what is sleeve length

Sleeve length is a measurement used to determine the length of a shirts sleeve. It is not always based on arm length, as shirt sleeves do not end at the same spot on the shoulder and each person has different shoulder widths. The shape of the sleeve armhole also affects the shoulder measurement, which affects the sleeve measurement. Clothing designers measure sleeve length from the center back of the neck, over the top of the shoulder, and down to the point where the hand starts to widen at the wrist. The actual measurement of the arm is only measured from the top of the shoulder to the bottom of the wrist and is often used for casual shirt sizing. To measure sleeve length, one can measure from the top of the center back (at the spine) to the end of the shoulder at the top of the arm, and then measure from the shoulder to just past the wrist bone to where the shirt cuff should sit. The two measurements are added together and rounded up to the nearest available sleeve length.