Jacket Sleeve Cuff Width

[stephen]

I've always admired the close fitting jacket cuffs one sees in old illustrations. Fred Astaire and Cary Grant often sported cuffs that came close to this ideal. However, in contemporary jackets, even bespoke, they rarely fit so closely. In Dressing the Man, Flusser states that they should measure approximately 6" (12" in circumference). On average, this would probably be about right with French cuffs. What would you recommend for a sports jacket to be worn exclusively with barrel cuffs? My wrist measures 7 3/8".

Stephen

[exigent]

I've always admired the close fitting jacket cuffs one sees in old illustrations. Fred Astaire and Cary Grant often sported cuffs that came close to this ideal. However, in contemporary jackets, even bespoke, they rarely fit so closely. In Dressing the Man, Flusser states that they should measure approximately 6" (12" in circumference). On average, this would probably be about right with French cuffs. What would you recommend for a sports jacket to be worn exclusively with barrel cuffs? My wrist measures 7 3/8".

Stephen

Highly individual consideration, Stephen. My French cuffs measure 9.75"; consequently, I have my jacket cuffs made between 11" and 12", depending on cloth thickness. Most barrel cuffs are slightly smaller still, but the proportional relation of shirt to jacket cuffs is obviously similar. Please consider the following: if you have a jacket made with a smaller cuff--say 11"--why not also commission a few custom shirts with closely fitted French cuffs? This would allow you to occasionally wear French cuff shirts that are precisely cut to your specifications, and which closely match the size of your barrel cuffs. For reference, my own wrists are 7.5". And do remember that too dramatic a taper from upper arm to cuff looks rather odd. You must, in every aspect of design, take your body proportions into account.