[AvariceBespoke]

i cant make up my mind.. why have or not have one?

 

[DocHolliday]

They keep the sleeve from gaping. I like them.

 

[Will]

Yay for me.

 

[Sator]

Yea of course. But why would this even be a question?

 

[fullgrain]

I've gone back and forth on this, but have recently come down on the side of yay. Buttonless (which I understand is not just a bespoke/MTM choice but default for some brands?) is a cleaner look and makes ironing a tad easier, but the button kind of holds things together. It also allows you to--quelle horreur, I know--leave your cuff button undone w/out your cuffs flopping all over the place.

Now if I could just decide to go with a front placket or not...

 

[Kent Wang]

What if the gauntlet was only half as long? That would serve the same purpose, and I think you could still get your hand through it.

 

[Nantucket Red]

What if the gauntlet was only half as long? That would serve the same purpose, and I think you could still get your hand through it.

I've seen this done on shirts, but if you live in a very hot climate, you would long for a longer gauntlet and a button you could undo for the ventilation.

 

[medwards]

Another recent discussion on this topic...

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=62686

 

[Buffalo]

Don't like them at all, just another button to break and get in the way when you roll up your sleeves. BBs traditional shirts do not have them--yay

 

[Panzeraxe]

definitely yay

 

[smlaz]

Nevah!!!

 

[Andy]

Required!

From The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes, Dress Shirt Chapter:

The sleeve opening has a button halfway up its length. The buttonhole is cut through a gauntlet or sleeve placket, which is a miniature version of the front placket.

The word gauntlet is acceptable for meaning both 1) "glove" or "challenge" and 2) "a form of punishment in which lines of men beat a person forced to run between them". It comes from the Old French word gantelet, a diminutive of gant, meaning "glove."

The sleeve opening of all quality shirts have a button halfway up its length. Some shirt makers may skimp and not include this button. The buttonhole is cut through a gauntlet or sleeve placket, which is a miniature version of the front placket.

The purpose of the long opening is so that gentlemen can roll up their sleeves if necessary and to make ironing the cuff easier. The button, which holds the opening closed should be fastened unless you have the sleeve rolled up.

It seems lots of guys go around with the button unfastened, but my theory is when a shirt is laundered it is returned with the button undone, and many men do not take the effort to button it when they put on a clean shirt.

 

[Benjamin E.]

Yay. I avoid shirts without them. If possible, try and get them with the buttonhole parallel to the cuff buttonhole (à la Land's End, Ralph Lauren, Paul Fredrick, etc.)

 

[zegnamtl]

Split.

None of my bespoke or MTM shirts have them, all the gauntlets are shorter than RTW and it is not really required, they do not bellow without it.

Most of my RTW have them because of the nature of making a shirt that fits all and I am so use to it, it does not bother me.
The button is required with the very long openings found on most RTW shirts.

 

[a tailor]

?

IMHO its properly a "placket". what do you think alexander?

 

[emk]

I have 3 RTW Charvet shirts, and none of them have the gauntlet button.

I read somewhere that this was a considered decision on the maker's part. Can anyone confirm?

 

[Scott]

I've seen this done on shirts, but if you live in a very hot climate, you would long for a longer gauntlet and a button you could undo for the ventilation.

You are so right. I wouldn't even mind a gauntlet longer by half the size of the original and a second button there. On warm days one could leave both buttons undone, as long as a jacket is worn.

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

What if the gauntlet was only half as long? That would serve the same purpose, and I think you could still get your hand through it.

The purpose of the gauntlet's length has nothing to do with getting your hand through. It is there so that the cuff can be fully opened for ironing and to permit the proper rolling up of the sleeve for hand-washing.

IMHO its properly a "placket". what do you think alexander?

It is a placket with the traditional name of "sleeve gauntlet". This dates back to the days of armor when the gauntlet protected the hands and forearms during hand-to-hand combat.

​

I have 3 RTW Charvet shirts, and none of them have the gauntlet button. I read somewhere that this was a considered decision on the maker's part. Can anyone confirm?

It is. In this case it sounds like it was the firm's accountant.

 

[Kav]

In my undergraduate days I got to spend a few hours with a Gorilla taking part in the famed sign language programme known best through Coco. I was wearing my official field anthropologist shirt, an old L.L. bean khaki cotton affair with shoulder and sleeve epaulets. This particular gorilla was a little infamous for displaying friendship by surreptitously pulling off shirt buttons in a game of 'who me?' The other students had t-shirts on. I was a hit with this magnificient creature, who by session's end had removed every button from my shirt. I was very happy for the gauntlet and epaulet buttons that day. Now Bart the bear was more direct. He just slobbered bear slime all over if he liked you. I say YEA

 

[iammatt]

It is. In this case it sounds like it was the firm's accountant.

Some shi(r)tmakers in Italy brag about not needing a gauntlet button. None of these makers is any good.