(French) cuff weight

[j]

(It's applicable to button cuffs as well, I guess.) Reading about BjornH's and Keith T's problems getting silk knots through French cuff buttonholes I thought I'd ask a question. I've noticed that the various French cuff shirts I have have very varied levels of stiffness among the cuffs, some to the point where getting a toggle style link through and flipped is nearly impossible, especially if it's the kind with the angled toggle. The other extreme is the shirts with so little stiffness that the cuffs fold somewhat around the link, which I don't actually mind much but the shirts like that do look much more casual.

Have people been specifying the weight of the cuffs for Jantzen and other custom shirts, or am I the only one who's picky about this? Do different styles of shirts require different weights of cuff, does it depend on the weight of the fabric, or do you like them all to be the same? Discuss.

 

[Phil]

I specify that both the color and cuffs of all my shirts I have made at Turnbull have "stay flex" in them. Thats what the folk at T & A call it, but I think its just a layer of cloth. Whatever it is, it makes it look like both my collar and cuffs have been starched, but without the damage that starching can cause. I love it, especially on humid days, when the collar and cuffs dont wilt in the heat and humidity at all. it does have its drawbacks though, mainly that its simply not as comfortable as a shirt without them. Secondly, you are right, cufflinks are a bear to get through those extra thick cuffs, no doubt about it. A small tradeoff though, for me at least.

 

[Keith T]

I guess it would be more a function of the weight of the fabric, as you suggest. Â I had not heard of "stay flex" before ( sounds more like control-top panty hose to me Â

) but if that makes it any easier to use cufflinks, I would be all for it. Personally, I haven't had much trouble with any of the shirts in my closet when using the toggle-style of link. Â A purist would insist on a true "link"--of which I have a few pair, silk and otherwise--and these are the kind that give me the occasional fit. Â I suppose a custom or MTM French cuff shirt would allow one the opportunity to experiment with different fabrics and linings to really get what one wants. Â Some others would probably chime in on that. Â A collar that wilts too much would be more of a pet peeve for me than shirt cuffs that did the same. Â But hey--cuffs and collar should match right? Â That was Sean Connery's remark to Jill St. John, anyway.