Cuffing Business

Being an Asian with a disadvantageous height (read ‘short’), I’ve been cuffing my jeans for a long time. I can’t really recall the exact reason that made me stop cutting up excess lengths. The only thing I could remember was someone from Nudie discouraged it once and I just obediently stuck to the roll since.

It seems like cuffing is not just a matter of flicking the cuffs up, there’re actually a few rules behind it. According to Elle Australia’s issue #3 (my go to fashion mag!), cuffs should neither be too wide nor too thick. The magic spot is where the cuff grazes just above the ankles, which helps to create a leg-slimming effect.

Now if you’re prim and proper and would like your denim cuffs to look the same, folding neatly is quite sufficient. Refrain from ironing your cuffs as that will only make you look a little too ‘obsessive-compulsive’. If you’re all about looking rugged, haphazard cuffs on a ripped pair of jeans may work well for you.

Now with ankles on the show, whip out your favourite pair of statement shoes and strut in confidence! The great thing about denim is that it goes with absolutely any kind of shoes. It also tones down those shoes that you’ve been reserving for that special occasion (that never really came), thus making them quite acceptable for daytime wear.

Here are a few other cuffing 101s

#1. For fitted jeans, work your denim into 2 finger wide folds. For slouchier fit, go for palm high cuffs to tuck in the extra volume

#2. Draw the line at 3 folds per cuff as  anything beyond that can be too chunky and clumsy looking

Have fun cuffing!

x

Photography| Mr M

ps. My left knee says hi! What appeared to be a tiny rip initially has developed into a full blown hole, and it’s not going to stop there.

pss. To be fair, those jeans are at least 5 years old and I’m kinda glad I haven’t neglected them fully.