Raglan Sleeve: 4 Characteristics of Raglan Shirts

Raglan sleeves are shirt sleeves with diagonal seams from the neckline to the underarm area, creating a long, continuous sleeve from the collarbone to the hem. In contrast, the more common set-in sleeve extends from a shoulder seam. Raglan sleeves have a wider underarm fitting than set-in sleeves and offer an increased range of motion, which makes short- and long-sleeve raglan tees popular in sports uniforms, especially in shirts for baseball players. Raglan sleeve shirts are sometimes called baseball tees.

Raglan-style sleeves are common in a variety of unisex tops, including raglan sleeve T-shirts, blouses, cardigans, pullover sweaters, hoodies, and sweatshirts. Here are four characteristics of raglan sleeve shirts, common in baseball T-shirts and blouses for formal events:

1. 1. Colorblocking: Raglan T-shirts can come in any color, but their long, continuous stretches of sleeve fabric make them popular candidates for color blocking. The body of the crew neck shirt is often white, with the sleeves a contrasting color like black, navy, or red.
2. 2. Comfortable fit around armhole: The additional space around the armpit makes raglan sleeves popular in baseball jerseys and other sportswear that requires greater freedom of movement.
3. 3. Diagonal seams: Raglan sleeves have long, diagonal seams that begin at the neckline and extend underneath the underarm, while the seam of set-in sleeves is shorter and makes a simple loop from the top of the shoulder to underneath the underarm.
4. 4. Three-quarter sleeve length: Length varies for this type of sleeve—raglan shirts can come in short sleeves or long sleeves—but the three-quarter length sleeve is a classic fit for raglan sleeve baseball tees.

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