Universal Tailors

Perfect Sleeve Length

How long should my suit jacket sleeves be? And how much shirt cuff should be shown?

Your Suit sleeve should end right above the top of your wrist bone (or the hinge of your wrist).

In order to show the right amount of dress shirt cuff, the sleeve length must be perfect first. A properly fitting shirt sleeve should end at the base of your hand. Once these two are properly fitted, you’ll notice that naturally, some shirt sleeve cuff will show. The general rule of thumb is that you want to show 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch of shirt cuff.

Not showing any shirt cuff or showing too much of shirt cuff is a SIGN that the suit does not fit right or perfectly. It ruins the power of a fitting suit. It is a minor detail for some but for sartorialist like us it matters a lot. It is a detail if perfected will enhance the whole image.

Suit Sleeves And Watches

If you wear a watch, especially a larger-faced watch,  make sure you leave enough space under your cuff to accommodate the typical watch you would wear with that shirt. A shirt cuff should be able to go over and cover some of your watch when your arms are relaxed at your sides. We always make our shirts with bigger left cuff compared to right.

Scroll to Top