Sparky, I've worn sheer long-sleeved blouses as well as basic black turtlenecks under sleeveless dresses. Works fine. Looks good as long as the blouse/shirt in question drapes well or is form-fitting.

Wraps can be nice and warm over a sleeveless dress too.

Wraps can be nice and warm over a sleeveless dress too.

I do have some nice lace wraps that I can use -- I'm just being cranky about it. Why should I have to carry something else? Can't I have some options? Sometimes I don't want diamond shoes, I want emeralds!

Why do people come to do research at the library without a pen or paper?

Because everything is in the computer these days.

Duh.

I like the wrap thing, but that's because the SoCal weather flummoxes me so. I think I have only one dressy dress with sleeves--I'd have to go the separates route to get them. Or wrap, to get me past sunset, or just standing in the shade.

The apartment complex has an indoor lap pool.

It's more that I'm swimming with a friend than the actual swimming itself.

Ah, gotcha. So, 10 p.m., then? I'll have to make some coffee.

Because everything is in the computer these days.

Oh, right. I forgot. I'll just tell her to pick a book off the shelf and rip out the pages for scrap paper. But she ain't gettin' her hands on my Hello Kitty pen.

I wonder: how many women deliberately choose sleeveless dressy stuff over sleeved? The ones I know, both skinny and non, grumble that the sleeve issue makes shopping more traumatic. I can think of lots of beautiful outfits I passed on because I feel much better with some parts decently covered. Clearly the designers are not paying attention to what we actually buy.

I recall an era where all the plus-size clothing available consisted of giant knee-length polyester/rayon smock-tents apparently constructed to be sure everyone could see the wearer at 500 yards: they had an appalling combination of floral, plaid, glitter, sequins, rickrack and other stuff. Loud loud loud loud ugly. I never once saw anyone wearing one of those awful things, and the racks were full of that crap for about three years in a row. I thought it was particularly funny that most of them had arm-holes cut down to the waist, guaranteeing chafing and BO.

If given the choice, I choose something that is boatnecked and drapey sleeves.

how many women deliberately choose sleeveless dressy stuff over sleeved?

Me, I don't care. Everything else is never equal. Sometimes the prettiest best-fitting dress has sleeves, sometimes it doesn't. I don't consider arms to be a factor in decent coverage. For a dressy outfit, "decent" is cleavage (front and side) and legs.