Call them working buttons, functioning sleeve cuffs, surgeon's cuffs, whatever you choose, having buttons and buttonholes on your suit or sport jacket cuff is generally a good thing. But it is not an easy thing to do for the masses, which is one reason it has traditionally been a sign of custom tailoring.

As you probably know, I am a big fan of custom tailoring. I believe several tailors' children are now going to very good law and medical schools because of my penchant for having my clothes fit just so. Of course, you probably recognize that I am talking about  extensive alterations as well as actual suit making.  And it is in the alteration process that functioning sleeve buttons become a problem.

Why? Because proper placement of the sleeve buttons is best accomplished after the sleeves have been altered to fit the owner. Once they have been placed, the buttons themselves can be moved, but working buttonholes can't. This means you either have to shorten the sleeve from the shoulder- possible, but not really easy- or  shorten the sleeve with the buttonholes in place, essentially working around them. If you are talking about a half inch, that is not a problem, but if you are talking about an  inch and a half or more, then you find yourself smack in the middle of the buttonholes, with no easy place to turn under.  Working buttonholes on sleeves are generally spaced about three-quarters of an inch or so apart. It is possible to place the first one as close to the hem as three quarters of an inch, though that is really a little close. But, if you can accept that closeness, you mght be able to live with having to turn the sleeve under along the edge of a buttonhole- not ideal by any stretch, but easier than working from the other end, i.e., the shoulder.  Then your tailor could make another buttonhole further up, to get you back to the original number of buttons. 

Do you see why this is troubling? Because buiying a suit that already has these lovely items in place is like buying  a pair of trousers whose hem can't be adjusted without major surgery. You really need to be careful about the length of the sleeves as the garment comes to you.

One easy solution, favored by large corporations everywhere, is to simply adjust the standard, i.e., tell people they aren't supposed to fit exactly.  You may have noticed the working sleeve cuffs lately on casual, unconstructed jackets.  Fit is not as big a deal on these jackets and I do not think I would avocate spending the  big bucks to alter them. Just wear them and have a good time. But if you are buying, say, a bespoke suit or an off-the-rack suit that has already been altered, be sure that  the working cuffs have been set at a length that suits your needs.  Otherwise, all of your eBay savings will go to the Tailor's Children's Scholarship Fund.

I hope you have found this guide helpful and that you will take a moment to vote for it. You may also enjoy Wentworth Tradd Tackles the Cocktail Coat and Wentworth Tradd Splains Trouser Motifs, among my many other guides. If you are famous, or thinking of becoming famous, why not check out Wentworth Tradd's Mostly Useless Guide to Fame?

Thanks
WT