Once reserved for an elite, cufflinks have, in just a few years, become an essential fashion accessory. Thanks to their versatility, they suit any event and are worn on different occasions to add style and meaning to an outfit. True ornaments for French-cuff shirts, cufflinks are jewellery set with gemstones, gold or silver. They can also be quirky and eccentric when made of metal, fabric or stainless steel.
Businessmen, best men, celebrities, employees, craftsmen or executives — who exactly wears cufflinks? To answer that question, here's an overview of the different moments in a man's life.
What is a cufflink?
The cufflink peeks out from under a suit jacket, on a man's wrist. It's more than a fashion accessory — it's in fact a quality item, essential for closing the cuffs of French-cuff shirts. So you'll need French-cuff shirts in your wardrobe to wear a pair of cufflinks. Cufflinks are made up of three parts: the decorated face of the cufflink, the post that fits through the holes in the French cuff, and the back that fastens it. There are different types of cufflinks: classic ones, extravagant ones, and designer ones. Finally, cufflinks come in different colours, allowing you to harmoniously combine the different elements of your outfit: suit jacket, bow tie or tie, shirt, and so on. Cufflinks are jewellery that makes all the difference to an outfit, especially when matched with another accessory such as a bow tie, tie or watch.
Cufflinks in the professional world
Beyond the fact that certain professions require a particular dress code, an outfit plays a key role in professional settings. To complete a casual jeans-based outfit or a classic suit and French-cuff shirt, cufflink designers offer a full collection of designs suited to every profession and every circumstance.
Different professional occasions
Job interviews, official ceremonies, business lunches — professional life is punctuated by important, unmissable appointments. In The Firm, we see plenty of professional occasions such as a job interview or business meals — two events where Tom Cruise wears cufflinks. To get noticed and assert his personality, a man happily completes his outfit with a pair of cufflinks. To reach the ultimate refinement of a chic, fashionable look, cufflinks are matched with another accessory in the outfit, such as a tie or a watch. Whether metal, gold or fabric, cufflinks are easy to wear in a professional setting, thanks to a huge collection featuring a wide variety of designs.
An overview of professions that favour cufflinks
Tourism, law, medicine, gastronomy or creative professions — the world of work is a vast playground for men who adapt their outfit to their profession, but also to their character. Indeed, by following a few basic rules, it's possible to wear cufflinks in any circumstance. Designers of this jewellery are so inventive that it's possible to find the ideal design for every profession or manual activity. Thanks to specially chosen materials, cufflinks can be more or less discreet on a man's wrist.
The world of nightlife and its cufflinks
A gala evening or a birthday party are occasions where wearing cufflinks is thoroughly recommended. A great way to assert your style, the cufflink allows for unique flair.
- For a gala evening, silk, mother-of-pearl or precious-metal cufflinks, such as gold or silver, will look stunning. You could also choose cufflinks featuring genuine watch movements. Symbols of impeccable elegance, movement cufflinks are magical pieces steeped in history.
- For a birthday, the daring can trade chic for bold: silk knots in a colour matching the party theme, but also gemstones such as emerald or opal, in round or rectangular shapes, not forgetting quirky designs such as tennis balls, a deck of cards, or a giraffe. For birthday parties, your fashion accessory can be a personalised nod to your loved one, with a cufflink depicting their favourite film, colour, band, or animal.
The wedding: the ideal day to wear cufflinks
It used to be said that cufflinks were reserved for special occasions. Even though that's no longer true today, with cufflinks now easily worn in any circumstance and any setting, the wedding remains a unique, wonderful moment where cufflinks come to adorn shirt cuffs. Classic or original cufflinks are available to the groom-to-be, his best men and his guests: jewellery in gold, silver, metal, stainless steel, mother-of-pearl or fabric, but also symbolic jewellery such as personalisable cufflinks. It's now indeed possible to have words, names or initials engraved onto your cufflinks.
For even more personalisation at a wedding, cufflinks become a gift idea for the best men. The groom-to-be can choose the colour and style of the cufflinks to create visual harmony between his outfit and those of his best men — no small advantage on a wedding day. Finally, cufflinks bring undeniable elegance when matched with a silk bow tie, for example. A Liberty-print cufflink design, meanwhile, lets you play with the colours of other accessories, as well as the colour of the suit jacket and the French-cuff shirt.
Cufflinks for a touch of originality
Alongside classic cufflinks, professional cufflinks and wedding cufflinks, you'll also find cufflinks that decorate men's wrists for many other occasions. They're happily worn with a French-cuff shirt and jeans for a trendy, relaxed look. They also reveal personality when worn with a black suit. Cufflinks are personal gifts that highlight a man's character, values and tastes. Here's a selection of cufflinks available across very different themes and styles:
- Sporting activities: tennis, football, golf, rugby, skiing, cycling, baseball, etc.
- The world of transport: tractors, cars, motorbikes, planes, boats, etc.
- The arts: piano, guitar, drum kit, drums, etc.
- Animals and food: crab, giraffe, penguin, chilli pepper, strawberry, etc.
- Hobbies: billiards, sudoku, playing cards, etc.
- Quirky designs: moustache, glasses, tie, bow tie, camera, hat, etc.
- Cufflinks inspired by films or celebrities: Angry Birds, Spider-Man, The Rolling Stones, Superman, Pythagoras, Batman, etc.
Cufflinks are no longer reserved for a single social or professional category, nor for a particular event. On the contrary, they come in countless designs, to the delight of men who find a suitable, fashionable cufflink type for every occasion. Wearing cufflinks is now open to everyone, of every age. Young and old alike appreciate the variety of colours and materials in this jewellery, which has become a genuine pillar of men's elegance.
We also recommend these other pages:
- A brief history of cufflinks
- Why wear cufflinks?
- Cufflink shapes
- Cufflink materials
- The most beautiful cufflinks
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