I was up getting dressed this morning, after an amazing nights sleep that included a dream involving me, Dania Ramirez (the Dominican girl from that show Heroes) and the phrase "papi"...but I digress. So, anyway, I was getting dressed and I reached for a pair of my favorite cuff links and I thought to myself..."why do the French do everything better?" When you think about it, it's kind of true that most things that have the word "French" in the name are simply fantastic. For all of you "Proud to be an American" card carrying members of the NRA I would ask that you consider the following list:1. French Fries
2. French Kiss
3. French Toast
4. French Connection (Gene Hackman stared in this 70's crime film that won 5 Academy awards and another 15 awards for film with 8 other nominations.....one of the best movies....EVER.)
It is irrefutable. The above list is nothing short of glorious and to be a man, in this country, and not love each and every item above is, dare I say, un-American. I mean...seriously...the English translation for the French word for "orgasm" is "to arrive".....WOW!
So it is the same with the "French Cuff Shirt" - another stroke of genius from the land of croissants and the Eiffel Tower. Although not unique to France, the French Cuff or "Double Cuff" as it is sometimes called because of it's extra long length, is considered a more formal option vs. the button or barrel cuff shirt typically worn by the warriors of the rat race. The excess length of the cuff is folded back on itself and pressed together in a "kissing style" before being held together with metal, silk or any other cuff link.
Many men don't buy french cuff shirts because they believe they are too formal and can't easily fit into the everyday wardrobe. To that I say...qui est absurde! (that's French for "That's absurd!....I Googled it). A well played french cuff shirt can look just as smart with a suit as it does with a sport coat and jeans or under a cardigan or shawl neck sweater. It can even look great all by its lonesome, as the handsome gentlemen in the photo to the left shows us. Personally, I tend to believe that every well dressed man should have 3-5 french cuff shirts (2 white, 1 blue and 2 of your choosing). It is clear that men's designers are pushing us towards a more masculine, less "metro" sensibility and this once old world wardrobe staple is benefiting from that push and making a come back. Well known shirt maker Thomas Pink has re-staged his entire brand around the white french cuff dress shirt and retailers like Banana Republic offer the shirts in a variety of fits and colors as part of the brands "Monogram" collection. My suggestion would be to pick up a few, so you can look as good as the French do just about everything else.
Ohh and for those of you who still consider going to McDonald's and asking for "Freedom Fries", I say No Thank You, I'll take my fries French, the way the good Lord intended.
Make it an Outstanding Day!
- Kenyatte
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2 comments:
Agreed on, save for the fried potatoes. It's commonplace in England to don the double cuffs and look ready for work or play. It's unfortunate some style stiffs dictate that a shirt with French cuffs is only for formal occasions. That's all we guys have are cuffs links and watches.
The feminine perspective: Any man can throw on a regular buttoned shirt but there's something about french cuffs that catches the eye and entices me to take a second look...every time. French cuffs give the shirt the polish it needs and adds the element of class/unique taste that separates the person from the rest. I would trust that a man who enjoys wearing french cuffs has the capacity to distinguish when he should or should not wear the shirt. I add that Brooks Brothers tailors their shirts for men and can be obtained at a reasonable expense.
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