A French cuff is a shirt sleeve that includes an extension at either or both ends, thus making it longer than other types of cuffs. This extra fabric allows for a wider range of fit around a man’s wrist. It may be closed with cuff links or buttons.
You might be surprised by some of these facts, from its name to its first introduction. The French cuff originated in France in 1838 when Napoleon III’s aide de camp Baron de Gerard was stunned to find himself forced to wear English-style cuffs with his courtier’s outfit.
To cover up his embarrassment, he opted for very high double cuffs that could be turned back down over his shirt sleeves. And so, one of fashion’s most enduring styles was born!
A cufflink, also known as a link or stud, is an accessory for men worn either in place of or with ordinary shirt studs. It holds up your sleeve. It’s not clear when or where cufflinks were invented, but they have been around since at least ancient Egypt.
These early cufflinks (aka fibulae) were used as a symbol of power because buttons were rare. In medieval Europe, many people had two holes in their shirt sleeves so that a belt could pass through to secure them closed; with no buttons, wearing your shirtsleeves open was kind of a hazard. It gave rise to ornate surcingle knots, an aesthetic placeholder for buttoned cuffs.
However, it wasn’t until Victorian times that these surcingles became popular enough to warrant individual pieces of jewelry worn on each arm; thus began cufflink popularity as we know it today.
The cufflink itself has evolved. But today, there are several types of French cuff links that can be worn with a shirt. Knowing which ones to wear is essential to making sure you look your best.
This type of cuff is most common with dress shirts, but it’s important to note that button-down collars are more formal than more casual point collars. It’s recommended that you avoid wearing barrel cuffs with a point collar shirt if you’re trying to dress up or dress down your outfit. You can wear barrel cuffs only with button-down collars in professional settings.
These cufflinks are popularly used to replace buttons on formal shirts, but you can wear them without cufflinks with button-down collars or with point collars if you choose a patterned shirt.
As you might have guessed, convertible cuffs can be worn with a variety of collars—including button-down collars and point collars. However, it’s important to note that these cufflinks are a slightly more casual option than barrel or link cuffs; they’re best suited for business casual outfits, but they won’t work in a professional setting.
Wearing french cuffs requires a bit more finesse. If you’re not confident in your skills, leave them to an expert. But if you feel you can take on the challenge, here are four steps on how to wear a french cuff with style.
The first thing to decide is whether or not you will be wearing suspenders—this will depend largely on where your belt goes and whether or not you prefer suspenders over belts. Either way, when styling a french cuff shirt, start by deciding how high up (in inches) you want your top button to sit relative to your waist. The exact number won’t matter as much as matching them up consistently—every time—so there is consistency.
Once you have determined your preferred button height, make sure all other fastenings match up accordingly. For example, if you like your top button at 2 inches above your waist, make sure all other buttons also measure 2 inches higher than their adjacent buttons whenever possible. This ensures a consistent look between fastenings and prevents unwanted bulges along with different parts of your shirt front, depending on which fastening is used.
Now, we get to select which jacket buttons stay unbuttoned. If you’re going with suspenders, pick a non-consecutive pair; if you’re wearing a belt, choose two buttonholes that are close together (for an uninterrupted look).
After determining your top fastening option, it is time to decide how many buttons will be left open below that point. To get a feel for which amount looks best on you, consider standing in front of a mirror with a jacket on (no shirt). Button up your jacket all the way—you don’t want any skin exposed between shirt and jacket– then start undoing buttons until you find one where everything looks balanced.
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