Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Cuffs

Photo by Salt Water New England 
Mr. Green opted for cuffs; Mr. Douglas did not.

Reader Question for the Community:
Are there any hard and fast rules when it comes to cuffs for Men's pants?  Which pants should be cuffed?  Is there an official size?  Does it differ for grey flannel trousers, suits, and khakis?  Are there other specific instructions or considerations?


28 comments:

  1. Always cuffed (except for blue jeans, if worn - some of us are guilty of the affectation of never wearing them as a mild form of protest) and the standard cuff is 1.5 inches.

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  2. Cuffs, no break has always been the rule. Gentlemen always wear cuffs.

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  3. Pants worn with boots don't always call for cuffs (aka turn-ups).
    Nor do thick whale corduroy pants. 2 inches in some quarters is the standard.

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  4. Agree with first two posts 1 1/2 inch cuffs on dress pants and khakis
    not jeans but who wears those anyway
    and no break

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  5. I prefer 1 5/8" at a minimum. And I always cuff my corduroys.

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  6. Pleated pant always cuff. No break. I go 2" if a suit pant.
    1.5 is OK on casual pleated khakis.
    Plain front suit pant always cuff.
    Plain front khakis (optional/cuff or no cuff)
    These are the rules I lived with but then again I worn suits in the 1970's and 1980's.
    Now I just wear khaki uncuffed. Or gray Corbin's cuffed.

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  7. I miss Muffy's voice.

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    Replies
    1. What do you mean? Where's Muffy?

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    2. I think this person is referring to is Muffy's take on things, her opinion. I miss it too.

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    3. Count me in as well. Also miss her pretty smile.

      Also, cuffed pants are great, but they can make a shorter man look even shorter.

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  8. Cuffs on suits....on khaki's? No, don't work with cowboy boots. ( I'm in Texas)

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  9. Cuffs on all dress pants and most khakis. One and one-half inches is the standard. I prefer a very slight break.

    Aiken

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  10. In my opinion, there are no "hard and fast rules."

    I think pleated pants look good cuffed, while plain fronts don't need them.
    I also think that cuffs look much better on a tall man.
    On a short man, not so much.

    Use common sense. Do what makes you look and feel good as an individual.
    There are almost no rules anymore.

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  11. I'm going to buck the trend and say, as a general rule, no cuffs. While you might get away with them on single-pleat, dress-casual pants, definitely not on dress suit pants, tuxedo pants, or plain-front casual khakis.

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    Replies
    1. Cuffs on "dress suit pants" and plain-front casual khakis isn't "the trend," it's the standard of traditional dressing. The notion of "no cuffs" as a "general rule" is the trend—an unfortunate one at that.

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  12. While it's true that "there are no hard and fast rules" (I would have thought that was stating the obvious), for the last 50 years cuffs have been a staple of the traditional American/Ivy look.

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    1. Agreed. You'd think that shouldn't even need to be said, particularly on this blog.

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  13. Definitely cuffs. With both traditional dress pants & casual khakis.

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  14. Always wear cuffs. 1and 3/4inches. They look silly on skinny pants tho. But skinny pants look silly anyway.

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  15. Almost always. No break. 4.5cm. Not with a dinner jacket or white tie or dungarees or 5-pocket cords.

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  16. American sartorial terms are very amusing. It was funny to see the reaction of Cordings' salesmen yesterday when the American customers (lots in London over the last few days) asked for their pants to be cuffed.

    British gentlemen do not wear turn-ups on our trousers. Cuffs are only worn on the end of our shirt sleeves. A few iGents may wear turn-back cuffs on their suit jackets but that's a silly affectation of those copying Sean Connery's James Bond.

    Some British men wear pants under their trousers. Gentlemen generally prefer boxer shorts, often bought from their shirtmaker in or near Jermyn Street in St James's - convenient for their club round the corner.

    So if you are calling Cordings from the US, remember to order trousers (not pants) and ask for turn-ups (not cuffs) if you want them.

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    1. Oh Ken, your deadly-earnest, profoundly fussy, terribly middle-class obsession with how Americans are processing your silly British factoids is also very amusing. You've had me in stitches since your ranting and raving about the colour of Barack Obama's suits, and whether or not he's "a gentleman." Thanks for all the information, and particularly your thoughts on the underpants favoured by British men. You have all the answers for all the questions no one ever asked you.

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    2. I was also confused at first. I was actually looking at Mr Green's shirt cuffs which are showing from under his jacket sleeves, where Mr Douglas has no shirt cuff showing. It was only when I read the question that I realised the cuffs in this case were the turn-ups on Mr Green's trousers. Here in England I haven't seen a pair of turned-up dress trousers since the late 1980s. The turn-up is more of a casual thing here and you will most likely see them on jeans, chinos and cords.

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  17. Ken,

    Thank you for your advice. American men have been wearing cuffs about as long as British men have not. To most real American gentlemen, cuffs are a necessity. Boxers are another way to tell a real gentleman. Brooks Brothers used to offer them in the same Oxford cloth as their shirts. Who knows what Brooks will try to sell now. Even skinny pants!

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  18. I vastly prefer what is known as the American look over the English or Italian small style cues otherwise know as sartorial details in all matters of mens dress like cuffs, venting, waist suppression or lack of. Just my personal preference and what l feel looks good on me. But the boots worn with the narrow pant leg in the photo on Douglass look ridiculous. I couldn't imagine cuffs would help it any?

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