery shop.
5. I'll bet they have Soy Hazelnut Latte deodorant there, too, though I haven't looked yet.

If you're ever in the area, you must stop in at a Meijer! They are so full of joy.

AMEN SISTER!
Geez, I actually bought a serger (a sewing machine that sews those seams inside t-shirts) for the SAME REASON!! Dammit! I was raised NOT to show my shoulders in either church or the office, and it seems like all brands except INC at Macys have forgotten about us women (WOMEN!) who are old enough to know better (i.e. go to school or work showing waaaay to much skin for decorum and icy air-conditioning) and "totally given up frump".
And since a whooole lot of us don't make the bucks to buy a $40 t-shirt (INC) for just wearing around, hell, what DO we wear? Or are those idiots at Target just wanting to lose the sale to us who sew??
Preach on, Laurie-and Lollylou- will you PLEASE show this thread to your exec's at Target? Tell 'em to go ahead and slap on a dollar extra each for the cost of sleeve fabric and GIVE US SLEEVES!!!

I am 100% willing to try Sears. Especially if the land's End shirts I had to order online are faux-sleeved, too, at least I can return them at Sears. *sigh*

You can buy Lands End stuff at Sears with no shipping charge.

I too am possessed of the slappy hanging Grandma arm. My husband says that I swim faster than him because of them. Isn't he delightful?? My 95 lbs. daughter is one of the few people I know who can wear cap sleeves or (horror!) sleeveless tee shirts.

I hope you find some decent shirts soon! Let us know if you do, okay??

Amen and Amen!!
First~You've already sold more than 12 books and the book hasn't EVEN come out yet, so there.
Second~I will SO buy one of your t-shirts if you can get the sleeves long enough without strangulation or boob spill-overage from wonky necklines. I have faith in your ability to do this because it is so obvious you've given alot of thought to this design thingie. (As have I).
Third~Smelly deodorant I do NOT understand. Who wants competition with your perfume, who wants drink scented underarms so everytime you raise your arms people run to Starbucks, I do not understand.
Thats all. :-)

Boy, oh boy, have you hit my number one pet peeve! I've given up trying to find short sleeve t-shirts in the stores. I now spend untold amounts of money ordering and returning, ordering and returning from the internet. Before I order I scrutinize the pictures trying to determine the actual length of the sleeve. Is the sleeve really that long, or does it just appear that way because the model has twig arms and no shoulders or boobs? And, please, give us enough fabric in the sleeves so they don't fit like sausage casing. I have had good luck with Cabela's. I now own every one of their short sleeve t-shirts in every color. Except the icky pumpkin orange. Their prices are really reasonable, too.

I don't mind the CAP sleeve but I agree with no cuddly teddy bears, no appliques, no bad fake lace and rhinestones adorning the V-neck and no glitter. I especially refuse to advertise for these designers who have to plaster their names all over everything all while charging me 50 buck.

And enough with the fake scents!! They stink!!

Addition sleeve related fashion complaint:

When did sleeves become one size fits all? I don't know how many days I have suffered as my sleeves began to dig further and further into my under arm region eventually cutting off all blood flow to my hands. Ladies who wear large or x-large also need large sleeves and arm holes. Idiots.

I just bought some great T shirts by Nordstrom's store brand Caslon, comes in a huge variety of basic and also "fashion" colors and several styles with an actual short sleeve; not a cap, not to the elbow, but a classic short sleeve. They come in a V and a jewel neck style, and they're a nice sturdy good quality cotton, well made and are in the $25 range.

Here's another place you can get fairly normal t-shirts: craft stores. Michael's and AC Moore, that sort of place. Decent cotton and cotton blends, a pretty good selection of colors, not bad necklines on the women's models, and real sleeves - and you can't beat the price. And you don't have to tell them that you're not going to do anything crafty to them....

Hey auntie, try Old Navy for t-shirts. Sounds crazy but they are a) long and b) have regular sleeves and c) are 2 for $13 or something.

Try Lane Bryant, too. They have them there with actual sleeves and v-necks or boatnecks or crewnecks or whatever you want, in many colors. They also sell ones that are a little longer than what passes for a t-shirt these days. For tucking in purposes, I assume, or for covering the extra yardage that a roll or two would require. (Not that I would know that. Oh no, not me. Ahem.)

I second the suggestion of OLD NAVY!!!!

I second the Sears and Nordstrom Caslon brand recommendations. I also add in threadless.com (which has the funniest tee of a sheep covered in balls of yarn right now) for funny shirts. I still order the mens ones, though, considering the girls cut is all wrong for me.

Love the rant. I add a "Hear, hear!"

What about American Apparel? You can order online or go to one of their stores here in LA. They have shirts in every color and many different cuts and styles. Also! while they may cost a bit more than a shirt from Target, they are high quality and last a long time (and their labor practices are cool too - they pay their garment workers very well).

Ah, Walmart here in the good ole southern small town has normal shirts.

Smelly Deodorant? What's next, flavored douches?

(I did not just say that...oh my god.)

OMG!! I had this very same problem, just last night!! I love Target, however, their T-shirts are sorely lacking in the sleeve department!! I NEED sleeves!! Why, oh why have sleeves left us?! Love the rant!

I, too, abhor the cap-sleeve. Why do I want to call attention to the widest part of my arm? The t-shirt I swear by is the Perfect Fit Tee from Old Navy. It really does fit perfectly (and I'm not an itty-bitty girl either) and they cost about $12.50 each if I remember correctly. I own a LOT of them!

The sparkly labels repel me too. I can't explain why.

I did find some short sleeve t-shirts at Lane Bryant and they had some cute cut-v-necks.

Hurry and stock up as someone may realize they didn't glue something to them and get right on it.

If you find yourself in a weakened state do not purchase scented deodorant. I was in such a wine induced state and purchased vanilla deodorant. What was I thinking? Do I expect people to sniff my underarms? On the first wearing I was informed to throw it away because it smelled like a bad hangover. No more scented deodorant no matter how cute and sparkly the packaging.

AMEN!!! I love today's blog!!! It has had me rolling off my chair today!!! You are absolutely right! I hate buying t-shirts because the cap sleeves make my arms look HUGE! I"m wearing a cap sleeve one today I bought at Hell Mart last season where I was 20 pounds lighter. They don't look the same! I miss t-shirts and I'm with some of the other ladies on here. I'm making my own!!!

Until I went shopping this past weekend I did not realize this was happening. One of my coworkers has been wearing little cap sleeve shirts and she doesn't have the slimmest arms. I didn't think they were flattering but now I understand. That is what you can buy. FYI - I did see some real t-shirts at Nordstroms (Topanga) the other night. I know it isn't Target but they do exist.

if you're not opposed to shopping Wal-Mart... i buy Just My Size tees there that are shaped and with a not-too-long-not-too-short sleeve. <$7 each. i love love love love them. i wouldn't mind if they came in a few more colors than my Wal-Marts carry... but for your general supply of tees, they're good.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5470032

*breathes in the fresh air of the first comment she's ever made on a CAP blog post* :)

When you make the t-shirts, would you please make one on red? Plain red. Not pink, fuscia, purple. While those are all fine colors it is impossible to find a plain red, short sleeved, v-neck t-shirt.
And if your book does so well that you get rich and can afford to have someone make your shirts, let me know. I'll throw in an order for one. Red, please.

I just ran across your blog about a month ago and love it. I found a good t-shirt with sleeves and it's a longer length too at Old Navy for $6.50 on sale last week. I think that they're normally $10.50 and it's called a womens perfect fit tee.

I can't wait for your book!!

The disappearance of actual factual short sleeves is also one of my pet peeves. Thank you to all the commenters for affordable suggestions.

Here is a link to a plus size $22.00 t-shirt at Nordstrom. Sorry it isn't click and go but I am not that good.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2911593/0~2376776~2374327~6007059~6007083?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6007083&P=3

You know they *DO* have BO juice WITH SPARKLES.

I'm just sayin'.

I millionth the Sears suggestion. Sleeves, cheap shipping and good prices for those of us with double waves.

Food smelling armpits. Attractive.

I like the Old Navy perfect plus scoop neck tee shirt. It has to be the plus size to get enough sleeve, and it looks better than a man's t.

On the other hand, you being crafty and all, you can take one of those men's tee's and refashion the neckline with some feminine ribbon, and get something you like a bit better.

(Oh, and I am not ordering your book until I am done school shopping for my two skinny mini's who can wear cap sleeves and tank tops and my beefy boy, but it will be before it is out.)

Kmart. Cheap, classic t-shirts.

"Hurry and stock up as someone may realize they didn't glue something to them and get right on it."

OMG that had me laughing!!!!

These are great ideas for places to look... I don't know where there is an Old Navy near me, maybe woodland hills? I'll try it. I'll try Lane Bryant, too, even though everything there always seems four times the price of other places. I do love my Lafayette pants, though, from LB, they are my work wardrobe staple.

Also, thank ya'll for understanding my armchub issue. THANK YOU!

MY BATFLAPS SAY %#$* YOU!

Well, really they don't, they're too polite for that :-) My batflaps actually say they don't care what they look like, they will wear (or not wear) whatever is comfy in the heat. Skinny chicks are always wearing stuff I think is infinitely ugly but they can, 'cause they be skinny. Please. (Now, don't all you skinny girls tell me that's just not true -- you can get away with wearing stuff most fat chicks would be pointed and laughed at for wearing).

So my chubby arms show, so what? (My arms, by the way, are actually down right fat). It's not like a piece of fabric over my arms (short or long sleeved, for that matter) fools everyone into thinking I'm skinny. Besides, brown fat is more attractive than white fat, so I've got to get these bodacious uppers some sunlight!

I do agree about the high-necked t-shirt -- let the cleavage out of bondage!

The vanilla chai deodorant goes with the Chamomile tea pantiliners, doncha kno? You can be a walking tea shop.

and..."batflaps" coffee spew on my monitor. thanks.

Ugh. T-shirts. Where have all the short sleeves, gone? Long time passing....

All my T-shirts from last summer have to be replaced because they are permanently grunged out in the pit-ular area. We can attribute that to their smallness, both in length and circumference, as these factors lead to total sweatitude and deodorant saturation. It's science, yo.

I found a couple T's at Anthropolgie that weren't horrible. (But they're damn expensive!)
And they carry some basics that are more fashionable at www.teezone.com. Most of them are tiny, but if you look, there are some okay ones. And some of them are on sale.

For the most part, it's back to Land's End, Eddie Bauer, and L.L. Bean.... Mmmmmm. Frumpilicious but satisfying.

I am SO with you on that sleeve thing. Just charge me an extra dollar but give me some sleeves!!!!!

I second the craft store idea--I've found some decent t-shirts there, and often they are very cheap!

I shouldn't rant too much--I can wear the cap sleeves, but I am so relieved to see that the length is getting back to decent! I may be thin, but I have a pronounced "buddha"!

I was at WalMart this past week and they had v-neck tees, with sleeves that were lacking any garish adornments AND at reasonable prices - I want to say they were around $8 or so.
Also - Old Navy usually has scoop or v-neck tees with sleeves as well and some Old Navy Stores have a plus sized section as well.

Sears carries Lands End...not the exact same merchandise as the catalog but they definitely have t-shirts with sleeves (and no S&H)!

waits in hiding

Lollylou ... next time you're in a meeting and need to recommend a book to the bigwigs at Target, um, I know this girl who has a divorce knitting cheetos and cat hair book coming out. If this book gets in Target and/or shirts begin to have sleeves, she'll get you drunk as a thank you ;) LOL

Ladies, I just realized, and I'd like to know what took me so long...we should all be knitting our own t-shirts! I gotta go buy some Cotton-Ease! :)

Amen Sistah!!!

I feel your pain. I agree with those who have suggested Old Navy. I bought a few of these in different colors recently and I love them:
http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/product.do?cid=34553&pid=459427

They show off the ladies nicely and all upper arm chub is covered!

The next horror will no doubt be bleaching and/or facials for the underarms.

I'm so with you on the sleeve issue. A few years ago Target had a line of v-neck 3/4-sleeve T's that I stocked up on, and believed would return every year. Alas, the T's never came back. So sad.......

Why is it that men can always count on finding the styles they love, year after year, but women can't? Don't even get me started on bras.

I'm thin, but over 50, so cap sleeves aren't cool. I was recently shopping for a dress or pant suit to wear to my son's wedding. Anything that didn't look matronly had skinny straps, huge polka dots or prints. I wish I had a camera phone and a blog to post the ugliness. If the retailers post bad earnings, I for one will not be surprised. If they offered that stuff at 99% off I still wouldn't want it!

You go girl!

The other thing no women's t-shirt should have a chest pocket - the last thing any woman with boobs bigger than my 12 year old needs is a
t-shirt with pocket on it! Unless it's a sleeveless t-shirt with a pocket on it.

Someone pass that on to the fashion industry!

I buy my t-shirts from the Men's department in WalMart.

I just want a basic t-shirt, and the t-shirts there are almost perfect...and I dont have to pay an extra $10. (women's t-shirts are always over $15 and have stupid pictures or rhinestones or something on them) The men's t-shirts are about $5 ($1 or $2 extra for plus sizes) and they have colors that are found in nature...not some of the scary colors that are found when you mix purple, green, pink, and fuschia together in the same dye lot.

I also have to confess that I buy my dressy shirts in the same area of WalMart. I went to WM to buy my dad some nice shirts as Christmas presents, and ended up getting myself a bunch of nice shirts (on clearance!!) and then went down to Sporting Goods and got my dad a Swiss Army knife instead.

Last month, I actually bought pants and a skirt from the women's dept, but they were apparently leftovers from last season. They were both on clearance for $3 and-ohmygosh-I loved the $3 skirt (and so did my boyfriend) I wore it with a Hanes Beefy-T and a red sweater that I crocheted and got compliments on my outfit! (people even liked my purple Crocs I was wearing with it!)

I havent worn the $3 pants yet because they were apparently made for the Tallest-Woman-In-The-World. They fit my butt and legs just perfectly other than the fact that they're 6 inches too long. I need to find a tailor to adjust the leg length. I could probably do that myself, but I want the leg lengths to be equal and straight...and hemmed up with thread that blends in with the pant color and not just whatever's in my Viking.

I like my pants to fit, and my sleeves to go down to my elbows (I hate my upper arms! cover them please!) and I dont want any faux crochet embellishments (I can do that myself, and much better than the 8yr old Bangladeshi children making the shirts do)

It is a bit scary that when I went shopping for a swim suit at WM 2 weeks ago, that I was able to find a suit that looked good on me, that had enough fabric to cover my bits and pieces that I wanted covered, and it was a solid color, and didnt look like a 4yr old poured rainbow colored fingerpaints on it.

Oh gosh! I accidentally got the vanilla sparkle deodorant which was next to my normal powder fresh last time I bought deodorant at Target. Now whenever I sweat I keep smelling Christmas cookies! Then I want cookies... not good for the diet.

I would totally buy one of your t-shirts.

Who are these fashion people to prevent me from wearing what I want!

Wal Mart or Old Navy - I have gotten 5 tshirts from Wal Mart over the past week, the Faded Glory brand, I really like them.

There was an episode of Oprah recently where they had Paula Deen on (I am a HUGE HUGE Paula Deen fan).

Anyway they showed this clip of her from QVC where she was saying, "I am sweating like a fat girl writing her first love letter!" and I keep trying to work that into conversation today at work, with no success. Still it is only 10:30 a.m.

Who says I don't have goals?

I hate to tell you this but they do use Botox injections for the underarm. It stops you from having sweaty pits. Thought you'd like to know....or maybe not.

Amen sister, amen!!!

Not to mention, when you try to wear one of those cap sleeves, what little material is in the armpit, bunches up and bugs the hell out of me!

I confess to only having time to skim the comments, but hopefully this isn't a repeat suggestion - I have been buying some great V-neck t-shirts with real short sleeves at Catherines (a plus size store). Good material, stripes and solids - I think they run about $16. Go forth and cover thy flaps!

Google "armpit botox"...

It's being done apparently.

I highly recommend Lane Bryant, too - lots of t-shirt varities with actual short sleeves, just a little stretchy (but not too stretchy), and tons of colors. Some of their other clothes can be a little ...flashy... but the t-shirts are good!

Old Navy has already been mentioned but I've also had good luck at The Gap and Talbot's (a bit more expensive, but I will shell out the extra $$ to keep the world safe from my batwings). Talbot's also excels at cutting their clothes to be a bit more figure-friendly to those of us who actually went through puberty and came out the other side with some rockin' curves ;-)

Maternity shirts are my new best friends. I'm currently pregnant but someone will have to pry these shirts out of my cold, dead hands because I'll be wearing them forever. They have sleeves. They have room for my boobies. They are *gasp* long enough.

Oh, and maternity pants (good ones though) are awesome too!

Here's a second for American Apparel. They have regular t-shirts and the cap-sleeve kind in every color of the rainbow. More pricey than a Target tee, but longer-lasting, too.

That's americanapparelstore.com, btw.

I, too, vote for American Apparel -- however, I have to wear a men's small because the women's sizes are pretend sizes. (They're made for teenage girls who haven't yet gone through puberty.)

My roommate and I were lamenting the terrible loss of sleeves, real pant waists, long jeans, non-paisley clad/seventies reject/eighties drop-out fabric, and t-shirts that don't hit at the belly button or knee.

Seriously, I am not wearing a dress with my jeans people! I am also not a popsickle stick with mosquito bite boobs. I want clothes to fit a real person, a curvy person, a very slightly overweight, but ok with it person. Please?

Awesome post today. I even laughed out loud and my co-workers think I am insane. ;)

T-shirts should be easy and yet it's really hard to find ones that flatter. What I hate is that even the expensive ones shrink with washing. I like them to hit mid hip, not just skim my waistband.

Have you tried Old Navy? The last time I went there it seemed like they had several styles with real short sleeves... plus, in my experience it seems as if they last longer (and feel better) than most cheap shirts.

Amen! Cap sleeves with my arm chub PLUS big boobs just makes a wonderful horizontal plane of roundness. Ugh. I wear men's white V-neck t-shirts cuz they have, I believe they're called, sleeves! Yeah, that's it, sleeves.

As for tutti-frutti armpits. No thanks.

When I got my marriage license, they gave me a goodie bag (can you believe it?) full of stuff that I guess they thought a blushing bride would need on her "special" day, including a trial size of Secret in some ungodly scent. Well, I ran out of my nice, unscented stuff and grabbed that trial size. All day long, I was glaring around the office, demanding to know who was wearing that stinking perfum? It was so hideous, I started literally sniffing around, determining that I smelled it the most when my head was turned to the right and my hand was on my computer mouse. Then I realized...that stank was coming from my own pitters. Oh, the shame.

My upper arms are thick so those cap sleeves are totally out for me. I have been able to get nice shirts from JCPenney from their Land's End line. They seem to wear pretty well.

Sears carries Lands' End clothing. I live in the middle of nowhere and Sears here only sells appliances, tv's and lawnmowers. We don't even have beer or wine. But I have ventured out into civilization I have seen the Sears stores that sell clothes. And they have Lands' End there.

Go to Wal-Mart, in the men's section, there's the "Hanes" aisle with all of the compartmentalized t-shirts. they're plain, good ole shirts. nothing fancy about 'em. they don't always fit right, but if you're a sewing person, just make them fitted.

what i hate, is XS and XL are all THE SAME LENGTH. they assume anyone who is, as i say, "above average," is also 4 feet tall with no torso or boobs. (Dear Fashion World: People who are not XS have wider torsos, and generally bigger breasts than XS. make 'em longer, please.) so, i've gained weight, and now i've got all of these tshirts that just barely cover my nipples.

a deodorant with that kind of smell makes me want to hurl. i can't imagine.... and then - if you put it to the test and sweat - think of how gross it will be to be hot, sweaty and smelling like starbucks. b/c the last thing i want when i am sweating - is a reminder of coffee.

gross.

powder fresh, spring rain or my favorite - unscented.

I hear you. I spent 1/2 the summer scouring the shops for a decent, simple tshirt. No luck and I ended up ordering from Eddie Bauer. This week I just ordered a bunch of tshirts from EB online. $14.50 each if you order more than one, and I know from experience that they'll still look nice after many washings. The $6 in shipping I have to pay is totally worth avoiding scouring the mall for something I'm not gonna find anyway!!!

ROTFL!!!! You're so right about the sleeves!

And cosmetics that smell like food get my senses confused... I spend the whole day wanting to eat chocolate, drink coffee or whatever the deodorant/shampoo/moisturizer is scented after. Not good AT ALL.

Hey Laurie!

I am with you 100%. I also wanted to let you know that I very recently purchased a few t-shirts at my local wal-mart with perfectly respectible short sleeves and not too "scoopy" scoop necks. I really like them, and they are nice enough to pair with a cute skirt. Now, maybe out there in California-land the retailers don't see a need for the sleeve, but here in Alabama, they know us good 'ole girls are dealing with arm-chub. Plus, I think it's a southern thing about not wearing sleeveless to work :) Good luck in your hunt!

Right there with you, Girlfriend. I have been tugging on my shirt all day...I sit at the 14-16 hump so I can swing both ways. So who thought it was a good idea to put 7% sppandex in a plus size shirt. Um...yeah...no.

Have you tried Buenos Aires Grill in that center you were perusing? Great Argentinian food...amazing steaks. And very cute waiters.

Yeah! I don't have 52EEE boobs either. Hate the giant bust darts on all shirts.

I usually buy men's t-shirts, polo neck.

Color is another one of my complaints. It seems like for the second summer in a row we are stuck with a color palette of orange, lime, lemon, turquoise, and bite-your-nose-off-pink. Nothing wrong with those colors if you are one of the people that like them and actually look good in them.

I don't. My color palette is now black and white.

Try Wal-Mart!

I was just there to pick up a tall baby gate to corral the dogs, they had some "normal" all cotton v neck tshirts. For like $10 bucks.

I got red, yellow, tan, and white!

Laurie! Thank you for telling our truths! I have several Target 'short sleeve' shirts taunting me in my closet right now.

Also, thank you for using the term 'Come to Jesus'. No one around here seems to know what I mean when I say that.

I don't know about Vanilla Chai, but I LOVE the vanilla scented deodorant.

Also, I just buy guy's shirts. I've never experienced the "boobs at bellybutton" optical illusion from them (maybe it's the "sport fit" business?), and my boobs are pretty significant (36DD).

Liz Claiborne t-shirts are pretty good in this area (check out the golf line of clothes) and the fabric isn't typically too sheer either. Of course, this is reason #42 why I am still in debt but I do love my Liz.

As the resident LL Bean troll (really, I don't work for them, I swear) I must point out that Bean has a variety of t-shirt styles with actual sleeves starting at $12. Of course this is easy for me to say as I don't pay shipping and there's an outlet right down the street from my office where I can return stuff. (Also note: Bean sells bathing suits reminiscent of my younger years, a halcyon era where letting one's butt hang out all over creation was not considered fashionably fabulous, and one was not required to buy a monstrosity with size DDDDDDD bra cups just to get butt coverage.)

In my experience Land's End quality had declined markedly even before Sears bought them, but they can probably still make a t-shirt that holds together.

I have to admit - I bought the Vanilla Chai Secret! I was shocked to see it on the shelf. Why I chose it, I really don't know. Weird stuff.

I fully support you in redefining the CAP sleeve. Nobody wants to see my upper arms. Nobody.

But what's even more mystifying is the cap-sleeved jacket. Macy's is full of them--fully lined suit jackets without sleeves. Wha?

You're right. Those sleeves are exceedingly unflattering on everyone, even skinny teenagers. They make one's shoulders look hunchy and weak, as well as making the tops of the arms look fat even on someone who weighs 90 lbs.

Ann Taylor Loft has nice t-shirts which have a good v-neck (deep but not cleavage bareing, va-va-voom deep) nice length and sleeves. I think they run about $15 on sale and are so worth the price. They are "nice" t-shirts so I can wear them when I teach.

I fourth the old navy suggestion. I get new batches of t-shirts there every season.

I haven't worn cap sleeves since I saw my school photo in 1978. Who replaced my upper arms with pasty-white sausages?? I know mail order is a pain, but I buy my t-shirts from LL Bean. So far, knock wood, they haven't scrimped on sleeves...

I have been bemoaning the death of the sleeve myself, especially when it comes to dresses. I wear dresses to church, and that is the last place I want to be showing off the tattoo on my shoulder. These days, it seems every spring/summer dress I see is sleeveless.

The sleeve issue is one of the reasons I learned to sew - so I could make stuff with sleeves. Of course, it turns out that the best looking spring/summer patterns out there are sleeveless, too....

Last year I had good luck with t-shirts (with actual, real short sleeves) at Eddie Bauer. FWIW.

I am all about the light long sleeve shirt with sleeves rolled up but I have to admit to being totally utterly peeved at the ridiculous fashion lines out there.

Re: hygiene products that smell like food products. This is not good. I do not want my underarms to smell like raspberry sorbet, my hair to smell like a cinnamon roll or my crotch to smell like green tea blends. ENOUGH ALREADY!!

at least these shirts have backs.

BACK-HATERS UNITE!!!!!!!!!!

Bring back sleeves and t-shirts that make allowance for boobs. When did boobs go out of style? Swear to god, whenever I find a top that fits my boobs, it's a mumu.

there's an eddie bauer outlet store within a half hour's drive of here. i shop there once a season, and have gotten really nice tshirts, with real sleeves, even.

A few weeks ago my friend Katy and I found anti-aging deoderant at Target, and collapsed in giggles wondering what on earth would convince women to worry about armpit aging.

Little did we suspect....

Thanks for explaining the mystery!

I was at the outlet mall this weekend at a store called VF (stands for Vanity Fair I believe) and they sell a lot of Lee brand items as well. I found not only a true short sleeve, but also long pants! Needless to say, I stocked up. Who knows how long this cap-sleeve & formal short trend is going to continue.

AMEN!
I hear you one that scented deodorant. What happened to the simple scents like powder fresh or "original"?? No one wants to go around with perfume in their pits. We just want to go around not being sweaty or stinky not like we are a walking latte.

i don't know if this was said already, as i don't have time to read all the comments. but their is deodorant with glitter in it. my thought when i saw it was, "wtf?". although i thought it the longer version.

I'm for American Apparel too. Their cuts aren't boxy and the fabrics they use are so much softer than regular tees. AA stores are all over the place in L.A. Congrats on the book by the way!

Ok, I don't know if you guys have a Down East Outfitters out there...but they have this shirt called the "Wonder-T" It is quite possibly the best thing on the planet. I have issues with my shirts all being too short. These are LONG!! I admit, they do struggle with the non existant sleeves too, but i believe they also have some styles with actual sleeves, and also long sleeves. Here is a link!

http://www.downeastbasics.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=56

I'm totally with you on the cap sleeve phenom! I preach that same story to anyone who will listen. Even my trusty collared shirts have gone all cap sleeved.... which would be fine if they'd call them that!

Oh and the grid pattern - apparently that's a female thing. All my male friends think I'm weird for using that technique at trade shows, stores, and anything at the convention center. They just wander around aimlessly.... Proving yet again, why women are superior in their finding ability!

OMG, I HATE,HATE cap sleeves!! Being a woman of some bustiness and arm girth myself, these things are worse than the dreaded sleeveless. They suck up under your arms and bunch up, next to my large boobs which are already looking huge and strained under the EXTRA thin cotton they are making all of the t-shirts out of now!! SO attractive! Geez! The t-shirt was my last comfort retreat, and now it's screwed up! WTF! Thanks for bringing this up, and I'll be first in line for your new t-shirt line--sleeves AND v-necks----perfect!! For now, Land's End is my best friend, but kinda like a friend that lives really far away, and you'd rather they lived next door and you didn't have to pay for their plane ticket every time they come over! :)

I couldn't agree with the sleeve thing more. I have bad scars on my left upper arm that I really would like to hide. (Again with the whole not living out loud thing I hate to answer strangers questions about what happened.) And so I too desire proper sleeves. Proper short sleeves would be nice!! Or sleeves that come to the elbow.

What ever happened to half length (elbow) and three quarter length (mid forearm) sleeves?! Not to mention the proper quarter length (mid arm) normal sleeves....

I'm upset. :( I've got me some bat-wings and some unpretty scars and the world wants to laugh at me with tiny tiny sleeves. :( They might as well be those ruffle things I had on my swimsuit straps when I was 4.

oh. my. god.

I totally feel you on the sleeve issue. My solution has been to buy 3/4 sleeved shirts because they are a hell of a lot more common than regular short sleeves. I tried buying men's shirts, but discovered the same high neckline problem as well.

3/4 sleeves it is.

Hey - I also wondered where the sleeves went!

ew. Vanilla Chai? Tea/Coffee Arm pit? nasty.

What panel approved it and was it right before lunch?

Right on! And, may I second the "Get thee to a Catherines" suggestion above? Finally, a store for big girls that's not all about the many ways of draping polyester. They've got sleeves, style and fit there - and cotton - for a pretty decent price. I still like getting stuff from Lands End and the like though. Just wait for the free-shipping promos.

Okay, I get all my tee shirts from Lane Bryant for a few reasons: they hang really nicely, they are not thin, they have actual, short sleeves, they come in scoop, crew, or v-neck, they have purdy colors, and sometimes patterns. And if you catch a sale or buy in mulitples, they are really reasonably priced and last an entire year. (Unless you, like me, like to wear every single thing you eat and end up staining every shirt you own).

As for the deoderant - EEWWWW! I wish deoderant just came unscented. That's the point anyway, isn't it? To not have a scent in my pits??? If I want a scent, I'll wear my Philosophy perfume, Inner Grace (which, incidentally, is the only way I can achieve this).

I just spent 2 hours walking around Chinatown and lower Manhattan and the only t-shirts with sleeves that I saw for sale had slogans I wouldn't have worn when I was 15. Slinkly little spaghetti straps and long, strapless, tunic tube-tops were everywhere. Ick.

I was remembering the time I used some cocoa butter and a guy at work told me I smelled like a 'Cookie'. I didn't quite know what to say so I replied, "Pardon Me?"

Full sleeves? One word: Sears.
Seriously.

Haven't read all the comments, so perhaps someone already noted this, but I am looking at my arms, and I have on a shirt with sleeves. Bought at Target. But not the stretch tees you pictured, as I first bought one of those and then brought it right back because it was so horrifying. Mine is called the Ultimate Tee, and it is by Cherokee, and was hidden in the back of the women's section. And as an added bonus, it is long enough to cover a belly that likes to peek out...I bought one in every color.

Two good tee sources:

American Apparel (even though normal-sized girls have to go up to xl or xxl, the shirts are reasonably priced and fit well)

Club Monaco, if there's one near you. They have the BEST t-shirts - cut slightly bigger in the bust so they have a nice curvy line. They're something like $25 each but often go on sale for 2-for-$35. I swear by them.

I am pretty sure Walmart sells some t-shirts with a full sleeve, unless of course you boycott Walmart because you think they are evil (you are from CA now and all :)

Amen sister!

Oh, and by the way, in Dallas they've started advertising BOTOX for underarms! Good grief!!

I feel you pain. I just ranted/vented/bitched about this very issue not even two weeks ago. My solution, I actually "added" sleeves to my t-shirts and polos! Yes, I have the most "interesting" wardrobe now, but my "batflaps" have coverage.

I feel your pain. Cap sleeves should be worn by small children -- not by adult women.

A suggestion -- Old Navy. They even have some 3/4 length really lightweight tops that look great on, how shall I say it, fuller figure types like myself. AND the t-shirts I bought a week or two ago were on sale, AND had real sleeves. Or at least more than 1.5 inches, enough to cover the nasty parts.

Old navy online. pretty cheap and? $5.00 shipping. I'm going to try the one out in Northridge and see if they have them instore. Because hello- in addition to not wanting to show batflaps I am also interested in shorts that cover all crack and some leg.

Real women don't want Daisy dukes to go with their cap sleeve either.

I just got quite a few regular short sleeve tees with V necks at both Fashion Bug and Lane Bryant. I definitely feel your pain, though - it took three straight days of searching to find them!

Try Old Navy. They have t-shirts that should cover your arms and are long enough to be comfy. I like them so I don't have those "Oh my god! Are my undies/gut/lovehandles showing?" moments every time I bend over. :)

Amen Sista!

I spent 1.5 hrs in Target the other night trying to find a stinking top that A) Did not have a nice little seam under the boobs that lands squarely in the middle of my boobs unless I pull it forward so the shoulder seams are in my armpits AND/OR B) Had sleeves that are sleeves. I would have taken either one.

I did settle on a sleeve cap shirt and decided to just look like Huge Arm Girl. Maybe my pinkish hair will avert their eyes.

I'm with you 100% on this one. I was just shopping and feeling sad about the death of sleeves this weekend. I think that your best bet may be the craft store. At AC Moore they have a whole wall of rainbow colored t-shirts with real sleeves for the crafty types to embellish.

Preach it sister! My arms are what I hate most on my body. No matter how much weight I loose, they still look like a couple of bratwurst. Bratwurst with a cap sleeve is to die for, don't cha know.

Have the seen the deodorant with glitter? I'm not shitting you. I don't get it. NOT A DAMN BIT. o.0

I've been using Tom's of Maine lemongrass deodorant (which actually works, unlike most of the other aluminum-free organic-type deodorants). My kids say I smell like a lemondrop.

I am tall, and I have loooong arms, and I have always hated that whenever I buy a shirt with long sleeves they look like 3/4 sleeves on me. This little fact makes me hate 3/4 sleeves, even though I have an unusual number of 3/4 sleeve shirts in my closet right now. I think they look like you can't afford enough fabric to make full sleeves. Trashy. We were all talking about it this morning WHILE 3 out of 4 of us were wearing them. Help me please! I'd happily get your real short sleeves back if you can to something about getting rid of the 3/4 sleeves forever!~

I've been wondering what the hell is wrong with all the sleeves on my t-shirts!! The showing the armpits thing is MADDENING and now I know I'm not the only one hating this...
I can't wait for the book!!!

Adding myself to the chorus of commenters who agree with you 100%. I hope Lollylou's feedback is heeded at Target. Retailers need to wake up to the fact that not-so-skinny women have a lot of spending money and outnumber the teenagers (and the adults who wish they still were teens) they keep focusing on.

Oh holy hell, I feel your pain. I hate the cap sleeve for the same reason I hated the shoulder pads of my youth. My mother still has a bag chock-full-o shoulder pads buried in a closet somewhere. What exactly she planned (plans) on doing with them, I have no idea...but they never, ever got thrown out "in case."

Nothing makes me look like a linebacker faster than cap sleeves. Fashion & I are not getting along with each other this spring.

Ooh! Nordstroms has an entire rack of 3/4-length tees, in oodles of colors. Lurve them to pieces! (I feel your pain about the sleeveless shirts, because face it, that's what those were.)

Another big girl chiming in -

Same problems, same complaints. I'm a big fan of the Cherokee V-neck T's at Target (Mervyn's, too?). Interestingly, the display ALWAYS seems to be hidden in plain view and it usually takes a couple laps around the PLUS-SIZE section to find them. Interesting, part deux - I've recently noticed the color choices are not very choicy. I don't know why. I try not to get hung up on the size label, and go with the Cherokee one size bigger than I typically wear - it fits a little roomier and the shoulder seams are just where they should be -- on my shoulder.

As I glance down at my lovely new brown V-neck Cherokee T, I have to say that I'm not at all disgruntled with the sleeve length at all. Very gruntled, in fact.

I've bought T-shirts w/ "real" sleeves at Michael's, but they tend to have high necklines. (Hate that choked feeling!) I currently get most of my T's via Lane Bryant mail order. Once you place an order, you'll start to get about two catalogs a month, each with successively better coupons - like free ship, 30% off any item, etc. They have T-shirts with REAL sleeves in just about every color you can imagine, with several options of length and collar type, and most are $7 or $10.

OMG, thanks for the laughs! I thought this was a scourge that was only in Canada. But I'm glad it's a scourge we share. Misery loves company as they say.

er, I should say that it was the Nordstrom's by me. I guess they could have different buyers in Michigan (you think?). Good luck!

While you're at it, can you find where the bottom edge of shorts went? Trust me, no one wants to see ALL of my thighs! I can't even find anything longer that short-shorts for my two-year-old, for goodness sakes!

Someone asked what was going to be next, to accomodate the batflap/ cap sleeve/ tank top scourge. Here's science's answer:

http://www.docshop.com/education/cosmetic/articles/richards/

Yes, underarm surgery!

*shudder*

This is where I add some more tricep drops to the workout routine ...

serial posting here--

Maybe, just maybe the missing sleeves and missing pant legs (hello, formal shorts!) are in deepest storage, waiting to be released as leg warmers and arm bands.

I am so with you on the nonsleevage. I'm slender, and they don't look good on me. Hate, hate, hate them!

Someone else has probably already pointed this out - but I have seen deodorant in the stores with sparkles... I guess for your evening wear? To match your sparkly eye shadow? Who knew?!?!?!

Amen.
And as someone who has been willing to shell out the big bucks for LL Bean tshirts with real sleeves, will someone please tell me What The Hell happened with LL Bean's tshirt color choices?

Where is simple blue? Green? Maybe a plum or a gray? No, only Men get those colors, because those are evidently He-Man colors. Women can have bright aqua, the baby-est of blues, eye-popping kiwi green, banana, or Pepto pink. I'm supposed to go to work looking like a sherbet buffet?

The armpits need to smell fancy because they're exposed with the cap sleeves. It's a conspiracy between the fashion industry and the deodorant industry.

And, as long as you're asking for longer sleeves, how about t's that don't come down to my knees - being a statuesque 5'2" tall - with all of the lovely, skinny tops that are all the rage.

I shouldn't need to dress like a 60 year old just to have a top that doesn't require 10 minutes of tucking to avoid a diaper-butt in my pants!

You gotta get yourself to a store that sells some juniorish stuff. I have a whole collection of recently bought shirts with sleeves that fall somewhere been mid-bicep and elbow, and bonus: they're all long in the torso (which I'm not, but I like my crack to stay under wraps). Stay away from anything that you think is being marketed to people over 18. The sleeves are too short and the length is too long. Plus, the junior stuff has better necklines and funner colors.

And don't worry about the sizing. I'm a size 14 with a couple of D-cups, and it works for me!

Laurie, if I wasn't a lowly IT geek I would totally peddle your book to the Target folks, but alas, I have absolutely no pull. I am a consultant (not even a real Target team member) and was able to do the fit test only because I applied since they let you keep the clothes, and it turns out I was the "perfect" size 22 (I should be proud). And guess what I got for free from them--FORMAL SHORTS!! I expressed my displeasure about that as well. But I did get a work shirt (button-down) that is short-sleeved and I don't mind it, as the sleeves come to just above my elbow, so only a wee bit of flesh is exposed. I am wearing it today and I almost like it.

Kisses! And inappropriate hugs!

cap sleeves are evil and should be banned. So should any sleeve that is tightly stitched. Have you ever bought one of these on accident? It's like wearing a tourniquette on your upper arm. Adds to the batwing, AND makes the arm a lovely color to boot.
I would not suggest Old Navy for tees. They are all 'slim fit', and lots have no sleeves.
Glad to know I'm not the only one with sleeve issues! I'd rather go sleeveless totally than deal with a cap sleeve.

I buy all my t-shirts at Target. I buy the Cherokee brand regular tees (they are folded on a rack like those ProSpirit ones you photographed, and I think they are called Cherokee Favorite Tees). They are less than $10 each, and they come in many colors. They are very soft, and they wear well, and they have sleeves. And I love, love, love them, so much that it makes me a little sad how pathetic I have become, waxing nostalgic over a t-shirt. I usually buy at least two every time I am at Target (they carry them in long-sleeved for fall and winter), and that is part of why I cannot get out of Target without spending $100.

Egads - you get so many comments you probably won't even read mine, but here's my secret for buying good quality T-shirts for dirt cheap. It's a place called shoppersrule.com. I buy sewing and embroidery supplies from them and they are a perfectly fine and legit online company to buy from and you don't have to buy a lot or be a retailer. You can "join the club" by providing your email address - and you only get email from them about their sales. They have a sale right now - a rainbow selection of cotton T's for $2.96.
Here's the link:
http://shoppersrule.com/c/CSSWS/index.html

Amen! I have had it as well. Remember when the 3/4 sleeve was popular? Those were good days. I should buy stock in Dove for all the firming cream my arms are going to need to survive this summer! Also, I too am upset about the deodorant thing. Last time I went I was looking for "shower fresh" Secret platinum. I finally found one in an invisible solid and not the kind I usually like. Those other scents are gross. "Shower fresh" makes sense.

Thanks for the relatable rant!

Re: lack of tees for mashing up into a rug

May I suggest the Salvation Army on half off day? I buy so many fabulous things there and really, at 50% thriftstore prices, one is able to be adventurous. Especially with the dry clean only silliness.

Try the Avenue...their tshirts have sleeves that actually hide the fatest part of the arms and they're pretty well priced.

Thank you and my batflaps thank you! No one would want to see me in a sleeveless t-shirt, I guarantee it! I laughed my a@@ off reading your post today! I'm still sitting here on a 75 degree day in a long sleeved blouse because I haven't figured out what summer shirts fit me!

Do you have an American Apparel nearby? I love their t-shirts: http://store.americanapparel.net/women-short-sleeves--t-shirts.html

I don't have a terrible upper-arm problem, but I'm sick of tiny sleeves and belly-showing shirts too! I am a mom nearing 30, not a 16 year old - and besides, I live in Alaska, sometimes I WANT TO KEEP MY SHOULDERS WARM!!! geez.
Personally, I do the L.L. Bean thing, they have loads in their sale section, and the shipping isn't so bad. I also like men's v-neck "undershirts," you know, the ones that come in a three-pack.

Old Navy, yes. Nordstrom Caslon, yes.

And Suzi in NC? They already make flavoured douches. PLEASE do not ask how I know this.

"Just a simple cotton T-shirt in a rainbow of normal colors that has a V-neck and REAL SLEEVES DAMMIT."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Amen.

first, i see your batflaps and i raise you stretch marks. it looks like me and freddy kruger did that dance from dirty dancing where he runs his fingers down her pits and she can't quit laughing. . .
second, i think they do pit botox. omarosa got it for sweating. ew.
third, why can't a size R t-shirt (as in R for Reality) flare just a bit? there is no happy place between fitted and maternity???

I KNOW it's online, but check out www.catherines.com -- the Liz and Me Basic Essentials. I just discovered this chain over the weekend when I, too, was looking for tshirts with SLEEVES! Very reasonably priced, good fabric, cheap shipping. Many are on clearance, too, and they come in both v-neck and regular neck. They ship fast, too -- my local store was out of a couple of the colors I wanted, and I was very pleased with both the website, shipping costs, and speed of shipping. Enjoy!

I hear ya on hiding the arm flab. Nothing makes one look 20 lbs heavier like having all are extra arm-goodness flappin' in the breeze.

If you do end up buying t-shirts online, may I recommend the "Life is Good" store, (or perhaps there's a brick-and-mortar version in L.A.? Their mens' t-shirts are made with the softest cotton I've ever felt, and have normal sized sleeves. For some reason the dark blue ones are softest - perhaps a different cotton in those than in other colors? I think all the ladies tees have cap sleeves this season, but I could be wrong....

I am so glad so many people hate the cap sleeves... so there's more for me! And hopefully the shirts will go on clearance so I can stock up. I *hate* the sleeves on normal t-shirts, they make my already short arms look shorter and stumpier. I already know I have t-rex arms, I don't need a shirt to make it worse!

Also, the super-extra bust darts, those are all going into my closet too, thank you.

Whoever stole all those sleeves also chewed the tops off of all the jeans. Can Bossy please buy a pair of jeans that cover her belly button? Would it be so wrong?

Ooh, Pamitha, hate to admit it, but you are so right! I actually hadn't looked closely at their t-shirt colors in a while, as I nearly always wear long-sleeved shirts to work (I live in New England, and I'm always cold), and when I don't I wear stuff from my husband's CafePress shop. We should write and complain. Write to LL Bean, I mean, not my husband. (Really. They do pay attention.)

mmmmm...limeaid and vodka. Oh right sleeves. I'm totally with you. Recent years have not been kind to my arms, do I really need to shame them by outting them on display? No they feel bad enough already.

i didn't read through all the comments to see if Old Navy was mentioned or not but they're the only tshirt brand that i wear. 1) the sleeve length is a little longer so it covers my arm flab, 2) the length is longer than most and 3) they're usually 2 for $15. i swear by oldnavy. plus if you order online you can get the $5 shipping.

One of the other 8 bazillion commenters has probably already said this, but try Old Navy. They've recently stepped it up in the t-shirt dept. Extra long, good colors, soft fabric, no tags. My other favorite t is American Apparel, but you have to deal with all the teeny-bop porn, and they're not quite "cheap" - but the fit is great.

I would like to give you an entire gospel choir to sing during this post. In fact, I think when you do book readings you should get one

Gap. Short sleeve favorite T. $14.50 each or two for $12.50 each. Gap is ubiquitous so I'll take a risk on saying there's one out there in SoCal :-)so no shipping.

We all need the "Yoga Action Squad"

http://www.yogaactionsquad.com/

This is why I learned to sew. You can knit already, so move into sewing - it's easy. If you buy an overlocker (you call them sergers in the US) it will take you about ten minutes to run up a t-shirt! Cut a pattern off your favourite t-shirt, spend one evening in front of the telly cutting out about ten in different colours, then the next evening sit down and sew them all up at once.

Your post made me curious as to what other scents Secret has come out with (why is it so hard to find really, truly unscented deodorant that doesn't leave white marks everywhere?), so I Googled Secret Scent Expressions. You must see this website that come up. It's so awful that it's entertaining. I recommend taking the quiz with the sound on. Who would be driven to buy something as a result of this test? Who!? http://208.173.184.173/ScentExpressions.do

It told me that I was Southern Peach!

FREAKIN' AMEN! I don't look good in those sleeves either. Those and the shirts that have the chest area hang down to your crotch like you've got a huge dangling booger in the middle of your body. HORRIFIC! What's worse is that when one company does it, they all follow the leader; finding a decent replacement is impossible.

Armchubs? Ah - you mean Bingo Wings?

It's not just short sleeves that are shrinking! I recently had to go up a shirt size because the Long Sleeves were too tight! The rest of the shirt fit however, causing me too feel really weird about the fatness of my arms :(

JCPenney.com has a ton, you can shop by sleeve length even.

JCPenney.com has a ton, you can shop by sleeve length even.

Old Navy is where you want to go. Seriously. I hve tattoos that I like to cover up at work & have big arms. Old navy gives you a bunch more fabric :D

You crack me up. Thanks for the laugh.
Especially because I JUST came back from Target right before reading this, and found not a single top that hung nice on my ample-in-places frame.

Oh, and did you see the other Secret deodorant? The one touted to be "Clinical Strength"?? Oy. I saw the commercial and I wondered if their marketing department really thought I'd believe that.

Amen!!

My sister calls that underarm sag, Bingo Arms.

(As in, waying your arms in the air wildly while calling "Bingo")

I think I'd have to agree with you on the armpit smelling like vanilla chai, not so much. And as for the tees, have you tried QVC? They might have some reasonable, cotton tee shirts with sleeves.

Purl, I have the same problem. However, my cousin introduced me to a brand called Downeast Basics, which is available over the internet at 10.00 for their basic shirts. They are also long enough to cover the lower back on those damn lowrise jeans and they have all cuts and colors. Watch out for the lighter ones though- they might show through!

I know you didn't want to hear it, but it sounds like everyone's telling you "internet" anyway. I've gotten to the point where 95% of my wardrobe is purchased online. I just got sick of trying to find sleeves... and pants that fit and colors I'll be caught dead in and no sparkle and ... Sorry you've been frustrated again!

I have your same problem... but Old Navy always has good t-shirts in a myriad of colors and sizes. I was just in and they had cute ones just like you ordered!! Good luck!

well, what with glitter deodorant, I just can't understand why you wouldn't want to show off those pits! What next?

Thank you! I've been crying for sleeves for years! I'm still laughing. My sisters both got married the year after I had my second child. They both selected sleeveless dresses. I was the rebel and added sleeves to the pattern when I had my dresses made!

H&M has some nice shirts with real sleeves, and you can tell that they are real becuase they actually differentiate between short sleeves and cap sleeves. i actually find their sleeves too long bu thats cause i have shrt arms.
Tommy

Try onehanesplace.com They have the Hanes basic t shirts in all the colors for about $8 each.

yes! I have a Target grid also! If I go with a friend and we don't follow my grid, it is as if I haven't been there at all!
There is just so much Target goodness!

ok so i really want your book to sell big time but i'd also like one of those shirts. it'd look great with the skirts i am designing.

But they made the label for the Vanilla Chai deodorant sparkly. How can you not want it? You know we women love our sparklies. Oooo maybe the deodorant has glitter in it. Women love vanilla and chai and sparkles....put it all together. Those marketing peeps must have really thought that they were onto something.

Yep, Lane Bryant *online*; they have different items than the stores do, and tend to have better prices. Admittedly, you will still find some stuff you wouldn't be caught dead in, but it's not like the bad old days. Also Roaman's online. They're both owned by the same corporation, so your password and billing info at one site works at the other. [g] Both have some tunic length T's as well as the usual 26"-28" lengths, and styles with umpteen different necklines. Plus good basic woven shirts, too, with short sleeves. Go over to the online ordering side, Laurie, it's much better, really! Especially the sales and clearances - there's nothing like $9.99 T-shirts! Including ones without those stupid titpockets. Lord, I do hate those. Just what I want to be doing in public - groping in a pocket placed squarely over a breast, if I were stupid enough to put anything in there. Riiiiight. (Ok, folding money, bus pass, maybe. Anything else, you've gotta be kidding.)

As an above average woman I have to say "Amen sister!" What is truely shocking is to see these cap sleeves on plus size tops! Shocking I tell you!

if you're feeling a breeze it's from my batflaps as i applaud your mission, purl --

btw - if you have a store named CATO (I think they have those in california - i used to live in Simi Valley) they have a great scoop neck tee, with the cute gathers in the front, that also has actual sleeves. AAAAAAND it's long enough to cover my muffin top when i wear those daggum almost hip-hugging jeans the jeans people think we all want to buy.
good luck sister

Let me hear AMEN!

I do not want parts of me flapping in cap sleeves....spare me the indignities please!

When I was in the "feminine hygene" aisle the other day I was wondering just why someone thought I needed my underarms to smell like chai tea...I am not comfortable with someone being close enough to ask me why my underarms smell like tea instead of being "powder fresh".

Spare me the marketing department!

I hope you all don't live too close to me, or I'll lose my secret clearance rack. Check Sears out. They usually have really good deals on the Land's End clothes. That's right...the Land's End that you could buy for $$$ online you can get for $ at Sears. Seems that no one wants to be seen shopping at Sears...so their CLEARANCE is GREAT. I got two 3/4 sleeve Land's End t-shirts a few weeks back for $8 including tax! And maybe a little more money, but I really like the Compassion T's at J.Jill. Right now they are buy 2 get one free. And some money goes to help women out. The deoderent, that's too funny. km

oh lord, do u ever read this far down your comments list?... i will comment anyway: i sent hubby to get me the new secret scents because i ran out (hugs no-no) and had a coupon for the new kind. the vanilla chai smells just fine. not like food or drink. theres another one that i hate. it smells like cheap lil girl perfume...i will go look for the name so as to spare u all the waste of time and $...ok jasmine orient....nasty! and gets very strong, giving me a headache. so that one will have to be my fall back, should i run out again. (dont we do this with hairspray, gel and stuff? yup!)
i hate the cap sleeve too...i will either wear short sleeved when i can find em, or go the 3/4 length, which surprisingly is most comfortable for me....and shorts have become capris when possible. any shorter and my thighs pull them in when i walk....there has GOT to be a name for that action. the inside leg gets worked right up into your crotch exposing fatty thigh...the worst feeling in the world is when u go out somewhere wearing new shorts that u THINK are a safe length, and they start the crotch bunching thing...and u r stuck with it until u get back home.....ugh!

Ooo. The deodorant sounds tempting. But then I like to use lotions that smell like food.

Laurie,
I love a website/catalog called Junonia for t-shirts--they cater to the plus size market, but I have noticed that they now carry sizes down to 12W, which means that their clothing is going over well.
I've purchased from them for about 7 years now.
They make their own line of t-shirts under their label (a Junonia is a type of sea shell)--many different colors, different necklines and they run really long. They also have several different sleeve lengths. They are pretty pricey, but they are made of a substantial weight of cotton fabric and wash very well.
I have learned to check their "Junonia's Closet" link on the website--that is their sale/clearance area--many times, they discontinue a color in the tees and put it at 50% off.
I hope that this helps!
Have a great day.
Kathy

Please let me know when and where the shirts go on sale. I NEED to buy one in every color. Maybe 2 even in case this cap sleeve thingy happens again in next 5 years.

Whoops--I guess the web address for Junonia might help.
www.junonia.com

Kathy

My brother calls it "bye bye arm" cuz it keeps waving after you stop. I've found good quality, good price respectable clothing at Kohl's. They have a great petite section, & many of their styles are carried in both misses & petites, incase one half of you is a different size than the other. Not that I know of anyone like that. Always a sale, they're coast to coast & online. Back to push ups & bench dips. Congrats on the book!

Try Old Navy, their T shirts seem to be okay, although most of their clothes make me roll my eyes and say "you're kidding, right?" I also think that Meijer is a good idea, but it's a midwest thing...sorry. :)

I'm going with Carol on this one. You're so creative -- make the move to sewing your own. You can whip up you own t-shirts in no time with a serger -- and make the sleeves any dadburn lenght you please!

walmart on fallbrook ave.
white stag brand.
*weeps* because there is no meijer thrifty acres here in ca :(

AND it's not just t-shirts - try buying evening wear with sleeves!!!! (or god forbid a wedding dress!)

Same thing happening here across the pond!

Ditto on the sleeves! I want them back!

Someone mentioned Lane Bryant Online...

They're changing the name to Women Within, and they were never associated with the Lane Bryant retail stores...which is probably why they're changing the name now.

I love Women Within (Lane Bryant Online) Last year they had the skorts (shorts that look like a skirt) that I LOVE, so I stocked up and bought something like 6 pairs. Good thing, because this year it looks like they're not carrying them.

I just got a coupon today for WW for $20 off if I buy $60. This is totally cool, because I can spend $60 in about 2 minutes on their site http://www.womanwithin.com or leafing thru their snail mail catalogs.

I'm going shopping on their site later tonight to stock up on new clothing since I culled the herd of old clothes that have hung in my closet for the past 6 years a few weeks ago.

I just wish they still had those skorts...

Try American Apparel. The clothes are made in good 'ol USA (LA to be exact), they treat the employees well (free ESL if needed, living wages, benefits) and they have ALL kinds of shirts, including T-shirts with real sleeves. And, the cotton is so nice and soft...just a thought.

Couldn't say it better myself. I'm also commenter Malisa's mom--and believe me the dresses without sleeves almost caused a family crisis!!!

Laurie, been there. Just swallow and go to Lands End. Short sleeves, v-neck in many colors. Much better than I've seen anywhere else.

I am SO with you on the sleeve thing. (And I can't wait for your book to come out!)

Old Navy is the place to go!! they have a whole rainbow and then some of colors, always a 2'fer sale going and good on length. They have scoop neck, vneck, crew neck and real life sleeves!!! Also, a new term I thought you would like for those pesky arm issues- I myself call them "bingo" arms.. mainly for the wobble that occurs when calling "BINGO!!!"

Wal-Mart,usually about $7 each, or Michaels (yes, the craft store, they sell "Jerzees" t-shirts, they're frequently on sale 2 for $7). Good plain solid colour t-shirts, with sleeves. The Wal-mart ones also sometimes have some stretchy (lycra/spandex) content so they're great bosom-enhancers whilst covering the armflaps. Did you know that old ladies call those flaps "knitting muscles"? There ya go.

Check out Webs' Valley Yarn: Goshen patterns. There's a nice short-sleeved, shaped shirt with a little collar and a placket neck. Can't remember the name of the pattern, since its downstairs and I'm not, but the picture is a lovely turquiose.

I feel about crop pants the way you do about sleeves: I don't want pants that look like someone forgot to keep going and finish the bottoms. I don't have to wear my young neices' pants! Give me well-fitting LONG pants that break slightly over my shoe and don't have high waists, super-low waists, pleats or poufs in the hippage area.Sheesh!

I look like a linebacker myself...... I'm packin' heat on these arms! I pity the fool who sees me in a "short" sleeve tee.

I'm pretty sure that the "book thing" will sell more than 12 copies. I mean...I ordered THREE copies, so you're just nine away from goal. Heeheehee!!!

Oh! I found short sleeved t-shirts at WalMart this summer. I love that I can buy t-shirts, eggs, and potting soil all at the same place. It's a beautiful thing.

The same thing is happening in Jersey, but the sleeve extinction has spread to dresses as well. I tried to buy a modest graduation dress this past weekend; it was really quite funny. I walked around the store talking to myself until a saleswoman stopped me to see if I needed help. HAH! I ended up with a dress that has straps that barely cover my ample bra straps. I'll probably need to find some sort of cover-up before I traumatize small children with my batflaps (*snicker* love that word).

someone mean invented that cap sleeve-someone creepy skinny and mean. i may hate them.

ok. Yummy armpits? not nearly as gross as tea-crotch.......

Goodwill. Good T's. Some funny funny T's. Yummy cheep good.

(insert other resale shop that doesn't think all its used crap is "Retro" in place of Goodwill as needed.)

Patternworks has a very good T-shirt pattern that is meant for Koigu but it works with any sock yarn if you want to knit a T that is a little more dressy or worky than the plain storebought kind.

But for instant gratification?

Two words: Hanes website. In the women's section, Hanes distinguishes between cap sleeves, short sleeves, sleeveless and long sleeve tees. With short sleeves, you also get a choice between crew neck and scoop neck.

Hanes rocks. BTW, their underwear is also much better than Rite-Aid.

I am a size 12 with broad shoulders and if I wear cap sleeves I look like a flying squirrel on steriods who's decided to try out for the varsity football team.

Dez Law: No woman over the age of twelve should have to wear cap sleeves or a big honking bow in her hair.

Just to be comfortable, I will wear a tank top at the YMCA, inside my house, in my own back yard, or while cleaning stables or kennels. Otherwise? No freakin way.

You get an "amen" from the back of the room!!!

Priceless post. I read it aloud to Jeff and we both got a laugh.

Regarding t-shirts with sleeves: Gap Favorite T has loose-ish short sleeves that fit normal women's arms. And they are LONG so as to cover any belly and/or muffin top issues from low rise jeans. The XL is pretty generous in sizing and very flattering. Even on those of us with big chests.

I thought it was just Australia.

I have a handful of t-shirts from Target that are at least 3 years old and are completely irreplacable as they no longer seem to make t-shirts that are 100% decent quality cotton, with normal sleeves, a normal v-neck (WTF is that silly scrunching around the boobs???) and with a shoulder width suited for a normal woman as opposed to a fully-kitted out linebacker.

I hope you sell a million books but I am also hanging out for the CAP no-CAP sleeve cotton t-shirts. Who says you can't have two successful businesses?

I said this on the last post and then realized it wasn't the one about the sleeves...so I'm sort of repeating myself...

I love Old Navy tees, the perfect fit ones are really nice and hold up well, they don't shrink and gather up around the neck like some do. My new favorites are some I just got at Goody's though. They're Duck Head, I'm assuming other stores would have the brand, JC Penney or Sears, maybe Kohls. They're 95% cotton, 5% spandex which usually bugs me, but these didn't shrink weirdly. They're so comfortable, and they actually come in good colors.

I wasn't quite patient enough to read through ALL of the comments, but I do have a t-shirt suggestion for you -- I'm just not sure if anyone else has mentioned it. If they have Nordstrom Rack stores in your area, try one and look for the "Preview" brand t-shirts (seems to be Nordstrom's store brand). It's rather like Nordstrom's outlet store (great for shoes) and the one near me has the preview short sleeve t-shirts all spring and summer (they have for years - I haven't checked yet this spring) with a decent sleeve (my arms are not petite and I'm comfy in them) for just under $10 usually. I'm not sure if they have them in the regular Nordstrom stores, but they should be at any Rack store: http://about.nordstrom.com/ourstores/rackstores/

first - congrats on le book! belated well wishes on your kick assedness!

next - cap sleeves are not meant for normal women and i hate them. i remember susannah on the bbc's what not to wear saying it was like wearing a little hat on your shoulder and that it was very very bad and i so agree.

finally - wtf on that deo?

rock on, mama.

check out Eddie Bauer, I just got some nice normal T-shirts there. Sleeves end halfway btwn the shoulder and the elbow. I also stock up on their long-sleeve shirts there for colder weather.

I laughed a lot reading this. A lot. In shared pain. I was thinking, surely there must be tee shirts out there with proper sleeves, I mean, I'm wearing one and so they can't be THAT hard to find, right? And I look down at my arms, and lo and behold the sleeves ARE cap and my arm-chub is on display. Great.

You could also try Kohl's or even the outlets in Camarillo (then you an park in one place and walk to a million stores). Eddie Bauer,GAP, etc will certainly have shirts.

What IS it about men's tee shirts not fitting women? My husband's company gives out men's tees for all the obligatory events that we have to attend. (And we are expected to wear them to show we are good sports). My body just doesn't do men's tees without me feeling like I am choking. So I always take scissors when we attend these events and feminize the shirts. And it isn't like I have a real unusual body either. So what is it? Boobs?

Today's comment gone ary. ahri. awrie. terribly wrong.

I type "My batflaps say SCREW you!"
I think "I can't say that on Laurie's blog!"
I type "My batflaps say #%* you!"
I post.
I read.
I think, "Oh, $#iT! That looks like f-you! I can't say that on Laurie's blog!"

Too late.

by previous post I mean to say... sorry!

I agree with the American Apparel suggestions, with an additional thought. Go to American Apparel to figure out which ones you like, then find them on ebay for less money. I've found a few ebay "stores" that carry American Apparel.

Ok, I am not carrying that many *extra* pounds but evidently they are ALL in my upper arms. Cap sleeves are a disaster. Pleeeez bring back the real sleeeve.

By the way, Secret Deodorant Company called and they want you in the photo ad department.

Hi there. Being a fat girl myself, for most of my life, I can empathize. However, I've discovered over the years that that extra two or three inches to cover the arm chub has never convincingly hidden the fact that I'm fluffy all over. So I happily go with the trends and pretend that I give the cap sleeves more purpose than the wee thin babes do.

Now the chai deodorant on the other hand, well, that's just wrong.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it already, and how long exactly the sleeves should be... have you tried American Apparel yet? I'm sure they have a shop somewhere near you, and they also have an online shop.

I like to wear 'dorm shirts' for bed, and those necklines choke me to death, just like regular t-shirts. At least with my sleepwear I can cut a slit in the middle of the neck in the front so I can breathe.

I don't wear a bra unless I'm going out into the world and I wear mostly t-shirts. I NEED that length to keep my nipples from hanging out, even if I'm just 'hanging out' at home.

NO ONE NO ONE NO ONE designs clothes for REAL women!

My SO's mother got me a pair of basic pants... nothing fancy... they fit real well, but oh. my. god. They are salmon pink! I will NEVER wear them into the world.

ANYTHING you wear under them [or don't wear!] is visible to the world.

Besides the fact that overly unsmall asses do not look good in any shade of PINK.

Oh hell, I hate pink.

I hate designers of clothes, too. More and more as I get older.

my style request is that pants "ride high" enough to cover my pubic area. I mean I like my jeans to hit under the belly button but you know what? The excess fat has to go somewhere and it's going to hang over the top of the pants. SO if the pants are barely covering the pubes, that means women like me with the never-going-away baby pouch are in real trouble and additionally may never stand sideways before a mirror again.

Same rant, differant direction! I have looong limbs and can't find pants or shirts that will fit. I am a GRANDMOTHER for crying out loud! I was a teen in the 70's and had my fill of exposing lots of skin.
I am sooo pissed about clothes that I HATE to even go into a store to try and find anything. Guys have it so easy. Walk in, figure out waist circ and leg length. Grab, pay and walk out. Same for shirts. Measure neck and arms, pick a color and voila!
When are the 'designers' going to wake up and realize that there are more of 'us' normal folks. I'd certainly spend more on clothes if I knew I could walk in and get what I wanted without spending hours having to try on every pair of pants or every shirt in the store before walking out with one. Sorta defeats the purpose of them earning money doesn't it?

Amen, sistah, and furthermore, hallelujah! (That last being all Leonard Cohen style, you dig.) I have exactly *one* summer top/ camp shirt with good sleeves, and I think it was made in the very early 90's, back when Target's Cherokee house brand was more visible. I see men's shirts in the same comfortable, upwardly-casual style all the time in stores (I see them, I covet them, but they don't quite fit), but women's fashion seems to be stuck in the "cap sleeves which will cut off circulation to your arms just above your biceps" mentality. Having same camp shirt cut long enough to tuck into my pants would also be good -- no one wants to see my pasty white spare tire

Oh, and an idea for The Other Ruth: black RIT dye for those salmon-colored pants? I can't vouch for it, but at least they would no longer be a bright pink color after the dye dip.

Forget short sleeves - even if they are long enough, as in the one LL Bean shirt I bought recently - they are attached to the body in a weird place so I can't lift my arms properly. I've switched to 3/4 length shirts recently (and they seem to be in style at the moment too), and they are much better-fitting.

If you go into the T-shirt biz, do make them a little longer (below hip length) and maybe slightly flared for those of us who like to cover belly/butt flab as well. :)

/rant on
Having just spent all of Sunday morning attempting to clothes shop, I am fully in agreement that the fashion industry should be collectively SHOT... just WHAT do they think they are doing, trying to get us to dress like THAT??!! As my friend so eloquently put it, most of the stuff would look great IF you were a pregnant goth ... and let me also mention, the formal short is alive and well in Sydney, Australia! Argh!) /rant off

Anyway, completely off the fashion rant topic, I just noticed the change to the book ad up the top of the page ... GO BOB!!! Cracking up laughing here!

I need sleeves too. And pits that don't smell like a salad - cucumber scent ugh!!!!

Kathleen

Dear Laurie,

Hi!

If you don't mind a little diy, try Dharma Trading, they have a range of t-shirts and tops in just about every shape you can imagine, you would need to dye them yourself if you want anything other than black and white, though.

www.dharmatrading.com

Love, Jan

YES YES YES.

I learned last year that if I wanted sleeves I either had to knit them or buy 3/4 length sleeves in the early spring to have them for summer. Not only is there a 'batwing' problem, there's also the 'hello? I work in an office with arctic airconditioning' problem. cap sleeves do not suffice.

I am making do by buying lots of little sweaters to wear over the tops of things, and by shopping in march & april for longer sleeves. Sigh. The fashion world is very often evil to all but 16 yo who have no hips and no need for real clothes.

Wow -- I was going to say "Amen" and then saw the SO MANY had beat me to it. Perhaps these comments need to be forwarded to the designers?

We are big-armed women and we won't take it anymore!!

I have noticed the nubs now called sleeves also. Either its a fight against hairy armpits ( you ladies know who you are) or another way to save a few bucks. First came the belly phenomena 'Oh we will show everyones bellies and save a buck or two by shortening every shirt, and when that got old they went straight for the sleeves 'we don't need no stinkin' sleeves!' Next I'm afraid we will all be wearing bikini tops.

NUTS! I don't have time to read 'em all, I have to go to work....but I agree with every word I've read so far. I finally lost weight - I'm 4'11", so can't take much - and my upper arms are...well, yeah, ladies. Batflaps. YIUCHCCH! In fact, I've been wearing my treasured soft long-sleeved Ts for months and just FOUND those flaps when I put on a short sleeve the other day. So I'm in on the problem too. Great. My body's the right size now - AND MY SKIN DOESN'T FIT!

wow. I just gave this exact same rant to the poor salesclerk at Lane Bryant this past Sunday.
wish I could have had this to print out, would have saved me time and blood pressure.

love ya, girlie.

Ahhh yes.. sleeves. I remember them fondly. Unfortunately.. since the recent shortage.. I've had to succumb to AC more where colored (very plain) pocket t-shirts WITH SHORT SLEEVES can be had for about 3 bucks. Not great style.. but these upper arms DO NOT see the light of day.

Now if I could just find a bathing suit w/sleeves... And a skirt... and a pull in your stomach thingie... and maybe some sort of built in contraption to stretch out my double chin.

ah hell... just hand me a cocktail and we'll call it good. I''ll just be pale and drunk.

Each and every top/dress/blouse I see has no damned sleeves!! I hate sleeveless--and I'm lucky enough to be able to get away with it. But I MUST have sleeves. And why the frig would I want my armpits to smell like food?

Honey, I hear you. I kept finding cap sleeve maternity shirts when I went shopping last weekend. It's like they can only afford to use so much material, so by giving you room for your new giant belly, you have to give up your pride and show those upper arms. Which, incidentally can ALSO increase with pregnancy. Just what I wanted. My belly goes out in the front, and my ass and arms go out in the back for balance.

Along with sleeves, the letter H has also gone missing.

Pretty sure it's a conspiracy. Sleeves, H's, what's next!

Thank you for being awesome!

YESS!!! Preach on, sister girl. I have fat arms AND old stretch marks that go almost to my elbows (yummy!). I will sometimes wear men's polos - an open collar is like a v-neck, and they're longer in the body as well as the sleeves. But I'm so glad you talked about this, I'm going to try a few places suggested in the other comments.

Well, first - I am entranced by the vanilla chai deodorant. This is partly because I love all things vanilla (even if they are inappropriately scented) and second because I am allergic to all things floral (and many so-called powder scents seem to now be floral-y0.

Second, american apparel is indeed really good to *some* of its workers - ESL classes and living wages are awesome. However, their clothes run quite small, and they are not good to at least some of their female employees, and the owner has been sued for sexual harassment multiple times, and now employees have to sign waivers indicating they are okay with a highly sexually charged work environment. No thanks.

Third, I am so feeling this distaste for cap sleeves. I have multiple arm issues - and because I teach and am a shrink, I want to be well-covered so I don't feel self-conscious, thus detracting from my work. It is damned difficult to find summer clothes that allow you to be covered, but not puritanical. And if you want something with some style? Forget it. I like 3/4 sleeves, and they are only easy to find when they are in style. Places like lands end, ann taylor, etc. do have longer sleeves - but I am young! I don't want to have to wear stuff that is boxy or matronly. Plus, I don't like to pay a lot for t shirts - but I want quality. I have one H&M tshirt I love - but I can't wear the same damned tshirt all fricking summer long (although I do seem to try). I also have had some good finds at thrift shops - but that is hit or miss.

Fourth, I am the woman of the incredibly fluctuating weight - so I often try to stock up on summer-appropriate wear, and am happy for a summer, only to find that by the next blasted summer, the things I so lovingly stockpiled no longer fit me (but they will again 2 summers from now).

if you make a ton of money on your book, I'd like to ask that you invent a machine that takes any clothing item and resizes it into whatever size you want. So if you are at target and find the perfect size small tshirt, you can use your machine to size it to your specs. Also (and this is why i really want the machine) if you find a kid's item, you can resize it (target has some of the cutest girl's dresses ever - and the shoes are often so much comfier looking).

Let me introduce you to another sleeve issue - long gorilla arms! It's part of my family curse, along with big feet, big noses and curly hair. Anyway, if you have to wear men's T-shirts, make you some of these nifty things called sleeve pins. You don't have to be crafty - just hit your fabric store or Michaels or Walmart and get some beads with a nise big hole, big safety pins or kilt pins - about 3 inches long. Here's the link where I found them.

http://www.pinzart.com/category/library._new_techniques._sleeve_pinz

I got a cheap pack of different color beads and I just switch them out because I have to wear these ugly navy blue uniform shirts with alleged short sleeves that come down past my elbows - every day. Every. Day. Navy blue shirt.

I'll post a pic on my cats' blog if anyone's interested.

Nora

Wal-Mart. Hanes Tees. V-neck and crew-neck. Cheap. Lotsa colors. I, and my arm chub (new since hitting my 40's) LIVB in them.

I know what happened to the sleeves. My arms look fatter :-(

I hear ya sister I hear ya! I'm in the same boat

I know they're a tad expensive, but I was OVERJOYED to see that J. Crew now carries shirts that not only have sleeves, but that cover my mommy-tummy and stay tucked into my pants. (although I still think the whole low-rise thing is a diabolical plan designed to squash any healthy body image of anyone other than a stick).

Yes! Is there a cotton/polyester shortage? First, all of the pants available lose the whole Waist/butt-covering fabric, then they lose the ankle portion, then tops get shorter, so as to better reveal the flabby middle(I have not seen ANYONE that looks good in this sort of ensemble, so-called 'skinny' girls included)and finally, nothing left to make sleeves with! Fashion designers are now so lacking in creativity that all they can think of is to show more SKIN! For most of us, this is NOT an improvement. Yes, the body is a beautiful thing, but skin is most beautiful on babies, not on those of us who have given birth to several! Can anyone tell me where to buy pants that fit my waist and don't leave me feeling like they are falling down? I'd also like them with a flared leg, so as to draw attention AWAY from the hip area. This combo is hard to locate! Rant on!

I know it is catalog shopping, but the Eddie Bauer catalog came to my house yesterday. I've never ordered from them, but they had basic tee-shirts in a variety of colors, with short sleeves, for something like $14.50 if you bought 2 or more. I am going to order a bunch, just to save up for years to come. It is item number #i09 657 5172 at www.eddiebauer.com.

Do nt pass go, do not collect $200 dollars. Go immediately to Eddie Bauer in the mall. They have NORMAL sleeves, v-necks, round necks....brilliant colors. EDDIE BAUER! Repeat after me, Eddie Bauer! The mall. Eddie Bauer. The mall. Go forth and buy! The good news is that THIS summer Eddie Bauer's t-shirts are LONG (vs. shorter so that you then obsess about hip/back/tummy fat. ;-)

J.Jill! T-shirts with various necklines. Good quality and they currently have a buy two get one free sale. The compassion T is my favorite for summer. Comfortable, cool, real sleeves and not to casual for under a blouse or jacket at the office.

Ross and Nordstrom Rack (If you don't have the outlet, hit the sale rack at Nordstroms) My mom is a fan of the "true" short sleeve tshirt and that's where she does about 99% of her shopping.

I live in L.A. and I used to be a professional shopper (kids don't try this at home). I'll do some recon work tomorrow at lunch and report back with what I find.

:-)

Try Wal-Mart. I have been able to find real T-shirts there for real women. Good luck. I just recently started reading your blog, but I went all the way back to the beginning and read through till now. I love it - I feel like I can reaaly connect with a lot of the things you are saying, and sometimes you just crack me up! I have your book ordered and can't wait to get it - keep up the good work!

The only place I have found to get t-shirts w/short (not cap) sleeves is LL Bean and Lands' End (sorry). But aren't they selling Lands' End stuff @ Sears now? Maybe they would have t-shirts w/real sleeves.

OK, I'll confess, I also get t-shirts w/short sleeves in the children's dept of just about any store. Occasionally, it's convenient to be the same height as your average 12-year-old. But not often.

yeah--i think your major mistake here dear--is shopping for 'fashion' at Target...

LOL...nuff said...
unless youa re in the GO designer section...you aren't going to find much resembling fashion there...plus, it's a tiny dept in a HUGE store...why not try macy's or any other store that actually sells fashion and lots of it where you would find a wide selection of items of all types..

seems like you might need one of those bracelets after all...

;-)

Laurie
Go to old navy they have real t shirts

Laurie - go to Roman's Catalog or website - the catalog came last night and I saw v-neck t's with sleeves for $5.99. At that price you won't croak over the shipping :)

I bought three innocuous-looking tshirts at Kohl's last month, took them on a trip to DC. First day there, put one on. The shirt immediately started this riding-up-above-the-chest thing. And I don't have big boobs!! They're only a B cup! All 3 do this, they were the only shirts I took on my trip, so I had to wear them. Spent my days pulling the front of my shirt down every 1.3 seconds. Sigh.

You have read my mind. I will *totally* buy your t-shirts. Like, right now. A question: Are you against a nice scoop neck for us less richly endowed ladies with arm issues?

Laurie, once again you have called attention to things that make us go HUH? I noticed that development in the deo section of my drugstore recently and my reaction was similar, and also, do I *need* all this choice in picking out a deodorant? It makes me feel embarrassed that *this* is what personal care executives think that I want - luxury crap that I want to spend extra $ on. pul-eaze. [thanks for indulging my rant!]

Also, this is the best thing I've read all week anywhere: "Then I walked around (in a grid pattern of course, so as not to miss any Target goodness)." I heart you!

http://shopproducts.howstuffworks.com/Procter-Gamble-Secret-Platinum-Protection-Anti-Perspirant-Deodorant-Clear-Gel-Berry-Sparkle-2-7-oz/SF-1/PID-41123131

the world is psycho- sparkling armpits..already here... crazy.

I know this doesn't really resolve the order-it-today, get-it-later, pay-for-shipping thing, but there are some sleeves--and some cute shirts!

http://www.chicchemise.com/

snorting... at work... love you, mean it.

Right on about the shirts! Even when I was a powerlifter (especially then?) I couldn't weart those things. Football shoulder pads and a toddler tee - PERFECT description.

Oh Laurie, I'm so with you on the sleeve issue. I am a medical transcriptionist, and do you know, for a couple of years now my plastic surgeons have been dictating procedures they have done to correct what they call (no kidding) a "bat wing deformity" or a "flying squirrel deformity"!! Google for brachioplasty - it will be my gift to myself someday! I quilt and knit and in my craft travels, I discovered embroidery machines....and blank tee-shirt suppliers online that (if you wade through dozens of cap sleeve offerings to get to them) actually sell V-neck or scoop neck tee-shirts with real sleeves! Very cheap, but high quality cotton, lots of colors. I promptly bought an embroidery machine (not so cheap, but oh well) and plan to make, among other things, my own decorated tee-shirts! I can't even find a camp shirt that comes to the elbow. Everything is either cap sleeves or 3/4 sleeves. I ended up buying a camp shirt pattern too! From it, I will make a pattern with "my" sleeve length! My embroidery thread collection arrives tomorrow (thank you ebay) and then I'm making a flattering summer wardrobe for myself. I expect your book to be a rousing success, but if you do design such a line of shirts, I have five friends lined up to place orders, just in my little office alone! Thanks for blogging - you make my day!

AMEN, SISTAH!!!!!!! I've been screamin' this for the past 3 years! I can't deal anymore...if this keeps up, I will be forced to start shopping in the Alred Dunner and Koret sections! No one needs to see my arm flub like this any longer!!

I hate dressing like an old lady - I'm in my 40's but I'd love to wear something cute (can I dream of something actually in a natural fabric?) that covers my large upper arms? Also - why are all larger women's fashions designed like we have taken up residence in the trashiest trailer parks? Or the trashiest assisted living facilities? Statistically, the average American woman wears a size 14 - that means that a whole bunch of us wear larger sizes. Until I can get down to a decent weight, can't someone make an outfit that is trendy, dare I say, 'hip' in a plus size?

AMEN!!!!, ha, this post is just like joy's.
Seriously I can not tell you how many times I have gone on a rant about this very same no sleevedness. Whenever I find a shirt I like with actual sleeves I try to buy it in every color. I don't know any women who want to show their upper arms. GOD DAMN!

For a long time, I've asserted that cap sleeves are not real sleeves!! I'm so happy that I'm not alone, because one of my friends insisted that I was crazy.

The vanilla chai deo reminds me of the time one of my friends (the same one that is in favor of cap sleeves) bought me coffee-scented body wash for Christmas. It smelled like I had spilled coffee all over myself whenever I used it. What's wrong with plain ol' baby powder scented deodorant?

I have resorted to wearing men's shirts. I like the length of both the body and sleeves of the shirt better than anything I could find in the women's section. I don't understand why anything "women's" has to be teeny tiny. Not all of us are teeny tiny.

I have to agree with Old Navy and Walmart, they are great places to buy t-shirts. I even bought a sundress at Walmart for $13 and got tons of compliments on it.

Also, here's the only reason I buy scented deoderant...I'm allergic to perfume so the only scented things I buy are deoderant and lotion.

I like the cap sleeve, but if you want real short sleeves, I just checked Kohl's online and they have plenty. Go to Women's and then to short sleeve. Some of them are cap, but some of them go to bicep.

your rant was hilarious, though.

I haven't read all the comments but just in case it hasn't been mentioned before...I get my t-shirts at AC Moore. Most craft shops have the blank t-shirts you can decorate in an incredible range of colors and styles. Good luck.

as another girl with substantial arms, definitely try old navy. cheap, cute v-necks and non as well, and regular sleeves galore!

ps. I wandered over here from my friend Annika's blog, and thought i'd finally say hello!

Hey don't laugh at armpit makeup. Some genius has already hit on THAT huge hole in the market, here in Oz we now have Nivea 'Pearl and Beauty' deodorant which is supposed to give an 'even skin tone for beautiful underarms'. Hmmm.

I have the same problem. And I just plain can't afford to shop at some fancy store (not unless I stop buying yarn, and that would be bad. Really bad.) I shop for Ts at sporting goods stores. My favorite is Foot Locker, where they have up to an xxl and great sales.

Hi Purlie girl, I know just what you mean about sleeveless arm display. In fact when Barry Klein of Trendsetter was here last month he said they are called Hadassah(?) arms. Please forgive the spelling, I'm Baptist not Jewish. But I have the same problem as you except mine is worse. I have batwings that would fly the stealth bomber! Soooo I go to Target and buy men's 3XLT. They nearly fall off me but they do have sleeves. I have to fall in with you about designing a line of real clothes for real women. Have you been to Lane Bryant lately? The clothes there look like they are designed for 18 year olds who aren't really fat at all. Or, at least they haven't noticed it yet. It's so disgusting. My niece is a size0 would you believe it? And she doesn't like sexy clothes. Breaks my heart. If I had her figure I would be buying everything I could find in gauze or voile or lace. She just wants jeans and Ts. Wahhhhh. I hope your fire goes out soon. I would send you some of our rain if I could but we will need it by July. Take care and give the kitties love from their catty aunt in Dallas. (I have 7 inside and 13 outside plus 7 kittens outside.) Ann Carpenter

So I take it you won't be buying Dove's anti-ageing deodorant or the moisturising one 'for beautiful underarms'?

I just want to find the magic feather, for I like Dumbo can use my flaps of skin to fly far far away...

I will buy that t-shirt! Death to the cap sleeve!

Go got Sears, they have Lands End so no shipping even if you have ot mail order. The shirts cost a bit more, but they last longer.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are hilarious.

Croft and Barrow Pima Cotton Tee. $8.99 at Kohls. I love 'em. Around mid-June you might be able to find them for $5.

old navy for long short sleeves, to the elbow!

Thank you, I finally feel normal!

When you design the t-shirt, please keep in mind that while some of us really like v-necks, some of us don't tan, only burn and so need crew necks to protect our skin from the sun. Thank you very much.

Oh yes.... and Secret makes one with Glitter too! As if anyone wants glittery pits!

i guess old navy works but sometimes their shirts are too short.

i'm totally with you... i want a normal sleeved t-shirt or collared shirt!

In the interests of sanity - my own mostly - I've become a catalog shopper. Lands End make great T's in several styles, some of which have sleeve options: short, long, none. Eddie Bower makes a superior quality T-shirt also with sleeve options. On-line catalogs are the answer. Order on line, try on in the privacey of your own home and return through the mail with scathing comentary on the quality of fabric and truth of advertising on the back of the return form. Sweet.

I second the American Apparel comments...they have a great selection of tops with sleeves of many lengths. Also, Urban Outfitters always has a a table of plain boy-cut tshirts with sleeves in every color imaginable. They cut pretty true to size but they carry size xs-xl and they just came out with a series of more oversize/tunic tops that are soft and comfy.
~P

I'll buy your awesome plain vneck tshirts. :-)

Do a little - I swear it doesn't take much! - weightlifting. Just a little. Maybe thirty reps a night on each side, ten pounds or whatever feels good.

Fat arms become firm arms. Wobble goes away. And then you WANT to show your arms.

My beloved is built a lot like you: not tall, not waifishly scrawny, not cursed with long fragile tapering fingers. And I think she's gorgeous. She lifts weights and looks like she has fat arms, but you can't flex fat. She can. She looks fabulous.