What Are French Cuffs? How to Wear Cufflinks With a Silk Tie
Dung DaoQuick answer: French cuffs, also called double cuffs, are extra-long shirt cuffs that fold back on themselves and have buttonholes on both sides and no buttons. They close with cufflinks pushed through all four layers. If your shirt cuff has buttons sewn on, it is a barrel cuff, and a tie-and-cufflink set will need a different shirt.
The box opens, the tie lies folded in its band, and beside it sit two small cufflinks on a card. The tie is easy. The cufflinks raise a quiet question for the man receiving them: does he own a shirt they can go into? This guide answers that, and shows how to wear the two together without fuss.
What are French cuffs?
A French cuff is a shirt cuff cut roughly twice the usual length. You fold it back over itself so the outer half covers the inner half, which leaves four buttonholes lined up through the layers. A cufflink passes through all four holes and holds the cuff closed. In the US the term "French cuff" is standard, and in Britain the same cuff is usually called a double cuff.
When fastened in the classic way, the two edges of the cuff meet face to face and point outward from the wrist, a shape tailors sometimes call a "kissing" cuff. The fold gives the cuff more weight and a cleaner line than a single-layer cuff, which is why it reads as dressier.
Does my shirt take cufflinks? Three cuff types compared
Look at the end of the sleeve. The answer is in the buttons and buttonholes.
| Cuff type | How to recognize it | Takes cufflinks? | Typical setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| French (double) cuff | Long cuff folded back, buttonholes on both sides, no buttons | Yes, always | Black tie, weddings, business suits |
| Barrel cuff | Single layer, one or two buttons sewn on one side | No | Everyday business and casual shirts |
| Convertible cuff | Single layer with a button and an extra buttonhole on the button side | Yes, if you ignore the button | Some dress and formal shirts |
A convertible cuff works with cufflinks, though the single layer looks lighter than a folded French cuff. If you are buying a set as a gift and are unsure what shirts he owns, a French cuff dress shirt in white or pale blue is an easy companion purchase, and it pairs with almost any tie.
How to fasten cufflinks on French cuffs
It takes a minute on the early tries and seconds once your hands learn it. Most men put the shirt on before fastening the cuffs.
- Fold the cuff back. Turn the long cuff back on itself so the fold sits just past the wrist bone and the buttonholes line up.
- Pinch the edges together. Bring the two open edges of the cuff together so they meet face to face, pointing away from your wrist.
- Insert the cufflink. Push the post through all four holes from the outer side, so the decorative face shows on the side away from your body.
- Lock it. Flip the toggle flat, or settle the back of a fixed cufflink against the inner layer.
- Check the fit. The cuff should sit close enough to rest at the wrist, with room for a watch on one side.
Start with the cuff on your weaker wrist while your stronger hand does the work; the second cuff takes a little more patience.
Kinds of cufflinks you will meet
- Toggle or bullet back: a small bar on the back swivels flat to lock. The most common type, and the easiest to fasten one-handed.
- Fixed back: a solid curved back with no moving parts. Slightly harder to push through, very secure.
- Chain link: two faces joined by a short chain, so the cuff drapes a little more softly. A traditional formal style.
- Silk knots: two knotted balls of cord joined together. Light, relaxed, and a common choice for daytime.
When to wear French cuffs and cufflinks
French cuffs are the standard cuff for black tie and are at home with any suit. They suit weddings, ceremonies, awards dinners, important meetings, and Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners where the family dresses up. With a sport coat and no tie they look deliberate, and with jeans they tend to look out of place.
Under a jacket, let about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.5 to 1.3 cm) of cuff show beyond the sleeve. That small band of white, with the glint of the cufflink, is the point of the whole arrangement. If the jacket sleeve swallows the cuff completely, the sleeve is likely too long.
Dressing for a wedding? Read what tie to wear to a wedding for color and etiquette, and how to tie a tie walks through the knots step by step.
How to match cufflinks with a silk tie
Cufflinks and tie should look as if they agree, without being identical. A few simple rules help:
- Repeat one color. Let the cufflinks pick up a color already in the tie, or match the ground color of the tie.
- Keep the metals consistent. Silver-toned cufflinks sit well with a steel watch and a silver belt buckle; gold tones with gold.
- Let one piece lead. A busy tie wants quiet cufflinks, and a solid or textured tie can carry a cufflink with more color.
- Start with a plain shirt. White or pale blue lets both the tie and the cufflinks read clearly.
A tie-and-cufflink set removes the guesswork, because the two were designed together. That makes a silk tie and cufflink set a reliable gift for a groom, a father or a colleague marking a promotion.
Folk Form tie and cufflink sets
Each Folk Form set pairs a 100% mulberry silk tie, woven jacquard, 3.1 in (8 cm) wide, with a matching pair of cufflinks, and each set is $142. The sets come in colorways such as White Jade, Blue Jade, Vermilion, Obsidian, Emerald, Rose Quartz and Purple Lotus. Because the cufflinks need French cuffs, check his shirts before you order: open his closet, pull out the dress shirt he wears to weddings and look at the sleeve end. Buttons sewn on mean barrel cuffs, so plan to add a French cuff shirt to the gift. If he wears button cuffs every day, a woven tie on its own, such as the brick red T-pattern tie, is the simpler choice.
For a set sent straight to him, note that every order arrives in a gift box, with no price inside. More ideas for men are in our silk gifts for him, and for a wedding party, see groomsmen gifts: silk ties and tie-and-cufflink sets. To understand why our ties are woven, read jacquard vs printed silk ties, and for width and color advice see how to choose a silk tie.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between French cuffs and regular cuffs?
A regular, or barrel, cuff is a single layer closed with buttons. A French cuff is twice as long, folds back on itself, has no buttons, and closes with cufflinks through four buttonholes.
Can you wear cufflinks with a regular button cuff?
Not on a standard barrel cuff, because one side has buttons where the cufflink would need a hole. A convertible cuff, which has both a button and an extra buttonhole, can take cufflinks.
Are French cuffs too formal for the office?
French cuffs are common with business suits and look natural in an office where suits are worn. In a casual office, keep them for presentations, client dinners and celebrations.
Which way do cufflinks face?
The decorative face of the cufflink goes on the outer side of the cuff, facing away from your body, with the toggle or back on the side nearest your torso.
Do I need a French cuff shirt for a tie and cufflink set?
Yes. Folk Form tie and cufflink sets need a shirt with French cuffs, or a convertible cuff, for the cufflinks to be worn.
How much shirt cuff should show under a jacket?
About 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.5 to 1.3 cm) of cuff should show beyond the jacket sleeve when your arms hang at your sides.
How do I care for the silk tie in a set?
Folk Form ties are dry cleaned, never washed. Untie the knot fully after wearing and hang or loosely roll the tie so it can rest.
Browse every guide in our silk scarf and tie guides.
