Watches are convenient because they give you a quick way to check the time, but they’re also a fashion accessory that can bring your entire outfit together. You should know certain things if you want to wear a watch with long sleeves to avoid ruining your outfit.
The best way to wear a watch with long sleeves is to ensure the watch matches the rest of your outfit, especially the sleeves. Even though it won’t be visible under your sleeves, it might peak through from time to time. So, it must match. When wearing tight sleeves, ensure the watch is slim.
Knowing how to wear a watch with long sleeves can help you appear more fashion-forward and professional. Keep reading to learn some helpful tips!
Table of Contents
Top Tips for Wearing a Watch With Long Sleeves
When it comes to wearing a watch with long sleeves, there are different things to consider. Firstly, you must think about the outfit you’re wearing. For example, you wouldn’t want to wear a red watch with a pink shirt because the colors would likely clash.
To help you out, I’ll discuss some of the top tips for wearing a watch with long sleeves below.
Make Sure the Watch Matches Your Outfit
As I briefly mentioned at the beginning of this article, your watch must match your outfit (even if you wear long sleeves). Thankfully, many watches are neutral, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to match them to your clothes.
For example, a silver watch will likely go best with black, blue, and gray colors. So you won’t have to worry too much about matching your outfit if you have a silver watch.
If your watch doesn’t match your outfit, it will look distracting. Of course, it might not be noticeable a lot of the time if it’s covered by your long sleeves. But the clashing colors will be evident if you move your arms around or pull your sleeves up to check the time.
Wear a Slim Watch With Tight Sleeves
The type of watch you should wear will also depend on the tightness of your sleeves. For example, if your sleeves are loose, you can probably get away with wearing a chunky timepiece because the shape won’t be visible under the sleeves.
But if your sleeves are tight, the shape of certain watches will be visible. which isn’t a good look. This could make your wrist look swollen under your sleeve, which you certainly don’t want! To avoid a chunky shape, stick with a slim watch if you’re wearing tight-sleeved shirts.
Plus, many tight sleeves might not even fit over a chunky watch in the first place. You want the watch to be slim enough that your sleeves can go over it easily. If you have to tug at your sleeve to get it over the watch, it’s likely too tight for your watch.
Keep the Watch in the Right Place
Another important tip is to keep the watch positioned in the right spot on your wrist. It’s generally best to wear a watch above your wrist bone so that the end is slightly visible when wearing a long sleeve top.
However, this isn’t a set rule. You should wear a watch in the way that feels most comfortable for you. Most people like their watches to be slightly visible with long sleeves, so you should aim to have it peak through.
When wearing a watch with long sleeves, you shouldn’t place it too high up your wrist or arm. If you do, it will be harder to read and may look odd if it’s too far up.
Avoid Placing the Watch Over Your Sleeves
If you want to wear a watch with long sleeves, you should avoid placing it over the sleeves. You might be tempted to wear it over your sleeves if they’re tight, but in that case, you should wear a looser top or a slimmer watch.
The main reason to avoid placing a watch over your sleeves is that it looks odd and isn’t the traditional way to wear a watch. It might come across as desperate because it seems like you’re trying too hard to show off your watch!
Keep Sleeves Rolled Up if You Want the Watch To Be Visible
Roll up your sleeves instead of wearing the watch over them. However, you should only do this if your shirt looks good with the sleeves rolled up, as it may look odd with some shirts.
It’s generally best to keep expensive watches covered, especially when walking down the street. If you roll up your sleeves, you will draw more attention to the watch and may attract thieves or other unwanted attention.
Keeping your watch covered with long sleeves is best if you’re in a bad part of town. But if you’re in a safe place, it should be okay to keep it uncovered by rolling up the sleeve.
Ensure the Watch Is the Right Size
It should feel comfortable when you wear your watch. You shouldn’t become distracted by it being too tight, and it shouldn’t fall down, either. This is true whether you wear it with a long or short-sleeve shirt. A watch should be loose enough that you can fit your index finger under it.
If it’s too tight, you might need to have it adjusted. A watch that’s too tight feels uncomfortable and might look bad because it causes the surrounding skin to bulge out.
Your watch might be too tight if you wear it too low or high on your wrist or arm. Always make sure it’s in the best position under your long sleeve.
Best Way To Wear a Watch With a Suit
Although it’s generally not very visible, it’s essential to wear a watch correctly with a suit to ensure you look as professional and stylish as possible. When wearing a watch with a suit, you want the watch to be slightly visible (or not visible at all) while your hands are at your sides.
However, when you move or fold your arms, the watch should become fully (or almost entirely) visible. That way, you can view the time quickly and show the watch off subtly whenever you want.
Match the Watch With the Suit
Since your watch will be slightly visible when wearing a suit, you want to ensure it matches your outfit. Plus, you need to consider any other jewelry you may be wearing. For example, if you wear a gold watch, it’s best to stick with gold-colored jewelry to keep the tones similar.
If you want to be formal and wear a standard neutral suit, it’s good to stick with a classic dress watch. These go well with suits and generally have leather straps, so it’s easy to match them with neutral colors.
However, you might want to go with a more flashy watch if you’re wearing a bold-colored suit. For example, wearing a classic brown leather-strapped watch with a bold pink suit wouldn’t look great in most cases. Instead, a silver or gold watch might be more appropriate.
Is It Worth It To Wear a Watch With Long Sleeves?
It is worth it to wear a watch with long sleeves. Although the watch may not be visible under long sleeves, it will become visible when you move your arms around, and it’s a handy way to tell the time.
Placing the watch low enough on your wrist will make it slightly visible under your clothes. So, you can wear it as a high-end accessory to improve your look even if your sleeves are long!
Choosing the Right Watch and Shirt Makes It Worth It
If you don’t choose the correct watch and shirt, it might not be worth wearing one. For example, wearing a watch is not worth it if it’s so chunky that you can’t move your sleeve up to tell the time.
To make it worth it, you need to examine your watch collection and see which ones will go best with long sleeves.
Should a Watch Be Fully Covered Under Long Sleeves?
A watch should be fully covered under long sleeves, but it’s acceptable for it to be a little visible under the cuff. Your watch should only ever be partly visible when wearing long sleeves because it won’t look right otherwise.
If your watch is fully visible below your long sleeve or shirt cuff, it’s too low on your wrist. If you try to wear the watch higher, but it keeps falling down, you’ll need to remove some links to make it smaller. You can do this yourself or have it done by a watchmaker.
Conclusion
The best way to wear a watch with long sleeves is to ensure it matches your outfit. You should also make sure the watch is comfortable and fits you correctly.
Some of the most helpful tips to remember include wearing a slim watch if your sleeves are tight, sticking with classic dress watches if wearing a standard neutral-colored suit. You should also aavoid wearing a watch over long sleeves, and ensure that your timepiece is only slightly visible when your hands are to the sides.
