am approaching 30 and need to cover upper arms what can I wear

[piklepants]

This is more of a summer problem I'd love to go round in vest tops but I don't like my upper arms bein seen so tend to have to add cardigans and end up boiling or year clothes from marks and sparks designed for hiding bingo wings and so aging. Any ideas??

Can't believe how few people answered your question!

My friend with a similar problem used to wear lots of shrugs , I guess because these just cover arms and not back or sides they must be cooler than cardigans. I have one of these:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004VSCTZG
And it is very light weight, and cheap enough to buy several in different colours.

DONT APOLOGISE FOR YOUR BODY.
BUt saying that I think best tips are extreme casual only. Get some cap sleeves tops or wider strap tips - like tanks.

Right, I am coming round to whack some of you over the head with a rolled up copy of 'Spare Rib'.

Are you all going to wear bags over your heads once you hit forty?

"Can't believe how few people answered your question!"

That was because we all made the incorrect assumption that the OP was self conscious about the size of her arms, me included.

Ah sorry, Op I had missed your post and was responding to others. Many apologies.

Is it upper arm only or elbows and below too?

I have KP on my upper arms, and being pale and burning-prone means that covering up is just safer for me (I go sleeveless when it's warm but not high summer hot iyswim). Kaftan-type tops are good, and cool as long as they're 100% cotton or linen, but tbh it'd be hard to find them in shops at the moment. However if there are any Asian/Muslim clothes shops near you, they will sell them and the plainer ones will look fine and not like dressing up iyswim.

Try here and maybe size up by one or two sizes so they're looser? As you can see the plain ones just look like normal tops.

Ok summer dressing: Personally I would avoid obvious cover-ups as they tend to scream 'I hate my arms'. I would keep your top half simple: understated long or 3/4 sleeve Ts or shirts are also relatively ageless. Cotton or linen gets less sweaty than synthetics but I'm sure you know that already. You need to look everywhere really, over the last few years I've found them in Uniqlo, TK Maxx, Gap, Boden. If you like white or navy then White Company are expensive but tend to be good quality. A lot of people rate H&M Ts although they have too much lycra for my liking. White Stuff aren't my normal cup of tea but they do a plain, very fitted L/S shirt in a stretchy cotton in a variey of colours.

Then you can team them with shorts, interesting skirts and shoes that will hopefully feel a bit more summery.

Great thanks some useful info here. It's mainly the tops I need to hide of my arms and if I had any idea how annoying this was going to be for me now I would have sorted the problem out at the time but I can't change that now. I will do as suggested and nearer the summer time trawl the shops and grab a few suitable bits to get me through. I am starting to feel so envious of people in pretty test tops I must admit:-/ thanks for links!

Vest tops doh!! Silly phone

Hijabi style blogs are a good source of inspiration.

OP, are you any good at sewing? This might sound naff but can look really nice - get some chiffon type floaty sheer fabric (or even lace) and sew sleeves onto a couple of sleeveless tops. Doesn't have to be anything fancy or complicated and shouldn't be too warm as a cover-up, cooler than a cardigan anyway. I've seen loads of tops like this in shops so if you can't/won't sew, you should be able to find something... good luck!

I have a constant hunt for nice alternatives to standard T shirts as my shoulders burn really easily.

Sorry op but your op was ambiguous.

Hope you find some nice tops for this summer.

I'm 57, I don't give my arms a thought, they look OK to me. I'd never dream of being hot, uncomfortable or spending money to cover them up.

LittleBaby KP improves hugely with sunshine - also try Flexitol (the foot stuff) or any other cream with urea in it and it will be gone.

I have surgical scars on one arm, and also need to keep it warm due to the nerve damage. I wear Wingz quite a bit as I can add sleeves to anything without being hot or bulky. My friend who has lupus and has to cover her skin from the sun wears them too

Wow thanks I'd never heard of these wings!!pounds like a joke but look v interesting I'm going to look into a bit more! Also thanks Stella face I do have a sewing machine I've been meaning to dust off and get creative with and like u say Smit a bit of sheer fabric I may be able to transform some my little vest tops for summer. I probably should have put more info in op I just feel very embarrassed about it.

When you are approaching 60 you will look back an laugh. You'll regret limiting yourself so early. You'll have another 60 years permamently in sleeves if you start now. Do push ups, planks and tricep dips if it bothers you that much. Its highly unlikely you have bingo wings.

I suggest you get full sleeve tattoos on both arms.
That will hide your arms in any outfit.
I'm not even joking.

Op I'm the same 30 and I haven't worn short sleeves or no sleeves for years. I spend my summer waiting for the winter.

Have you considered skin camouflage? linky

For tops though, I quite like sheer shirts over a vest top. Primark do nice plain ones. I also got a lovely one from Wallis with butterflies on it which has attracted a few comments. Similar to this sort of thing shirt

I don't need to hide my arms, but my legs have scarring from a weirdy skin thing while pg, and I use Sally hanson airbrush tights as kind of foundation to cover it. I think that might work for your arms too.

Good luck sorting it! :)

I'm a pale skinned ginger so I keep my arms covered in the sun so I don't need to keep reapplying sun screen. I also don't get my legs out for the same reason. AND wear a hat most of the time. My friends call me Joan Collins.

Anyway tend to wear a lose linen shirt, open, over a nice vest top. (I often size up so it looks properly lose instead of just undone). I also have range of loose threaded (sorry don't know how better to describe) waterfall cardigans. My faves are from M&S and Dorothy Perkins and high linen content. I tend to steer away from kaftan type tops because I'm too busty so they don't look great on me.

Op we're the ones who should be apologising, not you.

Ah vest tops ... This is just my opinion - and adjusting any stuff you already have is a great idea - but I would say no to the pretty-tops-with-a cardigan route. Not only will you be sweltering, they never look quite right with that cardigan and every time you wear them you will feel annoyed about it.

I think the trick is to look elsewhere for that vest top feeling. It will depend on what suits you but, if you have the legs, I think shorts with a long sleeved top look really good. Or there are always lovely shoes and sandals around in the summer. Or great sunglasses ... Find something that will still make you think 'Yay summer!' and help you walk past those vest tops without a second glance.

Wow thanks I'd never heard of these wings!!pounds like a joke but look v interesting I'm going to look into a bit more! Also thanks Stella face I do have a sewing machine I've been meaning to dust off and get creative with and like u say Smit a bit of sheer fabric I may be able to transform some my little vest tops for summer. I probably should have put more info in op I just feel very embarrassed about it.

That shirt looks nice Chopstheduck