The use of creases in men’s pants has always been an interesting topic and especially since there’s been very little hard information. Beyond the common idea that creases were “invented” by King Edward, there’s been little hard information. Until now. In this interesting blog post, the staff of the FIDM Museum has attempted to bring some clarity to his issue. Enjoy!
During my last trip to Tombstone, I decided to try something different with my new suit- French cuffs! Yes, French cuffs! Essentially, French cuffs require dedicated cufflinks and they can only really be worn buttoned up- no casual unbuttoning the cuffs and rolling them up and because of this, they have become out of favor with the today’s more casual styles. However, in the late 19th Century, they were more of a thing. Just a little backstory, I ordered two shirts from a fairly well-known maker and somehow my order got confused and when I received them (after almost 18 months), I discovered that they’d been made with French cuffs. Initially, I just put them at the back of the closet and forgot about them…but later, I rediscovered them while re-arranging my closet and I got the idea of finally wearing them.
Don’t mind the stray thread!
Attaching the cufflink can be somewhat challenging in that you have to work it through four thick layers of fabric… 😁
Don’t mind the stray thread there… 🙂
The inside of the cufflink. It’s a pretty simple design. And the actual cufflinks:
Unlike more modern versions, earlier cufflinks tended to have a more simple design for attachment. This is a pair of very simple vintage 1890s cufflinks that I got off ebay:
I like simple designs. Here’s a view of the short-front:
It turned out that I also needed button studs for the front- thankfully, I had some that I usually use when I wear my tails. 😁 And now, the final package:
First job finished in 2022, a silk brocade smoking jacket for Adam…perfect gentleman’s wear for the parlor at No.11 in Tombstone. 😁
The fabric is a wonderful silk brocade that we bought on our trip to England last October.
Here’s some more construction pictures:
