The Portland daily press., 1883-01-18
Changes in Cuffs.
When they Were First Manufactured
and worn-Different Kinds in the
Trade.


Adam wore no cuffs, and to Solomon's 700
wives was denied the delight of seeing their
liege lord decked out in a clean shirt and col
lar. How the handles of those days managed
to look respectable is matter of melancholy
conjecture. The history of the modern cuff,
says the Philadelphia Press, is startling con-
frmation Of Mr.. Darwin's theory of creation.
1t was evolved from nothing What awful
and fantastic shapes it may yet assume no man
can tell. Fifty years agothe cuff was as much
curiosity as was linen shirt fifty years be-
fore. The gentlemen of the Revolution wore
ruffles or ruffs of lace or crimped linen about
their wrists. 1t was about thirty years ago
that the first linen cuff was made. 1t was
plain band OF linen sewed to the shirt sleeve
and was fastened by an ordinary porcelain but
ton. lis use grew rapidly in public favor, and
in few years there appeared in the market a
cuff, buttoning separately to the wristband.
There had been still no provision made for the
ornamental button, but several years after
cnff was made having in one end the much
coveted hole and from that day the success of
the invention was assured. A piece of white
linen was good thing, but piece of linen
and chunk of gold, and the first sleeve but
tons were coined of that precious metal, COM
bining as they did utility and beauty, COM
fort and elegance, at once found their way in
to permanent popular notice.
The linen cuff of to-day is as unlike that OF
twenty years ago as is man and the monkey.
There are now sold by the trade three classes
of cuffs, respectively made of linen percale
and celluloid. The celluloid cuff, when first
it made its appearance, created genuine fu-
rore; but now it is worn as a rule only by trav-
cling statesmen, who have to do their washing
on the fly, and poor people in the summer
time The pereale cuff, likewise once high in
the estimation of the wealthy and the aesthetic,
has gone into at least temporary oblivion,
although wholesale jobbers say they find ready
sales for both the percale and celluloid cuffs in
the extreme South and West. The cuff which
laps over and buttons at one end is now con-
sidered barbsrous. The ultra fashionable
kind is the cuff which is bound together by a
link button. 1t should be attached to the
shirt sleeve by two delicate slips, extensions
from that part of the cuff which q sailor would
call 'amidships." One reason why the per-
Gale cuff went out Of fashion was because they
cost more than a good linen article, and were
not nearly SO decent in appearance. About
fifteen years ago the paper cuff, likewise the
paper collar, were held up to the admiring
gaze of consumers. Millions were manufac-
tured, and ii was thought the desidera-
tum had at last been found, but the
paper cuff, like the percale. is now only used
in the South and in the extreme West,
around Galveston, and among the Black Hills.
Nine tenths of all tho cuffs sold in this country
are manufactured at Troy, N. Y. Some years
ago great many were imported from England.
Now none are brought across the ocean. On
the other hand, American cuffs are finding a
large sale in London and Paris.
Some idea of the Importance of the industry
may be given when it is stated that over $780,
600 pairs are sold annually in New York alone.
Six years ago cuffs were made in two or three
pieces, and one style in particular, was about
nine inches long and then doubled over to
within half-inch of the starting-point. All
OF the cuffs OF to-day are what is known as four
ply-that is, they are made of four thicknesses
OF linen, with the interlining of cotton. All
linen caffs are but little worn. They cost from
sixty TO seyenty-fve cents per pair and have
not half the capacity for holding starch and
soSs. fn Ssl p9s
square corners round corners and choppS SaiS
corners. In New York and Boston the round
corners are fashionable, in Philadelphia the
square corners are the go, and in Washington
and Baltimore one sees nothing but chopped
cuffs
In Chicago they like big cuff, as big as
they can get it. In New Orleans the bon ton
wear diminutive wrist bands, and out in the
bonndless West they wear anything that han
pens to be handy, from a dish rag to pair of
nippers. The latter is the all prevailing style
in some places in Colorado and New Mexico.
Then, again, there are both single and double
cuffs The former are now but little worn,
and never by fashionable people. Different de-
nominations wear different kinds of cuffs.
Quakers want small single cuffs that lap over
and button at the end. Actors wear big cuffs,
and largely patronize the gaudy percale with
polka dots and rainbow stripes, like bill post
ers. 1t is permissible to wear tight-ftting
cuff in the winter, although the present style
fayors roomy one that will come down cley-
erly over the wrist and yet not stick in the coat
sleeve, like fat man in an alley. None but
tops wear their cuffs down to their knuckles
The best distance is from an inch to half an
inch. To vary much from this standard is to
display excessive modesty or unbecoming loud
ness. A dirty cuff is thing to be washed and
not talked about