The Fashion For Men – French cuffs, like tie clips and pocket squares, are one of the most perplexing sartorial subjects known to man. Most guys are not only oblivious of how to wear French cuffs with a suit, but also when to wear them in the first place. Here is everything you need to know.
The first thing to keep in mind is that French cuffs are meant for more formal occasions. As such, they should not be worn on a daily basis. Unless you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a mob boss, you should probably skip the French cuffs and go for a regular barrel cuff. So, here are the tips for you to improve your style with french cuffs
1. Exclusive suit
As a general rule of thumb, French cuffs should be worn exclusively with suit jackets. They can, however, blend well with a sport coat or blazer without overpowering your outfit, but it is generally best to keep them official. How about wearing hat? Read this first: Honing the Hats: Finding the Right Cap to Fit Your (Perfectly) Large Head
2. Come with a tie
Similarly, since French cuffs are typically worn at a formal event that calls for a suit jacket, they will almost always come with a tie. This could either be a necktie or a bow-tie, but in most situations, it is ill advised to skip the tie altogether.
3. Of course you need cufflinks
French cuffs should also be secured with cufflinks – always. Recklessly unfastened cuffs produce a messy look that gives the impression that you are either ignorant of how to wear a double cuff shirt, or simply don’t care about how you look. To this end, French cuffs should always be secured in the “kissing” position to form a sort of teardrop outline around the wrist, as opposed to the barrel shape used with normal cuffs.
4. Be careful with the color
Go for a cuff-link that matches your ensemble, instead of overpowering it. It is alright to express one’s own personal flair at this point, but it should not be exaggerated. If the event at hand is more professional, go with something more restrained and skip the prominent links. If it is more social, it is alright to go with a snappy color, as long as it is not too loud or too tacky. Read: The Fashion Color Wheel As A Guideline For Men’s Outfits
5. Again, fit is a must
Check for fit at the sleeve length and collar when choosing the French cuff shirt. A half inch of cuff should always extend from the end of the coat sleeve.
The disparity in your French cuff shirt assortment should complement your intensity. This is a common mistake for most guys who don’t know how to wear French cuffs with a suit. A stark white shirt may be fail-safe, but a contrast collar and French cuffs would be a bit much for Wednesday’s operations meeting. Consider a pink or blue shirt to tone down the general effect. Read also: The Etiquette Of Shoes – How To Tie Shoelaces
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