tell me everything i need to know about cuffing wool pants

[JohnG]

Pardon me, I'm bumping this post.

I'm getting ready to purchase a pair of wool flannel trousers for this fall/winter season and I am highly considering having them cuffed. The look of cuffed flannel, especially with suede or boots, really appeals to me. I currently do not have any of my trousers cuffed (I cuff jeans and chinos) and I wear them with a slight contemporary break. The general consensus on this thread though seemed to be cuff = no break. Which I agree with the statement that it does look sloppy. But then I saw this picture posted in another thread.
http://chattypics.com/files/Butler_tcsuyyvd9b.jpg
It seems this gentlemen has a slight break? Would this still be considered sloppy? My main concern with going cuffed with no break is that it will throw off my proportions too much. I'm 6' with a 31.5" Inseam, however the pants I'm looking at have a medium high rise. Can anyone speak to the wiser on that? I also agree with cuffed trousers generally look better with a good taper. Would a 16" opening be too less of a taper to go cuffed no break? Thank you all!

From what I've read, aside from aesthetics, the main purpose of cuffs is to add some weight to the bottom of the trousers to help the fabric hang straight and keep the lines clean. So having anything more than a slight or quarter break defeats the functional purpose of cuffs; with a half or full break, the fabric (especially a stiffer or heavier fabric) is going to gather around the ankles and calves, throwing off the drape anyway.








If you want cuffs, a 1.5" to 2" cuff with no break or slight break is the way to go, especially if the pants have larger opening at the hem: like putting a fold in a piece of paper, the cuff will also add some rigidity to the fabric at the hem which help stop the fabric from flopping around too much when you're moving.



Regarding cuffs and a person's height, I agree with pretty everything others have written: deciding to go with cuffs (and the height of the cuff) is about your height to inseam ratio, the rise of the pants, and the fabric. I'm no tailor, but if I was you I would go with the break and cuff combination in the picture you shared. It doesn't look sloppy to me at all.