A Man’s Guide to Cufflinks
In case you did not know that – Cufflinks Rock! Yeah – they do.
Think about it – when else can a man wear a piece of jewelry that’s both practically functional and ornamentally aesthetic?
Never tried them before? You’re missing out big time– try them and you’ll get compliments from people who notice the details.
But FIRST – you have to know how to wear them and understand the various cufflink types/materials/styles so you don’t buy junk but instead invest in future heirlooms you can pass onto your kids!
Cufflinks might be conventionally associated with men’s semiformal evening wear (the tuxedo ensemble), but the versatile little fasteners can fill a surprising range of wardrobe roles.
So as long as you’ve got a long-sleeved shirt with the requisite holes in their cuffs, you can attach the cufflinks into just about any outfit.
What Are Cufflinks at all?
Cufflinks are tools for fastening shirt cuffs closed.
They’re an analogue to the buttons that are commonly sewn onto shirt cuffs. The defining feature is that cufflinks are separate objects: sew it onto the shirt and it’s a button, but if it’s fully removable it’s a cufflink.
” …you have to know how to wear them and understand the various cufflink types/materials/styles so you don’t buy junk but instead invest in future heirlooms you can pass onto your kids. ”
John Winkles
Just like buttons, cufflinks come in many shapes, sizes, styles, and materials. They usually offer a little more contrast than a button, and are considered a more ornamental option, but they’re not inherently more or less formal.
The Basic Cufflink: How It Works
A cufflink fastens a shirt by sliding through holes on either side of the cuff opening, then swinging into a locked or fixed position to hold the sides together.
The most common cufflink consists of a large head or “insert member” with a decorative front face, a post that extends from the back of the head, and a hinged toggle that swings out from the post to fasten the link.
These are fastened by setting the toggle in its closed position, so that there is a straight post descending from the underside of the head.
The post slides through the holes on both sides of the cuffs, and then the toggle is swung outward to prevent the post from sliding back out.
That holds the cufflink in place, with the front face of the insert member placed decoratively atop the buttonholes.
I’m John – a Celebrity Menswear Stylist and a Men’s Hip Accessory Trends Blogger!
You’ve seen my work on red carpets, advertising campaigns and the covers & pages of numerous US magazines…