To cuff or not to cuff?

Mastering the subtle art of cuffing, pinning & rolling

Mastering the subtle art of cuffing, pinning & rolling

Like every major trend, cuffed jeans have been periodically showing up in street styles and on the catwalks for about 70 years. Speaking of the last 40 years, though, after being basically ubiquitous between the 1980s and the 1990s, they seemed to recede for quite a while, only to reappear massively and with no intention to take off again any time soon. To the point that even their die-hard opponents have started to accept them as a fact.

While it is certainly true that jeans cuffing is sort of a controversial issue, it is also not improvisation. Ask any denim enthusiast and they will tell you that the science of cuffing is based on specific techniques depending on the type of jeans and shoes you are wearing.

Here’s a quick guide to help you find your bearings amongst the many options offered by the subtle art of cuffing.

Cuffable Jeans: A Matter Of Weight And Fit

Cuffable Jeans: A Matter Of Weight And Fit

Although every kind of jeans can be virtually cuffed, some definitely look better with a rolled up bottom. Generally speaking, a pair of thick, heavy jeans will not usually lend themselves to cuffing because the cuff will end up being just too bulky. As for the trousers’ style, tapered and straight-leg jeans are way more suitable for cuffing than boot-cut or flared ones. Based on the trousers’ bottom width, tapered and straight-leg jeans call for different types of cuffing, whereas we would strongly recommend to refrain from rolling up boot-cut and flared jeans.

Four Techniques You Should Master

Four Techniques You Should Master

OK, we are now ready to cuff. Yet how many times are we supposed to roll up the pants? And how tall should the cuff be? While there are virtually endless techniques, they all fall within the following four categories, each exuding its very own style and look.

1

1

The simple roll

The simple roll is the one we all tried once at least, maybe only to quickly shorten a pair of jeans and without the slightest intention to look fashionable. All it takes is rolling up the pants’ hem and smooth it well.

2

2

The pin roll

The pin roll requires a little manual skill: you need to take a bit of fabric on the instep side of you pants, tighten the jeans around your ankle, fold the excess fabric forward and finally roll the hem up a couple of times.

3

3

The skinny roll

The skinny roll is made by rolling up the hemmed seam of your jeans twice in a nice, thin cuff. It looks perfect on skinny and super skinny jeans.

4

4

The deep roll

The deep roll definitely exudes a 1950s aesthetics that looks great on tapered and straight-leg jeans. Quite literally, it is a deep cuff usually rolled up just once to avoid making it too thick and bulky.

To Every Shoe Their Own Cuff

To Every Shoe Their Own Cuff

Planning to match a deep cut with low-top sneakers? Think twice! And please, do not even consider pin-rolling your jeans if you are wearing a pair of Chelsea boots. These may all sound like negligible details to you, and yet a wrong match between your jeans cuff and you shoes is something that will inevitably strike you as incongruous. But no worries: to just follow this simple scheme and you’ll nail the right match in no time:
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