Cufflinks are fastening accessories used for securing or buttoning shirt cuffs, particularly when wearing a formal jacket or a coat. These are tiny tools that are used as a fashionable alternative to buttons. Cufflinks are decorative and functional accessories that show class and panache, even though they are dispensable. They give a polished look and are one of the luxuries of fashion.
Nowadays, cufflinks are more than just accessories and a tool for fashion. With many options for style, materials, and design, wearing cufflinks allows men to express themselves fashionably and creatively. Along with watches and bracelets, cufflinks are among the few accessories that men can wear without the risk of looking ‘too flashy’.
Cufflinks date back to the Industrial Revolution in Europe and America in the 18th century. They started to be mass-produced, which allowed everyone to avail them at different price points. The wealthy, of course, were able to get cufflinks made of gold and studded with diamonds and gemstones. In the 1920s when the iconic fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel included cufflinks in her collection, they now caught the attention of mainstream fashion.
It is surprising that most men have no idea when and how to wear cufflinks that they end up discarding them altogether. Imagine a man looking all good in his corporate shirt without cufflinks, he would still appear bland. Ideally, you need to wear cufflinks with your French cuffs (or a shirt with double cuffs). French cuffs are the shirts you wear during semi-formal events or a wedding with a tuxedo. French cuffs are characterised by an extra length in the cuff that is folded back and secured with cufflinks.
Every cufflink is made up of:
Front Face/Head. This is the decorative top part of the cufflink that shows off the intricate design or precious gemstone.
Post. This is the slender bar or cylinder that is inserted through the buttonhole. It is attached to the head on one end and the toggle on the other.
Toggle. This is the bottom part of the cufflink. This serves as the locking and securing mechanism to keep the cufflink from slipping out of the buttonhole.
How to wear cufflinks?
Wearing cufflinks depends pretty much on the occasion and your wardrobe of choice. A black tie suit at a formal event requires formal cufflinks. While casual wardrobes should have more casual cufflinks. Just like an earring, using cufflinks is pretty much straightforward. Cufflinks either have bars, toggles, or posts that you can twist and lock.
1. First, open the cuff link.
2. Second, insert the bar or post through the buttonhole. Make sure the decorative part is on the visible side.
3. Secure or lock the cufflink. This will depend on the type of fastening of your cufflinks.