French cuff shirts

[Classics]

I am, within the next week or so, buying my first French cuff shirt (and so cuff links as well). Any advice?

 

[CharlestonBows]

1 - Firstly, make sure you know your correct neck size. This is paramount. Fullness in the body can be darted, long sleeves can be shortened. But the neck size is the foundation. General rule is to be able to put 2 fingers inside the buttoned collar -- generally, if your associate knows how to use a tape he'll smartly add to your actual size enough to compensate. (My technique: put my finger inside the tape around your neck, and then add another half-inch. This helps with fit, as well as the dreaded shrinkage!).

2 - Ensure that the cuff isn't huge around the wrist. Some producers think "french cuff" means "massive floppy cuff". Usually, one of the sleeve cuffs is on top of the folded shirt, so you can examine it rather easily.

The shirt cuff should fit snugly - not tightly - around the wrist. If you wear a larger sport watch (Rolex, Breitling, etc.), make sure you have room. Better yet, wear a more formal, low profile watch. Double cuffs are more dressy, so should be your watch. Further, if the double cuff is cut too large, it'll get stuck in your jacket sleeve. Not a good thing.

My personal recommendation: go white. Nothing fancy, nothing fast - just white. The collar should be tasteful and classic - windsor spread or dress medium (depending on your facial dimensions), with a slightly higher collar band, so that the collar sits up where it is intended to be.

Just a few basic pointers from me - others?

 

[Classics]

...
Just a few basic pointers from me - others?

Thank you.

Any advice on links? I was planning a gold pair and a silver pair, to match belts et al., and a simple design, something geometric.

Also- to pair with a day cravat, should I get a narrower spread?

 

[CharlestonBows]

Thank you.

Any advice on links? I was planning a gold pair and a silver pair, to match belts et al., and a simple design, something geometric.

Also- to pair with a day cravat, should I get a narrower spread?

For my money, you can't go wrong with a dress medium collar. For me, it's the work horse. For your first shirt, go with something common and easy to use like that.

For links - be basic & classy, but not boring. For colors, what color jewelry do you usually wear? Gold or silver tone watch? Rings? Match 'em up.

(100th post - :cheers1: )

 

[Ecuador Jim]

For cufflinks, subtle is best. I was always taught that a cufflink should never be larger than a dime. A nice alternative to metal cufflinks are the silk knots that look like little "monkeyfist" knots. They resemble buttons and can be plain or colorful.

 

[Classics]

For my money, you can't go wrong with a dress medium collar. For me, it's the work horse. For your first shirt, go with something common and easy to use like that.

For links - be basic & classy, but not boring. For colors, what color jewelry do you usually wear? Gold or silver tone watch? Rings? Match 'em up.

(100th post - :cheers1: )

Silver tone watch, no other jewelry. Silver and Gold tones on belt and shoe buckles.

Congrats!

For cufflinks, subtle is best. I was always taught that a cufflink should never be larger than a dime. A nice alternative to metal cufflinks are the silk knots that look like little "monkeyfist" knots. They resemble buttons and can be plain or colorful.

I didn't see them at the store where I was, but I'll check again. I like the idea of actual cuff links though.

 

[Tomasso]

For cufflinks............

..........I really like these double button links; Simple and classic.

 

[Classics]

..........I really like these double button links; Simple and classic.

Quite a striking accent too, if they're normally that shiny and it's not just the camera flash.

 

[Cufflinks_Carl]

I am, within the next week or so, buying my first French cuff shirt (and so cuff links as well). Any advice?

Buy an English brand : Hilditch & key or Harvie & Hudson are the best bang for $ and among the bests.

 

[CharlestonBows]

There are some really nice shirts being made in Canada now -- especially for the money. Coppley (formerly Royal Shirt), Gordon Mitchell, Lipson Shirtmakers to name a few that I own.

 

[Tomasso]

Quite a striking accent too, if they're normally that shiny and it's not just the camera flash.

Actually it's mostly the flash, the gold are vintage (50's) Tiffany and not that shiny but the silver are late model (2000) Tiffany and have yet to acquire a patina.

 

[univibe88]

As men we don't tend to wear much jewelry and links a great place to add a little flash. Of course, keep in mind the occassion for which you are dressing.

I have flashy links and conservative links. If you are going out to dinner with friends, you can get away with something flashier. But if you in an important business meeting, subtle is the way to go.

My favorite links are black onyx circles with a skull & crossbones on them. But I don't wear them all the time. For the conservative meetings, I wear some silver knots.

 

[cookie]

I am, within the next week or so, buying my first French cuff shirt (and so cuff links as well). Any advice?

I am a 33/34 sleeve in button cuff. But in French I use 35 - I buy 'em from PaulFrederick.com and there are some on sale at the moment at their site. With French cuff you need a little extra cuff showing out of the jacket for the usual reasons we all wear French cuffs instead of proletarian button cuffs.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Not sure what you mean -

A. The size of shirt cuff showing is different for French cuffs, for aesthetic reasons.

B. The usual length is what you find best, alas you want to make sure the riff-raff see that you're wearing a French-cuff shirt, so they don't mistake you for one of theirs.

In case B, it might be easier to leave the cuff where it belongs, and just wear a pin or a badge saying "My shirt has French cuffs" or something.

(note to self: I'm going to be rich in America!! I'll sell cheap French-cuff shirts as a set together with such a badge to hipsters. And a year later, in the inevitable irony move, I'll sell button-cuff shirts with the same badge. Rich!!)

 

[Patrick Murtha]

For cufflinks, subtle is best. I was always taught that a cufflink should never be larger than a dime.

Marty Mathis and I will surely never pass this test.

 

[Dr Doran]

(note to self: I'm going to be rich in America!! I'll sell cheap French-cuff shirts as a set together with such a badge to hipsters. And a year later, in the inevitable irony move, I'll sell button-cuff shirts with the same badge. Rich!!)

Star-bellied sneetches.