Intermediate Techniques

How to Sew Cuffs and Plackets: Sleeve Finishing for Tailored Shirts

A clean cuff with a proper placket is what separates a tailored shirt from a homemade one. Step-by-step tutorial covering both the tower placket and the simpler bound placket.

The cuff and placket on a tailored shirt are small details that have an outsized effect on perceived quality. A poorly-constructed placket sits puckered and uneven; a well-made one is crisp, symmetric, and folds flat. Most home-sewn shirts struggle with the placket more than any other detail.

This guide covers the two main placket styles. The tower placket (also called the continuous bound placket or gauntlet placket) is the classic dress shirt construction with a narrow visible “tower” at the top. The bound placket (also called the simple bound placket) is a casual variation with a single binding strip.

Anatomy of cuff and placket

Cuff and tower placket sleeve (front view) tower (visible) underlap (hidden) cuff
The cuff and placket together: a tower placket sits at the wrist opening, and a separate cuff piece wraps around the sleeve hem to finish.

The placket is the slit at the bottom of the sleeve where the cuff fastens. Without a placket, you couldn’t get your hand through the cuff. With a properly constructed placket, the slit closes neatly when the cuff is buttoned.

The tower placket — step by step

This is the standard dress shirt placket. It uses two pieces: the tower (the visible upper portion) and the underlap (the hidden lower portion).

Step 1: Cut the placket pieces

The pattern provides two pieces:

  • Tower piece: the visible side. Typically 4 cm × 14 cm with one pointed end.
  • Underlap piece: the hidden side. Typically 2.5 cm × 12 cm.

Both pieces have foldlines marked.

Step 2: Mark the placket position on the sleeve

The pattern marks where the placket goes on the sleeve back edge (the edge that will be at the wrist). There’s usually a slit marked between two stitching ends.

Mark this position carefully. Stay-stitch around the marked area to prevent fraying.

Step 3: Cut the placket slit

Cut along the marked slit line. Stop short of the top end and cut diagonally to each top corner (similar to bound buttonhole — see our bound buttonholes guide for the technique).

The slit now has small triangular flaps at the top.

Step 4: Attach the underlap (hidden side)

The underlap is the simpler side. It binds the back edge of the slit.

  1. Press the underlap piece. Fold all four edges to the wrong side along the marked foldlines.
  2. With the underlap opened flat, place its right side against the wrong side of the sleeve along one side of the slit (the back side).
  3. Sew the underlap to the slit edge, with the underlap’s right side facing the sleeve’s wrong side.
  4. Trim seam allowance.
  5. Fold the underlap to the right side of the sleeve, wrapping the slit edge.
  6. Topstitch the underlap on the right side, securing it against the sleeve.

The underlap is now bound around the back side of the slit.

Step 5: Attach the tower (visible side)

The tower is the more complex side. It binds the front edge of the slit and forms the visible “tower” shape at the top.

  1. Press the tower piece. Fold the long edges to the wrong side along the marked foldlines (typically 1 cm folds).
  2. With the tower opened flat, place its right side against the wrong side of the sleeve along the front side of the slit.
  3. Sew the tower to the slit edge, similar to the underlap (right side of tower against wrong side of sleeve).
  4. Stop sewing at the top of the slit (don’t extend past).
  5. Fold the tower to the right side of the sleeve, wrapping the slit edge.
  6. Continue the fold up the tower piece, with the pre-folded edge sitting cleanly along the right side.
  7. Pin in place.

Step 6: Topstitch the tower’s outer shape

This is the visible decorative stitching that defines the tower.

  1. Topstitch around the tower’s outer edges (the visible tower shape) on the right side. Sew through the tower fabric and the sleeve.
  2. At the top of the tower, sew across to capture the tower’s pointed end.
  3. Below the tower, topstitch a horizontal bar (a small rectangle) at the bottom of the tower where it meets the slit. This bar tack reinforces the placket.

The tower is now fully attached, with visible topstitching defining its shape.

Step 7: Attach the cuff

The cuff is a separate piece that wraps around the sleeve hem.

  1. Pleat or gather the bottom of the sleeve (depending on pattern) so it matches the cuff’s length.
  2. Place one cuff layer right side together with the right side of the sleeve. Sew along the cuff’s upper edge.
  3. Place the second cuff layer (or fold the cuff in half if cut as one piece) over the first.
  4. Sew the cuff’s three remaining edges (the sides and bottom).
  5. Trim, grade, turn right-side out, and press.
  6. Topstitch the cuff (optional but standard).

Step 8: Add a buttonhole and button

Mark the buttonhole position on the cuff and the button on the underlap. Sew the buttonhole; sew on the button.

The cuff is done.

The bound placket — simpler alternative

A bound placket is a single binding strip (similar to bias binding) that wraps around the slit edges. Used in casual shirts and easier than the tower placket.

Construction

  1. Cut a binding strip 2× the slit length × 4 cm wide.
  2. Stay-stitch and cut the slit on the sleeve.
  3. Place the binding strip along the slit (right side of binding to right side of sleeve), opening the slit so the binding lies flat.
  4. Sew the binding to one edge of the slit, around the bottom (the cut bottom point), and up the other edge.
  5. Fold the binding to the wrong side, pressing the seam to one side.
  6. Press the binding’s free edge under and topstitch it down on the right side, hiding the raw edge.
  7. At the top of the slit, fold the binding back into the sleeve and topstitch a small dart at the slit’s apex.

The result is a simpler placket with a single binding visible at both edges of the slit.

Common placket mistakes

The placket is uneven

Cut and mark precisely. Stop seams exactly at the marked endpoints.

The tower puckers at the top

The diagonal cuts at the slit top weren’t sharp enough, or the tower wasn’t pinned cleanly. Re-do the cuts and pinning.

The cuff is too small for the sleeve

Pleat or gather the sleeve bottom more before attaching the cuff.

The buttonhole on the cuff doesn’t align with the button

Mark both positions before sewing. The buttonhole on the cuff should align with the button on the underlap when the cuff is closed.

The placket frays

Stay-stitch around the placket area before cutting. Always backstitch at slit endpoints.

Practising

Critical for plackets. Practise on scrap fabric before doing it on a real shirt sleeve.

  1. Cut a 30 × 30 cm scrap.
  2. Mark a placket position.
  3. Walk through the steps of the tower placket.

The first practice placket is rough. The second is much better. By the third, you’re ready for a real sleeve.

What plackets and cuffs unlock

Once you can sew them cleanly:

  • Tailored shirts with full button-front, collar, and cuff construction — see our button-front shirt guide.
  • French cuffs (folded back, with cufflinks) using a wider cuff piece.
  • Sleeves on dresses and blouses that need wrist closures.
  • Tailored shirt dresses.

Closing thought

The cuff and placket are the small details that transform a casual shirt into a tailored one. The construction is precise and slow the first time, but each subsequent sleeve is faster and cleaner. After making 3–5 shirts with proper plackets, the technique becomes routine.

For the broader intermediate skill set, see our complete intermediate techniques roadmap. For the related collar work, see our shirt collars guide.

Keep reading