Cufflinks can be seen as a clothing accessory with a genuine function — closing a shirt's cuffs — but also as jewellery, thanks to their ornamental character and their influence on the style and appearance of the man wearing them. This aesthetic dimension directly shapes how we judge and rank the most beautiful cufflinks, which, as a reminder, come in many designs and materials, as you can see in our cufflinks guide.
Indeed, a pair of silver or mother-of-pearl cufflinks can look absolutely stunning in its box, yet have a limited effect — or even amount to a fashion faux pas — if worn with a shirt and suit and tie whose colours don't match those of the cufflinks at all.
There are therefore several ways of judging the beauty and design of a cufflink: the maker's craftsmanship, the quality and prestige of the materials used, but also their effect on someone's overall style once worn on a man's wrists. Add to that the natural subjectivity of aesthetic taste — "each to their own" — and it becomes clear that this piece isn't meant to establish a definitive, absolute, universal ranking of the most beautiful cufflinks in existence.
Cufflinks for a chic, classic man
Whether the goal is to keep a sober, classic everyday style, or to discreetly embellish a shirt's cuffs for an important event such as a wedding, some cufflink designs seem better suited than others to achieving that result.
Just as in the world of fine jewellery, refinement and restraint depend directly on the shape and colours of the piece — in this case, a cufflink. As a general rule, those with a discerning "French" sense of taste consider certain cufflink shapes ideal for a classic look, listed and described below:
- Stud-style cufflinks: of all cufflink designs, the stud is the one that most closely resembles a classic shirt button with its own built-in fastener. Its key feature is having no removable or moving parts, which gives it exceptional durability, but also makes it trickier to fasten correctly. Both faces of a stud cufflink can be decorated, meaning the side that touches your wrist can potentially be shown off too, without fear of revealing an unattractive mechanism.
- Chain-link cufflinks: traditional and historic, they consist of two identical faces linked by a small metal chain. These are simple accessories to fasten and use, but they can't be fully tightened, leaving a little play at the cuff.
- Ball-back cufflinks: with a design close to that of the stud cufflink, the ball-back style is known for its refined effect, well suited to a classic style.
As for colours and materials, men looking for cufflinks that add an elegant touch without being too flashy are generally advised to choose metal designs, favouring neutral colours such as white or grey.
The materials to favour are therefore: stainless steel, metal alloys, silver, titanium or platinum. As for price, steel or alloy cufflinks are very affordably priced, making them a good choice as a gift for a man who takes care with his appearance. If you want to add a touch of originality, a mother-of-pearl inlay on the visible face of the cufflink is a great alternative — again thanks to mother-of-pearl's neutral white tone, which makes it easy to match with clothing and multiplies the occasions on which it can be worn.
Combining elegance with a desire for originality
Cufflinks can be an excellent fashion accessory for a man wishing to express his modernity and his taste for originality, while keeping the elegance naturally conveyed by cufflinks. To do this, you can play with the patterns, colours, designs, details and materials available to embellish shirt cuffs.
Cufflink designers are particularly open to modern, offbeat suggestions, both in the luxury world and in more affordable ranges. It's therefore extremely easy to find a huge stock of cufflinks whose visible face depicts a motif linked to countless fields: music, sport, cars, toys, professions, countries, or even animals.
Beyond the great originality of the possible themes, these modern cufflinks also come in a wide range of colours, which, from a style perspective, can cut both ways. It's important to keep in mind that the dominant colour of a cufflink should always coordinate with that of the shirt, tie or suit it's worn with — especially if the suit and tie are classic black. There's a fine line between originality and a fashion faux pas, one that's best not crossed if you want to stay elegant in every circumstance.
Ideally, wherever possible, it's best to build a varied collection of cufflinks, letting you pick the most suitable pair depending on your mood at the time — but above all, on the colour and style of the day's outfit.
As for materials, originality and modernity come through bold, sometimes unexpected choices, such as leather, wood, silk in knot form, or bronze. You can also stand out by choosing cufflinks with innovative closure mechanisms — double-action fastening cufflinks, for example, directly inspired by the clasps of the finest watch straps.
When cufflinks become luxury jewellery
Ever since its emergence, alongside the adoption of the French-cuff shirt as an aristocratic garment, the cufflink has moved in the world of luxury, precious metals, gemstones and jewellery signed by the finest goldsmiths of their time.
To dress King Louis XIV, for instance, a "cravatier" was tasked with choosing his shirt, his cravat, and also his cufflinks each day, from an impressive collection blending gold, silver, mother-of-pearl and every type of gemstone imaginable, playing with their natural colours as they were set into the king's cufflinks.
From this historic association between cufflinks and luxury, a strong connection remains today. The most renowned jewellery designers put all their expertise into creating cufflink designs that dress each cuff of a French-cuff shirt with a fashion accessory that draws every eye, while conveying an impression of ultimate elegance.
The only constraint when it comes to wearing luxury cufflinks is to take particular care with the outfits you pair them with, or to reserve them for important formal events, such as a gala, a business meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant, or a wedding.
We also recommend these other pages to learn more about cufflinks:
- A brief history of cufflinks
- Who wears cufflinks?
- Why wear cufflinks?
- Cufflink shapes
- Cufflink materials
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