style tip: get your roll on

As a personal stylist, our job is not just about the pieces we select for our clients, but how they wear those pieces. Some of the most common questions I get are about how to roll…roll jeans, roll shirt sleeves, roll jacket sleeves…you name it. Don’t underestimate the power of a good roll; it can instantly change the silhouette and overall vibe of your look.

Here are a few rolls that I most commonly incorporate into my clients’ looks and how to recreate them yourself.

The Blazer Jacket Roll
It’s not technically a roll, but I do love pushed-up jacket sleeves. When scrunched, they make a suited look less boxy, less stuffy. Plus, here’s a secret: pushing up your jacket sleeve to your elbow draws attention to your waistline and can make your legs look longer. This works particularly well if you are wearing a longer boyfriend-style blazer that elongates your torso.

So how do you keep that darn sleeve up? One trick that editorial stylists like to use is to put a rubber band right above the crook of your elbow and push up the sleeve to scrunch over the rubber band. It’s a great trick, but beware of the too-tight rubber band.

I personally like the large-one-cuff-fold-and-push-up-method. Especially fun if you have a pretty lining on the inside of your blazer.

The Shirt Sleeve Roll
With chambray shirts as a closet essential, we have rolled many a female client’s shirt sleeve. My favorite way to do it is to fold once so that the shirt cuff actually hits your bicep. Then roll once more from the bottom so that it covers up to the edge of the cuff.

The Boyfriend Jean Roll
The boyfriend jean has been one of my favorite denim silhouettes since it showed up several years ago. When you pull a boyfriend jean off the rack, the manufacturer/designer has usually pre-rolled the jeans in a very perfect two-fold cufff, which honestly, is all wrong. Boyfriend jeans are supposed to have a bit of an undone look. So pull that cuff down and start over. First roll is a larger 2-inch or so roll, then roll on top of that twice to create a “band” right above your ankle.

And a special thank you to my photographer for this post whose favorite was the rubberband trick.

Happy rolling!

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Rosana Vollmerhausen

Founder, Chief Stylist | DC Style Factory

http://dcstylefactory.com/

dcstylefactory@gmail.com

Rosana has 18 years of fashion and retail experience. Her team has worked on more than 1,500 closets and wardrobes since she launched DC Style Factory 10 years ago. She has been featured by the New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Washingtonian Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, and more. Her clients include U.S. politicians, lobbyists, authors, lawyers, and corporate executives.

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DC Style Factory is a personal shopping and styling service for men and women looking to add polish and individuality to their wardrobes. We believe personal style is for anyone who wants it — regardless of age, size or budget.

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