Suit cuff paranoia

[AleisterCrowley]

Just got a new cotton/linen suit from M&S
I ordered online but had tried the jacket on in store and it seemed fine.
Having tried it at home the cuffs seem enormous, I'm sure I didn't notice this previously. I've checked and it's the correct size (42 Regular) and otherwise the fit is fine - perhaps half an inch too long in the sleeve.
Just measured flat and the cuff is almost 6" (about 15cm) so 12" circumference
Is this 'normal' ? You could fit two of my wrists in there and still have enough room to shoplift a bratwurst
Dragged an old M&S travel jacket out and it's nearly the same (14-15cm flat)
Is this the modern style, or an M&S foible?
Gentlemen, measure your cuffs and tell me if I'm going to look stupid.

TIA
A C

[Howyoudoin]

Just got a new cotton/linen suit from M&S
I ordered online but had tried the jacket on in store and it seemed fine.
Having tried it at home the cuffs seem enormous, I'm sure I didn't notice this previously. I've checked and it's the correct size (42 Regular) and otherwise the fit is fine - perhaps half an inch too long in the sleeve.
Just measured flat and the cuff is almost 6" (about 15cm) so 12" circumference
Is this 'normal' ? You could fit two of my wrists in there and still have enough room to shoplift a bratwurst
Dragged an old M&S travel jacket out and it's nearly the same (14-15cm flat)
Is this the modern style, or an M&S foible?
Gentlemen, measure your cuffs and tell me if I'm going to look stupid.

TIA
A C

5.8 inches flat. NEXT suit jacket.

HYD

[AleisterCrowley]

What size? (Guessing you are 42/44 Regular)

[Howyoudoin]

What size? (Guessing you are 42/44 Regular)

Not sure how you know that but yes, 42R.

6 inches for yours doesn’t sound excessive (no matter wha your suit size).

HYD

[swill453]

What size? (Guessing you are 42/44 Regular)

Not sure how you know that but yes, 42R.

Er, you said it in the original post!

Is is possible that with a linen suit you're not wearing a typical dress shirt underneath? Maybe a short sleeved one? It may be that the suit cuffs feel bigger at your bare wrist than they would with a shirt cuff there.

Scott.

[AleisterCrowley]

I said it, HYD didn't ..he appears to be about my build based on photos
I will be wearing with normal single cuff 'work shirt' altnough it's not for daily wear, just weddings, christenings, visiting parole officer etc

[swill453]

I said it, HYD didn't

My bad, I got muddled as to whose suit we were discussing...

Scott.

[Howyoudoin]

I said it, HYD didn't ..he appears to be about my build based on photos
I will be wearing with normal single cuff 'work shirt' altnough it's not for daily wear, just weddings, christenings, visiting parole officer etc

Just surreptitiously measured the cuffs on three different sized suits from the selection in our cloakroom at work.

6.0", 6.0", 6.1". All flat.

So you're fine. Wear with pride.

HYD

[AleisterCrowley]

Thanks HYD! How come I've never noticed this before ?? - although I rarely wear a suit jacket, work being a 'shirt and trousers' environment...

[Howyoudoin]

Thanks HYD! How come I've never noticed this before ?? - although I rarely wear a suit jacket, work being a 'shirt and trousers' environment...

No worries. I recommend treating yourself to a smart double cuff shirt to wear with it on special occasions. You'll notice that your wrist has much less 'wiggle room' in a suit jacket than with a single cuff shirt.

HYD

[Julian]

A bit late to the party but here's my info. I'm about 5'8" tall, slim build and chest technically about 37" (as measured) but even 36" off-the-peg jackets tend to be too big for me. The world of retail clothing is outgrowing me.

Anyway, I just measured 3 of mine and the results, measured when laid flat as I think is how everyone on the thread is doing it, are...

5.5" - Anderson & Sheppard bespoke. Traditional 2-button single breasted. A&S are considered to have one of the softest most relaxed cuts of the traditional British tailors.

5.375" - Richard Anderson bespoke. Huntsman-style single-button single breasted. RA (who used to be Huntsman's head cutter) is considered to have one of the more structured military style cuts.

5.875" - Henry Poole bespoke. Traditional 2-button single breasted. HP are considered to sit in the middle style-wise between an A&S soft cut vs a Huntsman/RA very structured house style.

Based on my measurements I'd say your 6.0" flat measurement is at most at the top of the range but not excessive and probably, given you're a few sizes up from me in overall terms, bang in the middle of the range I see with my jackets. Maybe an added point of reassurance is that my measurements derive from the explicit decisions of 3 top-rated Savile Row cutters at 3 different SR houses. Cuff circumference is one thing I didn't explicitly specify during any of the fittings so was left to the discretion of the cutters in all 3 cases.

For the record I have teeny tiny wrists, abnormally small for a man, and I've never once noticed let alone been worried about my cuff sizes.

Don't forget that whatever shirt you wear under it is likely to have been sized to go over a fairly chunky Rolex/sports-style watch since retail shirt sellers have to allow for all reasonable possibilities there and, if reasonably decent quality and not a casual linen-type shirt, the shirt cuffs should have a somewhat rigid liner in them that will form something of a circular shape around your wrist hence it is the relationship between the shirt cuff and the jacket cuff that is really visible not the relationship between the jacket cuff and your wrist (as Scott was getting at with his question re the shirt).

- Julian

[AleisterCrowley]

That's probably 'a cut above' the sort of stuff I buy...

I'm 6'0" , medium heavy build and definitely an M&S off the peg person.

I do have small wrists I guess - going by watch straps.