Wear your heart on your sleeve means to show your emotions openly, rather than hiding them. If someone is easy to read, cries easily, or clearly shows love, hurt, or excitement, this expression often fits.
The phrase is usually linked to medieval customs. In tournaments or courtly settings, a knight might wear a lady’s favor on his sleeve, such as a ribbon or scarf. That visible token showed admiration or loyalty in public. Over time, the image became a metaphor for displaying feelings where everyone can see them.
Today, the meaning is broader and less romantic. It can describe anyone who is emotionally open.
- He wears his heart on his sleeve means he does not hide his feelings well.
- She wears her heart on her sleeve suggests her emotions are easy to notice.
A useful contrast is someone who is guarded or hard to read. That person does the opposite. So the expression is not really about clothing now. It is about emotional openness, using an old image of feelings being displayed in plain sight.