French cuffs - why bother?

Fwiffo said:
I wear french cuffs to work. I have some formal business attire shirts that are french cuff as well. Of course it's another metal to match (belt, tie clip, etc.). It's not practical for travelling through airports so on travel days I go back to single barrel.

I've worn them to interviews although I read somewhere I shouldn't because it's too flashy.
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do you match the material of your cufflinks to the metal on your purse as well?
 
JimmyRustler said:
I have a gigantic wallet. It's stupid big.
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My first french cuff is on its way. Getting excited.

What do you guys think of contrast collar and French cuffs? RLPL has a few that looks really good in the pictures. Not sure how it looks IRL.
 
Contrast collars + cuffs? This is one of those polarizing things in clothing. Have never, will never wear a contrast collar but many others like the look. I'd be interested to hear from those who like contrast collars what they thing about same cuffs.

If you like it, wear it. As long as it doesn't create the a douche effect no one is harmed. Just don't post a fit with a black suit, said shirt sans tie & cuff links, pocket square, unbuckled double monks, and any kind of head gear.

Of course this is the exception to my rule.

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I think French cuffs look weird in most colors beyond white or pale blue, so the contrast makes sense. With delicate or soft fabrics, having a beefier white cuff and collar makes sense.
There is a fairly high douchebag association with it, as wannabe Gordon Gekkos flock to it, so avoid with other "power" dressing. Don't walk around in a contrast collar shirt with suspenders, a garish tie, slicked back hair and a giant gold watch.
 
Russell Street said:
I think French cuffs look weird in most colors beyond white or pale blue, so the contrast makes sense. With delicate or soft fabrics, having a beefier white cuff and collar makes sense.
There is a fairly high douchebag association with it, as wannabe Gordon Gekkos flock to it, so avoid with other "power" dressing. Don't walk around in a contrast collar shirt with suspenders, a garish tie, slicked back hair and a giant gold watch.
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That is kind of mental image that I get. You get to a certain age and you see things being revisited; sometimes it resonates and sometimes it repulses.
 
I would totally wear a pale colored end-on-end shirt with contrast collar, but absolutely not a french blue thing. I'm thinking that a tab or club collar adds traditionalism and softens the extremism.
 
I guess I am the minority who likes contrast collar, but it has to be worn with a tie and a jacket. Besides pale blue, I think pale pink with a soft white collar also looks good.
 
Pauly Chase said:
I guess I am the minority who likes contrast collar, but it has to be worn with a tie and a jacket. Besides pale blue, I think pale pink with a soft white collar also looks good.
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It really depends on the outfit. But, fundamentally, I have no problem with either.
 
Thanks for reminding me. I have just ordered 30 pairs of silk knots for 6 quid from Ebay. That includes free postage from Hong Kong. Goodbye sloppy wrists.
 
The best I'm seeing is five for $3.74. I suspect these may be nylon or polyester and not silk, as if I care.
 
The green and beige are probably out of the running, but the rest of them should get an airing. My every day shirts are mainly white , lavender, pink, blue, cream, and even yellow. We Brits are a little more adventurous in our shirtings than you lot across the pond are.
 
Robert said:
The green and beige are probably out of the running, but the rest of them should get an airing. My every day shirts are mainly white , lavender, pink, blue, cream, and even yellow. We Brits are a little more adventurous in our shirtings than you lot across the pond are.
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True. Wear them in good health. paul-hewitt.com has real silk, handmade with gift box but at €3.90 per set. 6 month guarantee
 
thruth said:
True. Wear them in good health. paul-hewitt.com has real silk, handmade with gift box but at €3.90 per set. 6 month guarantee
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The knots in the jar look identical to the ones winging their way to me across the South China Sea as we speak! At $28.90 I'm afraid Paul can keep them! Also, I'm not altogether sure that they are 'real' silk. The site fails to mention what they are made of. If they were true silk wouldn't that kind of 'preppy' site tend to make special note of the fact? They have even split the knot links and turned them into earrings for the laydeez, without mentioning the material of manufacture. I feel we may have a scandal the size of a Passagio Cravatte Inque Ghettio thirsty tie developing here.
 
So what exactly is the point of the turnback or double cuff anyway? Does anyone have the history lesson behind the development?
 
Interestingly, I just ordered my first-ever contrast-collar-and-cuffs shirt from Mercer the other day. The collar and cuffs are white, the body of the shirt is broad blue stripes on white. I got it specifically to wear to the wedding of my best friend's daughter. My friend has joked with me for more than four decades about my "foppish" tendencies, so I thought I'd give him some more ammunition. (We've known each other since 1957, having met at prep school.)

In my old age, I am becoming more partial to French cuffs. As others have noted, they ratchet up the formality of a suit, and at times this is desirable. Barrel cuffs are just so ubiquitous that they're a little boring, I think.
 
I have a couple of shirts with single cuffs. I mainly wear them with white MOP cuff links, slightly bigger than a normal button. I like the understated look, without flashy sliver or gold links and the bulk of double cuffs.
 
Monkeyface said:
I have a couple of shirts with single cuffs. I mainly wear them with white MOP cuff links, slightly bigger than a normal button. I like the understated look, without flashy sliver or gold links and the bulk of double cuffs.
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I love single cuffs. Damn near impossible to find off the rack however.
 
Just remember my old man had them and we was poors. I also had at least one dress shirt (in total) which had them. For visits to the juvenile authorities
 
I've noticed that french cuffs are a big issue in USA. (Along with pink shirts and threats to real masculinity like tolerance and compassion.) Here not much of an issue - in my pro bono work with a NFP that dresses long term unemployed men and women for job interviews we get clothes - good clothes - donated - I estimate probably 50% of the shirts are french cuffs. Many inappropriate in my humble - f'rinstance large gingham checked casual shirts. Bit nevertheless many ok.

Myself I've only in the last few years had a bit of an obsession with converting, I mean replacing not actually converting, the majority of my shirts to barrel cuff as I've come to dislike the over stitched up formality of french cuffs for day to day wear. I tend to see cufflinks as night wear now. I will use silk knots (that aren't silk but elastic) if I grab a french cuff shirt. Sometimes I just fold the cuff around like a barrel and put a silk know through it. Its more a personal style issue of aiming to dress smart but approachable rather than suit of armor hard - so I tend to ties in grenadine, wool or knits. Shirts in royal oxford, shoes not mirror shine, etc. Influenced in general by IVY look but not slavishly.

However french cuffs in this country - or at least Melbourne - the rest of the savages I cant speak for - are extremely common - you'd be hard pressed to buy a shirt OTR without them - even without a jacket and tie. Doesn't really raise an eyebrow anywhere I can think of.
 
fxh said:
Its more a personal style issue of aiming to dress smart but approachable rather than suit of armor hard - so I tend to ties in grenadine, wool or knits. Shirts in royal oxford, shoes not mirror shine, etc. Influenced in general by IVY look but not slavishly.
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Approachable? I dress for myself. I really don't give a toss about what other people think. That my level of norm is within the realm of acceptance by those around me is happy coincidence.

Cuff links are good - especially when she's a little tipsy and starts fondling them at the bar. Interestingly a lot of them remember which links and studs you have.
 
I dress for myself. I like to be smart, clean, neat and approachable.
 
Can French Cuffed shirt be worn alone without a jacket? I always assumed it has to be worn with a jacket and a tie.
 
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