Styles of Pant Cuffs

Pant cuffs are a fashion statement.

Pant cuffs are a touchy subject in some fashion circles. One school of thought insists that pant cuffs are outdated and should never be worn. On the other side of the debate, there are a few exceptions to the "no cuffs" rule. If you're going for the pant cuff look, keep the different styles, purposes and looks in mind.

Purpose of Pant Cuffs

Pant cuffs are the fabric at the bottom of a pair of trousers or pants. They are called cuffs because the material is turned up at the bottom of the pant leg and either rolled or sewn into place. Pant legs were originally turned up to keep the bottom of pants from getting dirty when people worked in fields or walked on dirt roads. Pants now have cuffs to keep the pants from fraying at the bottom and to keep the pants draped neatly. The weight of the cuffs keeps the pant legs pulled down.

One-Fold Cuffs

One-fold cuffs can be firmly pressed or casual.

You'll find one-fold cuffs mainly on denim jeans or casual pants. For this look to work, the pants need to be longer than your leg. The bottom of the pant is folded up one time so the hem sits above the bottom pant line. The cuff can be folded up 1 or 2 inches or as much as 6 inches and sometimes more. To keep the cuff standing upright, press or starch the hem into place so it stays throughout the day.

Two-Fold Cuffs

Pant cuffs with two folds have been folded twice at the bottom. The hem will be out of sight as it will be tucked inside with the second fold. The cuff stays in place either by being sewn inside or pressed so it remains tucked. The two-cuff look can be formal or casual. A general guidelines for the two-cuff look is that the cuff shouldn't be longer in length than 2 inches. If it is, the cuff can make the wearer look shorter than he really is.

Inside Cuffs

Cuffs were worn folded inward until just before the turn of the 21st century because they were no longer considered fashionable. They do share one purpose with outward cuffs: the additional weight keeps the pants legs pulled down so they lay neatly. The one exception is tapered pants, as inward cuffs rarely lay well when material is tapered.

The Roll Cuff

A super-casual cuff style is the roll, done in a messy or tidy look. For the messy roll, the aim is for the cuff to not look perfect. Simply roll the pant hem until achieving the desired look. For the tidy roll, grab the hem firmly and roll it up, keeping the material straight as you go.

References

• "Making Trousers for Men & Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshop"; David Page Coffin
• "Pants for Real People: Fit and Sew for Any Body"; Pati Palmer