Converting a tweed sport coat to a Braemar jacket

[ChattanCat]

I often wonder why I put buttons on the sleeve. Why have cuffs and what function did they serve? If I look from the practical side. I thought the cuff was to have some material to pull down on my hands to keep them warmer in the cold days and nights. The buttons were there to hold the cuff up when not needed. It makes sense to me.

[Rogerson785]

I often wonder why I put buttons on the sleeve. Why have cuffs and what function did they serve? If I look from the practical side. I thought the cuff was to have some material to pull down on my hands to keep them warmer in the cold days and nights. The buttons were there to hold the cuff up when not needed. It makes sense to me.

Ah, the buttons were put onto the sleeves to prevent soldiers from wiping their runny noses, and I think the extra material that form the cuffs are to offer additional protection while on horseback from the leather bridal etc...

[vorpallemur]

Ah, the buttons were put onto the sleeves to prevent soldiers from wiping their runny noses, and I think the extra material that form the cuffs are to offer additional protection while on horseback from the leather bridal etc...

Coats with cuffed sleeves have historically had functional buttons. Unbuttoning the cuffs allows them to be rolled up, so you can do work without getting your sleeves in the work. Good quality suit coats stlll come with functional buttons, a feature often called "surgeon's cuffs", in memory of their purpose, even though the tailoring on modern coats sleeves makes it impossible to roll them up, even with such a cuff.