How to: Wear a French cuff shirt.
Women and French cuff shirts
The French cuff (also known as double cuff) shirt was once the sole domain of the conservative male businessman, but now corporate women are embracing the look too. I love the classic clean lines, crisp cotton and tailored cut of a French cuff shirt and I’ve been a devotee for many years.
Of course, it’s in my interests to promote French cuff shirts—you need them to wear with my cufflinks!
It’s a look that I love
I was always a firm believer in dressing the part at work and it certainly helped my career. For example, I was working for a conservative global company and presenting to the board—the only woman in the room. Every man was wearing French cuffs and cufflinks, and I was too. It helped me fit in that little bit more.
If you’re new to this look you might be daunted by its masculine look and fear that fiddling with cufflinks will slow you down on busy mornings. Let me assure you how easy and quick it is!
Get a good shirt
You must start with a well-tailored shirt that is cut for women and fits well. Ensure the cotton has a bit of stretch so you’re comfortable all day. More and more men’s retailers are offering French cuffs for women. A salesgirl at a leading shirt retailer recently told me that 50 per cent of women’s shirts sold are now French cuff—music to my ears!
There’s plenty of different cuts and colours to try: classic white, herringbone, colours, florals, pinstripes or checks. Go nuts!
But if you’re starting out, best to choose with a classic white that goes with everything.
Okay. The Cuff.
So you’ve got your shirt and it’s ironed and good to go. Put on the shirt, you’ll notice that the cuff is hanging past your wrists. Fold the cuff back away from the sleeve—nice and neat please! Match up the buttonholes; some French cuff shirts have two holes so you can adjust to the option that fits you best. Prep your cufflinks by bending the stem, then thread it through the button holes. The curve of the stem should be facing away from your arm. Click the cufflink into place, straighten any kinks in the cuff and you’re done.
A few final thoughts:
- Knot cufflinks: I hate them! Just my personal view.
- Don’t borrow cufflinks from men; it’s a masculine look so you need woman’s cufflinks even more.
- When washing, give your cuff edge a good squirt with pre-wash stain remover. Dirty cuffs ruin your polished look and the sunk in stains are hard to eliminate.
- Don’t let your cufflinks go through the washing machine!
It’s tempting to thread on your cufflinks before putting on your shirt, but it’s easier to apply them on your sleeve as you’re wearing it. It’s hard to wriggle your arm into a pre-cufflinked shirt. (Feel free to mock any man you see doing this too.)