Men's suit, pants question -- cuffs or no cuffs?

I just checked my copy of Alan Flusser's "Dressing The Man/Mastering the art of permanent fashion" (2002) and from what I can see, in the chapter on suits he makes no mention of cuffs one way or another, but does say that pleats are back in style for suits. In his glossary in back, he notes that cuffs did not become the fashion for suits until the 1890s when King Edward VII began cuffing his while he still was Prince of Wales.

I prefer plain-front trousers and little to no shoulder padding (what they call "natural shoulders" or the Ivy League look), because this is classic American style.

 

Depends on the style of suit somewhat.

If you buy one of those "new" slim fitting suits, cuffs would look silly because they destroy the lines of the trouser.

If you're more conservative in your tastes--you think Brooks Brothers is the epitome of men's fashio---then cuffs would be OK.

Pleats? Only single pleats on wool trousers.

Unless you're an investment banker or Bay Street/Wall street lawyer chances are most people only wear suits now to funerals and weddings.

And you're better off dropping a grand on one half decent suit than having a closet full of $200.00 jobs.

 

Re: Men\'s suit, pants question -- cuffs or no cuffs?

Cuffs. Finger and otherwise.

 

Ragu here's the skinny. For pleasure and styling, its pleats and cuffs. For business, its straight, no pleats or cuffs.
Personally, I like pleats and cuffs in all of my suits.

 

You could actually make exactly the opposite argument.

Pleats and cuffs on khakis=old fogey.

 

I totally disagree. I'm not an old fogety and I do like my khakis that way. In fact, I must admit I look very good in them. Never missed getting any trim in them.

 

The women I deal with say pleated pants are ugly.

Take that for what it's worth.

Personally (sticking to the thread topic) when I think of pants with cuffs I think of the mid-1970s.

 

I have two suits. No cuffs. No pleats.

 

Khakis with pleats and cuffs are about as fashionable as button down shirts.

Nothing wrong with them (I used to live in them) but it screams "suburban dad".

My 21 year old--who's about as preppy as you can get--wouldn't be caught dead in pleated or cuffed khakis.

 

Pleats make you look like you're pitching a tent.

Buttondown collars are timeless. Suburban dad? Well, maybe. But they are a hallmark of the Ivy League look. Suburban dads may have adopted the buttondown collar, but it does not come from them -- it originated in England with polo matches and was popularized in the United States by Brooks Brothers. It's true, JR, that they've never been high fashion, but they never were intended to be. Whether worn with a sack suit or with khakis, the goal is understatement. I wear them virtually every day.

 

The Ivy League look is more of a uniform than a fashion statement. It's safe, it's non threatening and it's suitable attire for those men who don't care that much about clothes. Same with buttondown shirts.

This isn't a knock on the style--I've been sporting it for forty years. I just wouldn't call it fashion, that's all.

If I had to choose between Brooks Brothers or Canali--no contest.

 

Maybe we need to get Ragu back in here to further describe what he's shooting for. He says he's a traditionalist, so I assumed Brooks sack suit rather than a Zegna with a radically skinny cut that'll make him look like a Sicilian pimp in a Fellini film two seasons from now.

And here's a topic left unaddressed so far - how do we keep the moths out of his closet?

Cedar blocks seem to work well for me.