Height of trouser cuffs

[DandySF]

It seems most of my trouser cuffs are about 1.5" high.  On a recent visit to New York I listened to a couple of friends talk about how they have switched to 1 3/4" as their new standard.  I then heard, at Polo on Madison, a suit salesmen say that he prefers a 2" cuff since he's over 6' tall.  Have others given thought to this subtle detail of cuff height?  If so, what are your preferences?

 

[Manton]

Flusser says 1 5/8" if you're under 5'10", 1 3/4" if you're over. That's not a bad rule, and I tend to agree that 1.5"
is too short for pretty much anybody. I don't like 2", though -- it looks too big -- but think 1 7/8" looks good, provided you are at least 6'2". How my eye can even tell I have no idea, but generally it can.

 

[drljva]

Flusser says 1 5/8" if you're under 5'10", 1 3/4" if you're over.  That's not a bad rule, and I tend to agree that 1.5"
is too short for pretty much anybody.  I don't like 2", though -- it looks too big -- but think 1 7/8" looks good, provided you are at least 6'2".  How my eye can even tell I have no idea, but generally it can.

Agreed. 1.75" seems to work best for me, though I can live with 1.5". I've got a couple of slacks that are 2" (got them at NM, where -- if you don't tell them otherwise -- 2" is now the "house standard" for cuffs...), but that definitely seems too much for me (I'm a little over 5' 11" I must say, though, that 2" looks OK when I wear it in combination with my new Vass Budapests -- seem to work well together...

 

[Teacher]

Cuffs that are 1.5" look best on short men, under 5' 7" or so.

 

[Mr Checks]

Today must be "cuff day" on all forums.

I may rethink my "no cuffs" rule and join the party.

 

[lisapop]

And Flusser is an authority on cuffs because...? (Extended silence, the chirping of crickets heard, people shrugging their shoulders in bewilderment).  Flusser used to sell sweaters at Pierre Cardin before becoming the self-appointed arbiter of all things sartorial, but if you need to follow his rulings, go right ahead.  Hey, it sells books, so who am I to argue.

Cuff proportions depend on proportions of the trousers.  I'm 6'2" and was just fitted this afternoon by an esteemed and knowledgeable Savile Row tailor who has made 1.5" cuffs for me---However, the width of the trousers are quite tapered, so anything more than 1.5" could be viewed as out of proportion.   Another knowledgeable, experienced tailor, whose style entails a dramatically wider trouser, makes cuffs for me that are 1.75" as they're in sync.  Anything less could be viewed as out of proportion. That's just my "off the cuff" opinion.
Grayson

 

[Manton]

And Flusser is an authority on cuffs because...?

Let us count the reasons.  1) He has spent nearly 40 years in the clothing business;  2) He has designed dozens of collections of beautiful clothing; 3) He has more direct experience with more brands and more bespoke houses than the rest of us on this board put together; 4) He has studied more original sources on clothing than the rest of us on this board put together; 5) He has read more secondary sources on clothing than the rest of us on this board put together.  That should do for now.

(Extended silence, the chirping of crickets heard, people shrugging their shoulders in bewilderment).

There is another explanation for the silence.  Perhaps some people don't want to debate someone of questionable sagacity and unquestioned malignancy.  Me, I'm a little bored, so what the hell.

Flusser used to sell sweaters at Pierre Cardin before becoming the self-appointed arbiter of all things sartorial

And this is relevant ... why?  Albert Einstein was once a patent clerk.  Does that mean General Relativity is bunk?  Robert Parker used to be a law student.  Does that prove that he knows nothing about wine?

[N.B.: sophists will doubtless object that it is laughable, and self-refuting, to compare Flusser to Einstein.  Readers who have completed the fourth grade will quickly discern that I did no such thing; I reasoned from analogy that a person's prior experience, no matter how lowly or how divergent, has absolutely no predictive value as to his later knowledge of other subjects.]

but if you need to follow his rulings, go right ahead.

Who said anything about "follow"ing anyone's "rulings"?  Opinions were requested.  I cited Flusser's, and gave my own.

Hey, it sells books, so who am I to argue.

No.  His knowledge, his reputation, and the pretty pictures are what sell the books.

Cuff proportions depend on proportions of the trousers.

And Grayson is an authority on cuffs because...?  (Extended silence, the chirping of crickets heard, people shrugging their shoulders in bewilderment).

 

[DandySF]

Thank you for sharing your detailed thoughts on this topic. The forum's members are consistently a source of guidance and answers when it comes to solving the occasional sartorial mystery.

 

[zjpj83]

 

[naturlaut]

Quote:

Hey, it sells books, so who am I to argue.
No. Â His knowledge, his reputation, and the pretty pictures are what sell the books.
I'm not arguing for either side, but I buy Flusser's books for the pictures. Â Give me someone else's books with the same wealth of pictures and I'd probably get them too, doesn't matter if he's an authority on quantun physics or a street vendor for fake Louis Vuitton. Â On the other hand, I've read more words in this forum than on any of Flusser's books... ...

 

[Teacher]

Is that you, zjpj83? Bravo, Sir, and bravo again.

 

[Horace]

And Flusser is an authority on cuffs because...? (Extended silence, the chirping of crickets heard, people shrugging their shoulders in bewilderment).  Flusser used to sell sweaters at Pierre Cardin before becoming the self-appointed arbiter of all things sartorial, but if you need to follow his rulings, go right ahead.  Hey, it sells books, so who am I to argue.

Cuff proportions depend on proportions of the trousers.  I'm 6'2" and was just fitted this afternoon by an esteemed and knowledgeable Savile Row tailor who has made 1.5" cuffs for me---However, the width of the trousers are quite tapered, so anything more than 1.5" could be viewed as out of proportion.   Another knowledgeable, experienced tailor, whose style entails a dramatically wider trouser, makes cuffs for me that are 1.75" as they're in sync.  Anything less could be viewed as out of proportion. That's just my "off the cuff" opinion.
Grayson

I can envision a cuff size being predicated on the width of a trouser, if that trouser is a pegleg or Oxford bag, but unless it's an extreme either way, I don't see how this would be a good rule.

 

[zjpj83]

Is that you, zjpj83? Bravo, Sir, and bravo again.

I wish.

 

[MilanoStyle]

The guy who sells Attolini suits in Toronto tells me that I should do 3" cuffs with Attolini suit that has double pleated pants. The man was wearing Attolini suit at that time and had about 3"+ cuffs that looked very different (and I liked).

When I met Kiton U.S div. prez, he also was wearing pants with very big cuffs (more like 3.5-4" if memory serves me right.)

I do not have napolitian suit yet, but when I do, if the pants are pleated then I'll do 3" cuffs for sure.

 

[zjpj83]

The guy who sells Attolini suits in Toronto tells me that I should do 3" cuffs with Attolini suit that has double pleated pants. The man was wearing Attolini suit at that time and had about 3"+ cuffs that looked very different (and I liked).

When I met Kiton U.S div. prez, he also was wearing pants with very big cuffs (more like 3.5-4" if memory serves me right.)

I do not have napolitian suit yet, but when I do, if the pants are pleated then I'll do 3" cuffs for sure.

I think that makes pants look like women's slacks.

Just my 2 lira.