Sleeve Curve at Cuff

The sleeves of Simon shirts end with a S-curved line at the cuff. I was wondering what is the rationale for this shape. I found it in many sleeves, but I also found sleeves that have a straight line here.

I am asking because this is one of the things that I think I can optimise in my shirts. The fabric often folds naturally here, exactly where the fabric is longer due to the curve. And because I moved the pleats closer to the sleeve placket, this longer piece is also single layered fabric with can very easily fold, and so it does that.

For the most recent shirts, I removed the curve and replaced it with a concave C shape, the idea being that the sleeve is a tube that is wider at the top, so to get a straight end at the cuff, I need a concave shape here (i.e., not a straight line either). And what do you know, these sleeves are better for me, the folding isn’t gone, but it is reduced.

Following the logic of this, I started thinking more, and I came to the conclusion that what I really need would indeed be an S shape, but the other way around, i.e., the sleeve should be longer where the placket and the pleats are, and should be shorter on the opposite site. I will try this in an upcoming shirt.

But I don’t really know what I am doing. I also checked Coffin’s book, but the sleeve end is mentioned only briefly and not explained well (to me), but I did notice that the S curve is the opposite of what Simon has – i.e., it is what I want to do, to make it longer where the sleeve placket is and shorter on the opposite side.

Is there any kind of theory on sleeves that I can read?

Sleeve is basically a cilinder. Or a cone that is cut at some point. Made one out of piece of paper and cut the top with different angled plane.

Than unroll it and observe the shape of the cutter edge. A perpendicular cut cilinder will have straight edge, everything else will be some kind of curve.

Hence different shapes of the cuff ending. They just give you different result. It’s up to you what you want.

Now I’m all confused about this placket thing. But indeed, sleeves should be subtly longer toward the back of the arm, because elbows are usually a bit bent in real life therefore need more length on a routine basis