The Significance Of Working Sleeves Cuffs

Custom suits, those which are hand-tailored exclusively for your preferences, your body, your shape, your posture, are those that exude quality. From the lapels to the stitching, one can always tell whether a suit is made specifically for an individual. Minute details often determine the quality of a particular suit, and one of the most important details is the cuffs.

Working sleeves date back to the early 19th Century. At this time, suits and sportcoats were as much practical items of clothing as status symbols. Farmers, gamekeepers, and doctors were expected, even required, to wear a jacket even while doing the messiest parts of their jobs. Savile Row, London, now known as the home of British tailoring, was originally populated by doctors, and when tailors began to settle in the neighborhood, the two professions worked side-by-side. Surgeons, especially military surgeons, attending to patients in the field, would unbutton their sleeves and roll them up. This allowed them to quickly administer the necessary procedures in the quickest manner without having to change. For these reasons, cuff buttons that allowed the wearer to roll up his sleeves to keep them clean became known as “surgeon’s cuffs,” and are now considered a marker of high-quality menswear.

With this in mind, the last sleeve button, which is left unbuttoned, shows the kind of detail one has on his suit. For men who are in the know, having this cuff speaks of real sophistication. It may just be a little detail, but a trained eye will always see the difference. It is a standard for custom suits, highlighting the highest quality in workmanship.

At present, these working cuffs continue to be an iconic symbol when it comes to quality custom-made suits. Sometimes, a contrast stitching on the buttonhole is used to highlight the feature. One could easily customise the suit, making it highly personalised to conform to one’s needs and preferences.

Sometimes the last button is simply left undone. Italians often refer to this as sprezzatura. Wearing a custom-made suit with a surgeon’s cuff will give any man a sense of pride.