Tuxedo trouser length and break

Tuxedo trousers look right with a very slight break or none at all, the hem just kissing the instep, and no cuffs. Unlike the office suit, where you can choose from several breaks, tuxedo trousers are evening trousers: a clean line, the shine of the shoe visible, no fabric stacked at the ankle. This guide explains why, and how to choose the right length.

Slight break or no break

The break is the fold of cloth made where the hem meets the top of the shoe. There are three familiar levels:

• No break: the hem just touches the instep and the leg falls straight, without a fold. Clean, modern, and flattering to patent shoes.
• Slight break: a single small fold at the front. Classic and safe for a first-time tuxedo wearer.
• Medium or full break: a deeper fold, sometimes stacking in layers. Suited to business trousers, not to evening dress.

For a tuxedo, the first two are the sensible choices. Choose no break when you want a clean line and a narrower leg; choose a slight break when you want to move comfortably in a straighter leg. The break goes with the trouser leg rather than the hem alone, so the piece on straight or tapered tuxedo trouser legs is a useful companion.

No cuffs

A classic tuxedo trouser has no turn-up. A cuff adds a block of cloth and a horizontal line at the ankle, which interrupts the unbroken run of the satin braid down the leg. That is why tuxedo trouser hems are made plain, sometimes angled, but never turned up.

The angled hem: shorter in front, longer behind

An angled hem is cut so that the front is slightly shorter and the back slightly longer, instead of level all the way round. The reasoning: at the front the hem only needs to touch the instep, while at the back it should fall nearer the heel so the trouser does not ride up as you walk.

An angled hem suits tapered trousers and no-break trousers especially, because it keeps the front line tidy while still covering the heel. With a straighter leg, an ordinary level hem with a slight break is enough. Ask the tailor which cut suits your trouser shape; every man stands a little differently.

How patent shoes and opera pumps change it

Your shoes decide the hem more than you might think. Patent lace-ups have a higher instep, so the hem meets the shoe higher up. Opera pumps are slip-on shoes with a low vamp and an open front that shows more sock; with pumps, trousers should have no break or just a touch, because stacked cloth would sit on the small grosgrain bow and spoil the slender line of the shoe. You will need thin, over-the-calf black socks so no skin shows at the ankle when you walk or sit.

If you may change shoes later, bring the exact pair you will wear to the fitting. The hem is set to a specific instep, not to a type of shoe in general.

By height

• Taller men: a slight break keeps the trousers from riding short when you sit or lift a leg; the leg need not be very narrow.
• Average height: no break or a slight break both look good; choose according to how close the leg is cut.
• Shorter men or those with shorter legs: no break makes the leg look longer, and an angled hem keeps the line tidy. Avoid a deep break, whose folds shorten the leg further.

One detail that is hard to see but matters: tuxedo trousers are worn with braces and a high rise, which changes the crotch line and leg length compared with trousers on a belt. The hem should be set with the braces fitted and you standing properly, not on trousers that are not being worn.

How to check at the fitting

1. Stand straight in the right shoes and look in a full-length mirror from the front and the side. The instep should show cleanly, not hidden by folds.
2. Walk a few steps and sit down. The hem should not ride up past the sock top when you sit.
3. Look from behind: the hem covers the heel and does not drag on the floor.
4. Check both legs; sometimes each side needs a slightly different length.

Notes from the Mon Amie workroom

With a made-to-measure suit, the hem is pinned while you stand in the shoes you have chosen, so the break and the cut of the hem match that pair exactly. You can read more in tuxedo trousers versus dress trousers, on the bespoke tuxedo page or book a fitting.