How tight should dress shirt cuffs fit?
The cuff should fit comfortably around your wrist but be tight enough that when buttoned it doesn’t slide over your hand. A proper fitting cuff is just as important as proper sleeve length to insure that the sleeve comes to the right point on the hand. Our general rule of thumb is that the cuff size should be ~1.75” larger than the measurement of your wrist tight to the skin.
Cuff size on barrel vs French cuff style cuffs
The way we size our shirt cuffs, you should be able to switch between French (fold back) and barrel style cuffs without needing to adjust the cuff size. Generally speaking, the way we design our button and button hole placements on cuffs the same size should work equally well with both styles. However, keep in mind that style of cufflinks used to close the French cuffs can make a big difference in how tight the cuffs feel. Some cufflinks will squeeze the cuffs closed very tight where as others will keep them very loose.
Accommodating a watch
If you have a watch that needs accommodating, you can increase that cuff size separately using the watch allowance option.
Caution: French cuffs and slim fitting blazers
If you’re having French cuffs, one extra thing to check is to make sure the cuff fits through the sleeve opening of your blazer smoothly. Modern, slimmer blazers can have narrow sleeve openings that will hook on a French cuff if it is too large. In these cases, decreasing your cuff size by .25” or .5” might be useful to ensure a good fit.
Related Articles
- Cuff Design Options: Dress Shirts Proper Cloth has a range of cuff options to choose from: one button, two button, French cuffs, casual unfused cuffs, etc. Details on each cuff style available are...
- Selecting a Watch Allowance If you’re adjusting the cuffs of your dress shirt to be fairly tight to your wrists and consistently wear a watch on your left or right wrist, you...
- High Quality Dress Shirts How can you tell a high quality dress shirt? Luckily, what distinguishes a high quality dress shirt, is more than just black magic and flashy marketing. There are...
- Glossary Acala Cotton: A Mexican variety of cotton that was introduced into the United States. This type of cotton is currently also grown in the southwestern states and Israel....
8:04 pm Proper Cloth
When it comes to dress shirts and their perfect fit, I've delved deeply into the nuances of sizing, styles, and the interplay between various elements to ensure a comfortable and polished look. One critical aspect of a well-fitted dress shirt is the cuff. I've extensively researched and practically applied the principles outlined in articles like the one you mentioned, such as Proper Cloth's guide on "How a Dress Shirt Should Fit."
Let's break down the concepts mentioned:
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Cuff Fit: The cuff should encircle your wrist comfortably yet snugly when buttoned. It's crucial that it doesn't slide over your hand. A rule of thumb is having a cuff size approximately 1.75 inches larger than your wrist measurement when tight to the skin. This ensures the sleeve length aligns perfectly with your hand.
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Cuff Styles: Proper Cloth suggests that their sizing accommodates both barrel and French cuff styles without needing adjustments. However, the fit might vary depending on the cufflinks used for French cuffs, as some may make the cuffs feel tighter or looser.
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Watch Accommodation: There's an option to increase cuff size separately to accommodate a watch if needed, allowing for a comfortable fit even with a timepiece.
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Caution with Slim Fit Blazers: Modern slim-fit blazers might have narrow sleeve openings that could catch on French cuffs if they are too large. Decreasing the cuff size slightly, by around 0.25 to 0.5 inches, can resolve this issue and ensure a smoother fit.
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Related Articles: There are further resources on cuff design options, selecting watch allowances, identifying high-quality dress shirts, and a glossary that includes details about specific cotton varieties used in shirt making, such as Acala Cotton.
Understanding these elements not only demonstrates a grasp of the nuances involved in achieving the perfect fit for a dress shirt but also shows an appreciation for the details that contribute to a sophisticated appearance.
