All of the little details count, so consider the various cuffoptions when designinga dress shirt. Below is a breakdown of the decisions you can make.
Barrel Cuff vs French Cuff
The first step is to decide if you’d like to go for a Barrel Cuff or French Cuff. You’ll need cuff links or cuff knots to close your French Cuffs, whereas Barrel Cuffs havesimple button closures. French cuffs are definitely more formal and are the natural choice if you’re buying a tuxedo shirt or wedding shirt.
Some guys love French Cuffs, others love Barrel Cuffs. Typically French Cuffs will be “more work” and be more of a statement, whereas Barrel Cuffs are more common and subtle.
One Button vs Two Button
If you want a Barrel Cuff, the next choice is whether you’d like a one-button or two-button cuff. One-button cuffs are a little more subtle and shorter in length than their two-button counterparts. Those who want a slightly more formal look should consider the longer, two-button cuffs—also think about these if you have particularly long arms.
Long One Button vs Standard One Button
If you’re going with a one button barrel cuff, consider our new, slightly longer version, which clocks in at 2.875”. Inspired by the cuffs common among the great Neapolitan shirtmakers, our long one button cuff is super balanced and is especially recommended for guys with arms over 34” (though it looks great on all, and comes in both fused and soft versions). Put it on any shirt you’d wear with a standard one button cuff.
Rounded vs Mitered vs Straight Cuffs
Some cuffs are rounded, others are mitered, and some have a straight cuff end. Rounded cuffs are most common and subtle, whereas mitered are generally considered more elegant and formal. The straight edge cuff is alesscommon barrel cuff design, but can be great on a casual shirt.
Fused Construction vs Soft Construction
Similar to collars and plackets, one can get their cuffs in acrisp, fused construction or a soft, unfused construction. We typically suggest keeping construction consistent with collar and placket—if you have a fused collar, get a fused cuff. Fused is a better choice for a shirt meant to be worn in business contexts, while soft construction is ideal for casual wear or a more ‘sprezzy’ dressy look.
Click here for more information on all of our available cuff styles.
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FAQs
We typically suggest keeping construction consistent with collar and placket—if you have a fused collar, get a fused cuff. Fused is a better choice for a shirt meant to be worn in business contexts, while soft construction is ideal for casual wear or a more 'sprezzy' dressy look.
How should dress shirt cuffs fit? ›
A cuff should be snug enough that it won't slide more than a half-inch beyond the wrist bone even if the sleeve length is longer. A bit of excess sleeve length actually works to prevent cuffs from receding too far when the arms are raised, blousing slightly around the cuffs when the arms are at rest.
Are French cuffs still in style? ›
French cuff shirts are the standard for black-tie eventing and a staple in men's formal business wear. That's if you want to stick to the strictest of rules. But, of course, fashion has changed over the last decades, and we've seen both a surge of interest in men's fashion (finally) and a relaxing of the rules.
What is the difference between French cuff and regular shirt cuffs? ›
Our most formal cuff, the French cuff is twice as long as regular cuffs and is folded back on itself and closed with cuff links. French cuffs have a very pronounced look and we usually pair them with our more debonair collar styles or formal shirts.
How wide should cuffs be? ›
The cuff width should be between 1.5” (3.8cm) to 2” (5cm). If you're on the shorter side, get the cuff as close to 1.5″ (3.8cm) as possible. If you're on the taller side, go for 2″ (5cm). This will maintain the proper promotions for your body type.
Can you wear a French cuff with a regular suit? ›
By all means, wear French cuffs under a suit jacket, but keep in mind you can also wear them under a sweater or a blazer as long as there is enough wrist space to accommodate the extra fabric from the cuffs.
Do men still wear cuffs? ›
Men with a lean and tall body type, it's your time to be in the limelight with cuffs on pleated pants. It'll instantly accentuate your proportions and bring in a healthy body-to-torso balance. Besides, it's a laid-back approach to stand out in the crowd, since they're just getting into a trend nowadays.
When to use a French cuff? ›
French cuffs are appropriate for formal, black-tie, and tuxedo events. And unlike barrel cuffs, we do not recommend pairing French cuffs with jeans, as you should only wear them with dress slacks or tuxedos.
Which cuff should be monogrammed? ›
On a shirt, the left cuff is where you would place a monogram. Fold the cuff in half and, on the side with the buttonhole, measure one inch in from the fold, and 1/2 inch from the bottom of the cuff. Mark this point; this is where your monogram will be sewn. The size of the lettering should be approximately 1/4 inch.
What is a Swedish cuff? ›
Swedish Cuff. The Swedish cuff has a horizontal panel around the circumference of the cuff, with two buttons. The cuff is piped in the Army Corps color. As with the other Regiments of the Army, NCOs wore silver or gilt lace around the collar and cuffs from the rank of Unteroffizier and above.
Soft French Cuff
A more relaxed version of the classic square french cuff. The soft, unfused interlining gives this an easy-going appeal. Measures 2.875″ long when folded back.
How do I choose a cuff? ›
SELECTING A CUFF SIZE
- Measure Your Patient's Arm. Wrap a tape measure around the patient's bicep, at mid-arm to determine the arm circumference (typically measured in cm).
- Select a Cuff Size Based on Arm Circumference. The ideal cuff bladder length is ≥ 80 percent of the patient's arm circumference. ...
- Manage Devices.
A It would not be at all wrong and, yes, you can certainly have your conventional button-cuffed shirts (known as barrel cuffs) changed into French cuffs so you can wear your cuff links on them. It makes sense to alter some of the shirts you own to accommodate a nice collection of cuff links.
What do French cuffs look like? ›
As we already mentioned, French cuffs feature a length of fabric that is folded back upon itself and then fastened together with cufflinks, There are holes on both sides of the cuff going through all the layers of fabric. In other words, most French cuffs will typically have four holes in total to a cuff.
How much should a shirt cuff show? ›
Assuming your suit jacket fits properly, though, it shouldn't conceal all of your dress shirt. Rather, you should still be able to see some of your shirt cuffs exposed at the end of the sleeves. Most fashion experts agree that 1/4 to 1/2 inch is an appropriate amount of shirt cuffs to show when wearing a suit.
Should dress shirt sleeves be baggy? ›
Generally speaking, the sleeves should be slim enough to look clean, but not so tight as to cause discomfort under the armpit or at the elbow. Clients used to a more “generous” shirt cut generally prefer a wider Sleeve Width.
