Style Hacks For Skinny Arms
Not everyone is blessed with biceps like Hercules, and not everyone can be bothered either to spend hours down the gym honing and toning those guns or existing on a diet of protein in order to get the gains. Lots of men actually have skinny arms that they might not like to show off when actually, there are some tried and tested little tricks quite literally up our sleeves, that can make skinny arms look swole without kettlebells or protein shake in sight. So if you are one of those men who are really not that crazy about his small arms, then stick around as we reveal the lowdown on 6 Style Hacks to Make Skinny Arms Look Swole. We guarantee that if you adopt this style hacks, you will be racing to dig out the short-sleeved shirt and flexing what little muscle momma gave ya!
1. Less is more when it comes to the T-shirt you wear
Hang on a minute before you decide that this one isn’t for you! Think about, the more fabric you have, the smaller you will look. There’s a reason why women sometimes go up and size and opt for that “baggy” look. It’s to try and disguise their shape and size. Actually, by eliminating all that extra fabric, all eyes will be on you, in a good way. When it comes to your t-shirts, in particular, stay well away from wide arms. Quite frankly, the tighter around the bicep you dare to go, the better. A tight sleeve will actually make your arm instantly look bigger. No weights required. It’s like an optical illusion! This might all sound like counter-intuitive stuff, but it really works. You also need to paying close attention to the labels of your t-shirt too and looking at what fabric constitutes their makeup. We’re not advocating full-on spandex, but you should be looking for a cotton mix that has a percentage of stretch so that it clings in just the right places. For you, that’s your biceps!
One way that you can ensure that happens is to consider going down a size. Changes are that psychologically you are already buying the wrong size, fooling yourself that you are actually bigger than you are. It’s almost like men are the opposite way round to women in that respect. There are men out there who just are engrained to buy a large when they know full well that they are in fact a small! There’s no shame in that, but by wearing something that swamps you, you will end up looking even smaller, especially if the sleeves are flapping about. Consider yourself instead exceptionally lucky as you can carry off the tailored look to a tee! So lads, put aside that manly pride and go for a smaller size. It’s like an optical illusion. Your arms will be highlighted and accentuated for all the right reasons. There are plenty of what are described as “muscle fit” t-shirts around these days so go for one of those styles to really look swole. Just make sure in the process that you’re not inadvertently showing off too much midriff or that the t-shirt is clinging to a beer belly. No-one is going to give two hoots about the size of your biceps if they’re being distracted by your middle jiggle and back crack!
2. How to style a dress shirt to make skinny arms look more swole
Again, it’s all about thinking different, call it counter-intuitively again, but the same rules apply as with wearing a t-shirt. Don’t swamp your frame if it’s on the petite side. You need to start getting your head around how blessed you actually are. When it comes to style and wearing the latest seasons trends, huge muscles don’t necessarily cut the cloth. Think about all those runway models and how lithesome they are. Very rarely do you see My Olympus taking to the catwalk, straining the seams of haute couture! You have the added advantage that you can probably look good in just about anything. You’ve just not realized it yet.
One thing that you can certainly carry off is a slim, modern, tailored shirt. You need to be going for one that has slender arms and a slim body to create the illusion of balance. Avoid the most classic style shirts that are more generously proportioned and roomy as even if you are a Dad yourself, you will quite frankly just look like you’ve put on one of your Dad’s shirts for your first every family wedding! A slim fitting shirt is absolutely the way to go, and you are so lucky because there are so many fantastic styles around from the high street to the catwalk, you are spoilt for choice.
3. Dare to bare some flesh. No need to be coy!
How you wear your shirt really does matter. Of course, confidently, that goes without saying. You can bypass many a physical imperfection if you bring your best swagger to the table! What we’re talking specifically about here though is rolling up your shirt sleeves! That’s right, getting guys. Roll up, roll up, if you want to look like you’ve made some serious bicep gains instantly. Again, it’s really not rocket science. It’s all about perception and what we perceive to be real, becomes our reality.
If you roll up your sleeves to above the elbows the cuff of your shirt is going to add some real “heft” to your biceps. That will automatically create the illusion of more bulging and fuller arms when really all you’ve done is just roll up your sleeves. This stuff really works. Next time you see a confident guy swaggering down the road, all toned arms and tight shirt with his sleeves up, know this, he’s actually just like you with skinny arms! He’s just learned a few style hacks to help him change his physicality without actually changing anything at all!
4. Go for multiple layers and colors that boost your visual heft
Now we might be really confusing you as up until now we’ve been talking about the less is more approach and those tiny tight t-shirts but another style hack if you really want to make skinny arms (or anything else for that matter) look swole is to double up! Now we’re not talking the Michelin Man here, but by adding strategic and of course stylish layers you are creating breadth and who needs to know that it’s the fabric doing the hard work and not your buff physique that is forming the shape? One layer on its own might not make a difference, but the more you add on, the bigger the optical gains. We are not talking thick jumpers on piled on top of each other either. We’re appealing here to the stylish, dapper and discerning gent who just so happens to be a little lacking in the arm-age department.
Consider layering your clothes from thin to thick and from lightweight to sturdy. So start out with your lightest fabric which will probably be cotton and finish up with the heaviest which may well be denim or perhaps a corduroy. The same principle applies when it comes to your patterns too. Start out with something plain next to your body and progressively increase the colors and textures as you work outwards. Again, this is going to great the overall illusion of bulk but in a sophisticated way. Make sure that you are also wearing colors that compliment each other and are based around a co-ordinated palette. Avoid color clashes and instead opt for the one-color trick which will again create that illusion of weight and breadth. Keep it simple to look sophisticated and swole.
We appreciate that the layering option is so much easier to carry off in the winter as you can add a thick-knit cable cardigan over a classic white t-shirt and top with a stylish blazer. In the summer months, you are going to be wearing more lightweight clothes and colors so you may just have to resign yourself to have subtler gains! Again though, don’t despair. Lots of guys (and women) deliberately wear darker colors because these slim them down. You, on the other hand, can fully embrace white, beige and pastel to your heart’s content. The lighter the color, the more it will accentuate and actually show off what muscle tone you do have so don’t be afraid to shy away from light colors. In this case, it really is all about drawing attention to the bulge – the bicep one of course. You can also go for horizontal stripes too which are usually a complete no-no! These will give the illusion of breadth across your chest and have the added advantage of making your shoulders and your arms appear much broader and meatier than they actually are.
5. Go for fabrics that can help bulk out that frame
Wearing the right fabrics too can also help you in the quest to look more swole. Textured fabrics will instantly give the optical illusion of more mass and weight than smooth ones so you can afford to play around with materials like tweed and flannel (like flannel shirts), denim and corduroy. Again, lucky you as these are fabrics that are perennially in fashion and always stylish. The rougher and more rugged the material is to the touch, the more it is likely to add to your own gains. Chunky knits are of course very seasonal but how about a nice tight lightweight knitted sweater as part of your casual off-duty wardrobe? If you go for something that’s both tight and textured, you will kill two birds with the one proverbial stone.
6. Finally, and more importantly, own your style, strengthen your appearance and carry your swagger with confidence
Feel like a big guy, and you will undoubtedly come across as a big guy. To a certain extent, impressive style hacks aside, it is all a matter of self-belief. You don’t have to be physically strong ever to be a leader, and many people have an aura and a persona about them that is way bigger than their actual bodily presence. Make sure that your outward presentation very much matches your inner strength of character and your big personality. Dress to flatter your shape and your own individual body and try not to get too hung up about size. There are always ways to fake it, and any one of our style hacks will help you look bigger than what you actually are. With a couple of strategic items of clothing, in the right colors and textures, and with a hefty dose of self-confidence, you can look and feel stronger than you actually are. Just try out any of these tips for yourself and see how well they can work for you. If all else fails, get down that gym! You might be surprised just how much you come to love it and then you will be asking us to write a piece all about how to show off your new found muscles to their best advantage. For every problem, there is a solution, and we are here to help you fix yourself for the better!
