Cuff advice/size for vintage look.

[Matt Crunk]

I need a bit of help/advice in the suit department. I purchased a suit a few months back that is a fairly close modern interpretation of Bogart's three-piece Navy Pinstripe from Dark Passage. I'm just getting around to having it hemmed this week and I'm trying to figure out what size to make the cuff to closely approximate the actual Bogie suit, and to also be typical of the '40s era.

Today I told the seamstress I wanted the pants hemmed to .5" shy of the heel of my shoe, with a 1.25" cuff, but now I'm second guessing myself. Does that sound about right going by the photo below of Bogie's actual suit? I'm also having the sleeves hemmed to end exactly at the bottom of the wrist bone. So what do you think? does all that sound about right?

At this point it would only take a phone call to change things. Thanks for the help.

 

[Rabbit]

This is a 1.5" cuff, or a tad wider, maybe 1 5/8". Depending on your preferences you would normally choose between 1.5" to 1.75" cuff, although wider and narrower cuffs are still an option.
I'm 5'8" (I think Bogart was 5'7" or 5'8") and usually opt for 4cm cuffs, that's a tad wider than 1.5".

The trouser length is a matter of preference. I prefer vintage wide-legged trousers to barely touch the shoe front, resulting in a minimum break in front and of course no break in the back, where the hem still covers the leather uppers about a finger wide.
When walking, this means that the trousers will lift themselves to reveal the socks like a flash. As you pace forward, this trouser length is sufficient to cause an easily visible break in front, disappearing as you lift the foot.

Some prefer a more pronounced break in front which is perhaps most pleasing to the eye if you're tall, and less so if you're of medium or short height.

The arm cuff ideally ends exactly at the point where the wrist bends, and the shirt can extend beyond that between nil and half an inch when standing.

 

[herringbonekid]

like Rabbit, i would also go for 1 5/8" to 1.75" for cuff width on a suit like that.

Today I told the seamstress I wanted the pants hemmed to .5" shy of the heel of my shoe,

i wouldn't worry about the distance of the cuff from the heel primarily... get the front right first.
for a wide leg trouser i advise allowing the front to hit the shoe and have a slight break. it's normal to angle the back down slightly but just a tad (i.e 0.5")

 

[Matt Crunk]

This is a 1.5" cuff, or a tad wider, maybe 1 5/8". Depending on your preferences you would normally choose between 1.5" to 1.75" cuff, although wider and narrower cuffs are still an option.
I'm 5'8" (I think Bogart was 5'7" or 5'8") and usually opt for 4cm cuffs, that's a tad wider than 1.5".

The trouser length is a matter of preference. I prefer vintage wide-legged trousers to barely touch the shoe front, resulting in a minimum break in front and of course no break in the back, where the hem still covers the leather uppers about a finger wide.
When walking, this means that the trousers will lift themselves to reveal the socks like a flash. As you pace forward, this trouser length is sufficient to cause an easily visible break in front, disappearing as you lift the foot.

Some prefer a more pronounced break in front which is perhaps most pleasing to the eye if you're tall, and less so if you're of medium or short height.

The arm cuff ideally ends exactly at the point where the wrist bends, and the shirt can extend beyond that between nil and half an inch when standing.

Thanks so much Rabbit, for your input. This is very helpful.