In dress shirts, a cuff is an extra layer of fabric at the lower edge of of the sleeve covering the arms. The purpose of having cuffs on dress shirts is to protect the material used from fraying. When frayed, for some reason, the cuffs also allow repairs or replacements without major changes and alterations to the shirt. Cuffs on dress shirts today have also become a way to give the item more flair and style.   Cuffs are made by turning back the material, or by using a separate band of material that may be sewn on or worn separately by being attached using buttons or studs. Ornamental borders and other designs may also be used on the cuffs as an addition to the look.   Dress shirt cuffs are generally divided down one edge and then fastened together to let a hand through and then fit snugly around the wrist. These divided shirt cuffs are classified into three different kinds, depending on how they fasten. The three types of dress shirt cuffs are as follows:   1. Button Cuffs. Also known as barrel cuffs, this type of cuffs have buttonholes on one side and buttons on the other. Sometimes, more buttons are used on one side so that the fit can be adjusted to be more comfortable on the wrists.   2. Link Cuffs. This type also make use of buttonholes, but on both sides of the cuff. These buttonholes are meant to be closed using cuff links. They are most commonly fastened using the “kissing style”, where the insides of both sides are pressed together. However, it can also be fastened with the outer face of the cuff touching the inner face, as with the button cuffs, using cuff links in place of buttons. However, this way is very uncommon.   Link cuffs come in two kinds, single cuffs and double cuffs (also known as French cuffs). - Single cuffs, which is known to as the original linked cuff, are required for white tie and are the more traditional choice for black tie events. Some traditionalists also wear this style with lounge suits. - Double cuffs, which are most commonly known as French cuffs, are twice as long as the single cuffs and are worn folded back on themselves. This type of link cuffs were once considered to be more formal than the button cuffs, although starting to become more common on business environment and office settings. Traditionally, French cuffs are only worn with lounge suits and other more formal clothing, most men are starting to wear them with sports jackets, while some even opt not to wear a tie or a jacket with them. This type has also become the preferred choice for semi-formal, black tie events. 3. Convertible Cuffs. This third type of cuff, which is a combination of the first two, may be closed with buttons or with cuff links. Convertible cuffs are starting to become more common as it is the most flexible type, perfect for both formal and semi-formal settings.