* Thanks to a new follower who has taken the time to go through my archives & found some GEMS, I’m going to re-post some of my older posts as they are still very relevant & in turn answer the numerous messages & emails I still get on a weekly basis even though I have retired from suits & ties

Black shoe (not shoes) + BIG cuff + minimal break.. WHAT?

Nothing beats the simplicity & sharpness of a not so “shiny” but gently polished black cap-toe oxfords + well balanced cuff to break ratio.

Still confused? I am constantly asked about the size of my cuff & the break. I wish they would ask me about the Rugby or the MotoGP ;o)

Anyway, in this day an age we all get tied up with definitive measurements & forget the most important rule balance & proportion.

Well when you are of my stature we start to see things from a different perspective.

So in simple terms, what you see is not what you think. The size of cuff & opening I wear is not so easily translated to others. The other factor we need to take into account:

1. type of cloth – as some have more drape & others are stiff
2. pattern & colour of cloth
3. type of shoe – narrow, wide, double or single sole & so on
4. dimension of shoe

The above also need to be taken into account with the break of the pant – when the bottom touches the shoe & how much of a crease is formed.

IMO men that are shorter in stature should avoid full-breaks at all times as this cause a disturbance in the flow from shoe to trou to jacket & so on.

They say that men of my stature (< or = 5’7”) should avoid cuffs let alone 2” cuffs (as the standard is 1.5” - 1.75”), but we come back to my previous statement regarding balance & proportion not definitive measurements. Sure once you have worked out what works for you then use that as a base – but we still need to refer to the naked eye to see if the balance & proportion is there.