French Cuff Puzzle

[Talbot]

Not to hijack the thread...

but I didn't see the point of starting a new one when this was close to what I was going to ask.

I have several shirts with french cuffs as well as conventional cuffs. Sleeve length for the french cuff shirts I have is always longer than the sleeve length for conventional cuffs. French cuff sleeves are usually about 1 1/2 inches longer than conventional.

Is this intentional, or is it a size availability thing?

We have a lot less size options down under than in the US, eg when you buy trousers here (even bluejeans) they don't come in leg length sizes, they must be tailored to your height.

One thing I cannot abide is my shirt sleeves being too long. Why are french cuff shirts cut this way?

 

[HodgePodge]

but I didn't see the point of starting a new one when this was close to what I was going to ask.

I have several shirts with french cuffs as well as conventional cuffs. Sleeve length for the french cuff shirts I have is always longer than the sleeve length for conventional cuffs. French cuff sleeves are usually about 1 1/2 inches longer than conventional.

Is this intentional, or is it a size availability thing?

We have a lot less size options down under than in the US, eg when you buy trousers here (even bluejeans) they don't come in leg length sizes, they must be tailored to your height.

One thing I cannot abide is my shirt sleeves being too long. Why are french cuff shirts cut this way?

Hummm...Are the shirts sized simply by 'Small/Medium/Large' or are they sized by Neck circumference and a measurement like 34/35?

 

[Talbot]

The shirts are sized by neck circumference. I take a 43, which is a think about a 17 1/2 in US sizing.

I have no problem with 43 shirts with conventional cuff, but somehow my arms need to be longer for french cuffs

 

[HodgePodge]

The shirts are sized by neck circumference. I take a 43, which is a think about a 17 1/2 in US sizing.

I have no problem with 43 shirts with conventional cuff, but somehow my arms need to be longer for french cuffs

I'm stumped, then. Is it the same with more than one brand's french cuffs, or is it just with one brand? Some companies insist on making terribly blousey shirts.

I pulled all but one my french cuffed shirts out (only have 6, but all from different companies) and compared them against a barrel cuff shirt in the same sizing, and in most cases the sleeves are the same, a few of the french cuffed ones actually came in a bit short.

What is usually recommended to me is to go a half-size down, 17 in this case, and have the top button moved over just a touch for tie wear. I do it to cut down on the amount of blousey, un-tuckable nonsense I don't generally have a jacket on to hide; but it might also help in the sleeve length dept.

 

[C.M. Albrecht]

Well, I won't know how comfortable it is until I wear it, but I like the cut, the neck is generous (a rarity for me) and the sleeves aren't insanely long (also rare for me).

I recently decided to get a little more dressy now and anon, and have four dress shirts (two white for funerals and weddings) with French Cuffs. Three have the double holes on the inside arms, and my best guess so far is that this brings the inner part of the cuff higher, accentuating the outer part and also perhaps protecting the inner part from beer stains. My only gripe and the reason I've hesitated since I was a kid, was that I hated the cufflink on the outside and nothing on the inside. Well! Recently at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, I hit what — for me was the jackpot. A lovely pair of rectangular, enameled cufflinks with little harlequins on them and a short chain connecting the front to the back so when you're wearing them (I'd better not catch you wearing them!) they're the same on either side. Right now, they're one of my most prized possessions. I've never seen any for sale in stores. These came from the UK. When I wear those puppies, I feel like a bigshot.

 

[Anthony_Eden]

Hi, for the 2 holes system, I have several English or French shirts with that, and it is quite useful. In a perfect world, we would all wear bespoke shirts and suits but that's unfortunately not the case (at least for me) and both the shirts and suits varies in sleeve lengths... Hence the habits to know which shirt goes best with which suit for having the slight but not too much shirt peeking out of the jacket sleeve... Also when it comes to cufflinks you can let the shirt's sleeve a little longer out for the cufflinks to be seen. It is one of my drama, to have too long suit sleeves, and therefore even with 1 to 1,5 cm of shirt cuff showing, people often never catch a proper glimpse of them. Hope that helps...