I’ll admit it—up until I moved to New England for University,
I had never really worn cuffs on my trousers. Even the lone pair of forward
pleated trousers in my closet had plain bottoms (to facilitate easy alterations
and accommodate my changing height during my teenage years). I had always liked the idea of cuffs but was
never brave enough to sport them on my flat front trousers. Yet, seeing
photographs of Ivy League college students in the 1950s and ‘60s sporting cuffs
on their slim, flat-front khakis and grey flannels was a reassuring sight. I recall GQ “endorsing” cuffs on trousers back
when I was in middle school, and from then on, every editorial featured a model
in tight-fitting, low-rise pants finished with a deep cuff that ended above the
ankle. Additionally, during my visit, I noticed that the guys at Sid Mashburn
are large proponents of cuffing their plain front trousers, with nearly every
employee who wasn’t wearing jeans sporting the look. Although traditionally a
sartorial “no-no”, anchoring down non-pleated trousers with a substantial cuff
gives the pant a clean line in addition to attracting attention to the wearer’s
footwear.
I can recall one instance that further solidified my
appreciation of a good trouser cuff. When I walked into J. Press on Madison Avenue
(when it still existed, RIP) around the age of seventeen and saw the
tortoise-bespectacled salesman clad in a tweed jacket and cuffed, high-rise
khakis, I knew that was the look I wanted. It was traditional, yet stylish. Moreover,
I always stress timelessness in one’s manner of dress, so the key is to wear
your cuffed trousers like you would any other plain bottom pair. As far as cuff
size goes, I’m a firm believer in the “go big or go home” school of thought. Cuffs
should be at the very least 1 3/8” inches deep. Why even bother with any less? In
my opinion, the sweet spot is right at 1.5” or 1 ¾”. Some guys go for more at
2”, but it’s simply a matter of personal preference. Disregard what people say
about shorter guys needing smaller cuffs and vice versa with tall gents.
For a bit of historical background: the trouser cuff, or
turn-up as the Brits say, has its origins at the tail end of the 19th
century, with Edward VII of England boldly having his tailor create a sartorial
invention to prevent the bottoms of his trousers from getting muddied in foul
weather. English gentlemen concerned with soiling the floors of their grandiose
country estates after trudging through mire along with city-dwellers alike
rapidly adopted the style. By the early 20th century, almost no
trouser bottom went by un-cuffed. At traditional institutions like Brooks
Brothers, J. Press, The Andover Shop, and Paul Stuart, the cuffed, no-break
flat front trouser has been a standard since the 1950s—the latter two, however,
being more progressive and English-inspired, tended to embrace the British trait of the forward pleat with their cuffed trousers. For most of
the 20th century, Brooks Brothers’ best-seller, the rather
shapeless No. 1 sack suit, was standardly equipped with flat front trousers and
a generous cuff.
Whereas in previous decades, flat front, cuffed trousers
transcended geographic location, these days there seems to be a regional
divide. In my time spent between New England and the region south of the
Mason-Dixon line, I’ve noticed that the South restricts cuffs on trousers
solely to those with pleats. Upon my arrival back down South from my first
semester of college, I chatted with my sartorially adroit former guidance counselor.
A UVA man and a Brooks Brothers devotee from birth, he had finally retired the
habit of wearing reverse-pleated trousers (rather thankfully). When I suggested
that he try putting cuffs on his flat front trousers, he replied, “I’ve already
stopped wearing pleats, and I draw the line at restricting cuffs to pleated
trousers.” Much to my chagrin, I observed that this was the opinion of most men
in the South. However, in the Northeast (specifically New England) cuffs are
embraced on trousers of all varieties. Furthermore, it should be noted that
pants with a higher rise (i.e. sitting at the natural waist) look best with
cuffs. They provide that leg-lengthening look that flatters the more vertically
challenged or average height folks like yours truly.
When contemplating fabric choices, a cuff weighs thicker
cloths like tweed, corduroy, or flannel down beautifully, but they’re just as
at home on seersucker, khaki, tropical wool, linen, madras, and a wide variety
of others.
Do yourself a favor and get your tailor to put some cuffs on
your pants with no trouser break. Whatever you do, don’t roll them up.
(images via leffot, Sid Mashburn, Social Primer, and oxfordclothbuttondown)