cuff

dress style

Also known as: turnup

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Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

A cuff is a part of a garment that encircles the wrist, such as on a sleeve or glove. It can also refer to the turned-back hem of a trouser leg.1

There are different types of cuffs:
* Barrel cuff: An unfolded cuff, typically on a shirt, fastened with a button.2
* French cuff: A double cuff, made by folding back a wide cuff band, which is then secured with cuff links.3

Cuff links are small accessories used to fasten shirt cuffs closed, replacing cuff strings in the 17th century. They can be made of various materials and have evolved in design over time.4

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dress
The early 20th century
…trousers commonly featured turnups (cuffs in America), and the legs became increasingly wider; the popular “Oxford bags” measured 20 inches at the hem. Knickerbockers had become fuller and longer, overhanging the kneeband by four inches, and were thus known as plus fours, which remained fashionable until at least 1939.…
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…trousers commonly featured turnups (cuffs in America), and the legs became increasingly wider; the popular “Oxford bags” measured 20 inches at the hem. Knickerbockers had become fuller and longer, overhanging the kneeband by four inches, and were thus known as plus fours, which remained fashionable until at least 1939.…
Read More