What is Wedsnesday.
This weekly Wednesday post is aimed at answering some of the more basic and critical aspects of tailoring and the terminology we use to describe them. It stems from realizing that I’m constantly throwing out different terms with my clients and quite often they’re unsure as to what I exactly mean. The goal of this section then is to alleviate this terminology gap and provide you with some know-how to talk tailoring with a little more ease.
What is…the right amount of shirt cuff to show?
At a minimum you need to show a quarter inch – no questions asked. If you want to play down the middle then a half inch is the way to go; for those wanting to push the boundary slightly you can show three quarters to a full inch – beyond that lies the danger of being a bit peacock’ish which I don’t recommend.
Why is it so important to show cuff in the first place? It’s all about proportion and balance. By having the shirt cuff visible at the wrist it softens the overall look and ties in with what is happening in the neck area. Failing to do so means there is too much suit cloth which begins to overpower the overall look.
These two fellows are about as perfect as it gets – half inch on the left and a full inch on the right. Both of these images give you a real sense of the balancing effect the pop of shirt color has at the wrist.
As always please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or comments. Better yet book a free appointment and we can banter in person and see if we might be a good fit to work together.
Take care – Michael
info@martinfishertailors.com