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question on French cuffs

lagunie

New in Town
Messages
40
Location
s. calif
Maybe one of the Fedora members can help me on this. I want to wear cufflinks but I don't want to wear a shirt with a 'normal' French cuff (double). I found a shirt on Lands End that has a cuff that can be buttoned or worn with cufflinks. This shirt only comes in blue. Can anyone suggest where I can buy shirts like this in white? Also, there seems to be confusion on terms when I shave spoken to any retailer. Some call this a barrel cuff but I thought barrel cuffs meant the cuff overlaps to the button. Google hasn't been any help in terminology.

PS - don't have a digital camera to contribute to the threads but I have gained so much respect and enjoyment from the regular contributors whose knowledge seems unlimited. You guys are respectful to each other and really great. Thank you. Mike in Laguna.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
Single link cuffs.

robert_f_kennedy.jpg


Convertible Cuff:

ConvertibleCuffs.jpg
 

Geesie

Practically Family
Messages
717
Location
San Diego
Are convertible cuffs considered appropriate or are they considered a cheesy fake? I have a formal shirt with those kind of cuffs (bought before I knew better!) and I was wondering if I should remove it from my wardrobe.
 

PSK123

A-List Customer
Messages
420
If it's of any reconciliation to you, I have a 1930's British Army Van Heusen with convertible cuffs.

They may have been added later, but are still in-keeping with the original features of the shirt.
 

Bugsy

One Too Many
Messages
1,126
Location
Sacramento/San Francisco Bay Area
Try The Vintage Shirt company. I have a few shirts from there with no double cuff. http://www.vintageshirt.co.uk/index.php Let us know how you make out.

lagunie said:
Maybe one of the Fedora members can help me on this. I want to wear cufflinks but I don't want to wear a shirt with a 'normal' French cuff (double). I found a shirt on Lands End that has a cuff that can be buttoned or worn with cufflinks. This shirt only comes in blue. Can anyone suggest where I can buy shirts like this in white? Also, there seems to be confusion on terms when I shave spoken to any retailer. Some call this a barrel cuff but I thought barrel cuffs meant the cuff overlaps to the button. Google hasn't been any help in terminology.

PS - don't have a digital camera to contribute to the threads but I have gained so much respect and enjoyment from the regular contributors whose knowledge seems unlimited. You guys are respectful to each other and really great. Thank you. Mike in Laguna.
 

lagunie

New in Town
Messages
40
Location
s. calif
thank you

Gentlemen and scholars all. Thank you very much. Turned out Ebay had a line of 'convertible cuff' shirts but 65% synthetic - so the search goes on. At least I know what to ask for now.
 

Slim Portly

One Too Many
Messages
1,283
Location
Las Vegas
For what it's worth, I exclusively wear shirts that take cufflinks, but the cuff is the last thing I look at when buying a shirt. My seamstress charges two dollars per cuff to give a shirt convertible cuffs. Well worth it considering how limiting it would be to my shopping options otherwise.
 

Talbot

One Too Many
Messages
1,855
Location
Melbourne Australia
Funny, I'd often wondered this as I only wear cufflinks with french cuffs. All my other shirts have convertible cuffs - seems like its the only way you can get them here. Try eBay Australia for shirts.
 

avedwards

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,425
Location
London and Midlands, UK
Wouldn't the cufflink for a single cuff shirt have to be shorter than for a double cuff shirt? I've found that when wearing convertible cuff shirts normal cuff links have been too long and kept sliding about.
 

norton

One of the Regulars
Messages
151
Location
Illinois
I have a couple shirts with convertible cuffs and I've only worn them with cufflinks one time. While they fit fine buttoned, they're too tight with a cuff link.
 

Highlander

A-List Customer
Messages
473
Location
Missouri
I had a shirt or two with Convertible Cuffs and found they fit too tight also with links. Plus, they just didn't have the look.
 

Wil Tam

Practically Family
Messages
670
Location
Metropolis
I have a few french cuff shirts that I like to wear casually untucked without links & with a nice pair of jeans... usually during the warm season when there is no need for a jacket
 

lagunie

New in Town
Messages
40
Location
s. calif
beach living

Following SLIM PORTYL's advice. Bought a white Brooks Bros. shirt and will take to a seamstress and have her add the link opening. It's an experiment. I live at the beach where the uniform is T-shirts and shorts. Semi-formal is a pair of jeans replacing the shorts. I have a collection of vintage cufflinks I miss wearing and I want to see if I can get away with it with a convertable cuff. French cuffs seem too formal. Will update.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
The problem with converting barrel cuffs to single link is that the interlining used will usually be too thin to maintain a crisp look for any length of time; for this reason, custom shirt makers use substantially thicker interlining for single link cuffs.
 

lagunie

New in Town
Messages
40
Location
s. calif
UPDATE

Found a seamstress who removed the cuff button and added another opening and it's perfect. A single cuff - French cuff without all the bulk. My thanks to SLIM PORTLY for his seamstress suggestion. It turned out better than a convertible cuff on a shirt that I ordered from Land's End. Thanks to all for the suggestions. When I get a digital camera I'll post a photo.
 

Slim Portly

One Too Many
Messages
1,283
Location
Las Vegas
I'm glad that worked out for you. It's an easy and relatively inexpensive solution. Now that I think about it I don't think I've posted any pictures of the cuffs that I've had done.
 

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