Being elegant is quite an art! A man of taste is recognised by his skill in matching every element of his outfit: jacket, shirt, trousers, tie (or bow tie), belt, watch, socks, shoes — and, of course, cufflinks!
Wondering how to match your cufflinks with your tie, your bow tie, and the other accessories in your suit or outfit? Look no further — you're in exactly the right place.
In the lines that follow, we'll walk you through the different occasions that call for (or require!) a tie, a bow tie and cufflinks, along with the main rules for coordinating these various accessories with one another.
What circumstances allow for or require a tie?
The tie brings a certain formality to an outfit, whatever the occasion. And if you want to be elegant right down to your cuffs, cufflinks are certainly a "must-have".
The tie can be worn in different ways, depending on the circumstances:
- With a quality suit (or even a tuxedo), for formal occasions (ceremonies, weddings, etc.). You should always choose a white French-cuff shirt, ready to take a pair of cufflinks. For an event calling for classic dress, choose a black or dark-toned tie. Where a little more originality is welcome, you can go for a coloured tie, patterned or plain.
- With a suit for semi-formal events and professional settings (cocktail parties, corporate events, etc.). Wear a shirt (white or coloured) with either French cuffs or convertible cuffs (a clever blend of button cuff and French cuff), into which you'll fasten cufflinks to perfect your look. The tie will be coloured, and can carry a pattern (unless stated otherwise).
- With a blazer and shirt, chinos or jeans and smart shoes (a smart-casual style), to wear at work or for after-work drinks, among other occasions. Here, a French-cuff shirt would look too dressy. Instead, go for a simple-cuff shirt with cufflinks, or a convertible-cuff shirt, dressed up with a pair of cufflinks suited to the setting.
- With a leather jacket, over a simple-cuff or convertible-cuff shirt. The ideal tie here is a "slim" design. Note that adding cufflinks turns a casual outfit into a "smart-casual" one. So don't hesitate to use these fashion accessories to personalise your style with elegance.
Note that cufflinks can very well be worn with a suit or blazer without a tie at all!
On what occasions should you dress your outfit with a bow tie?
The bow tie is traditionally worn for the most elegant events, where a tie simply isn't enough. This accessory is indeed THE essential companion to a tuxedo or tailcoat, two outfits closely tied to the two most formal dress codes:
- "Black tie."
- "White tie."
These two dress codes apply for exceptional occasions, such as official ceremonies, weddings, galas, theatre and opera nights, charity balls, and so on. Wearing a bow tie with a white wing-collar, French-cuff shirt is essential for such events.
But today, the bow tie is no longer reserved for official, festive ceremonies. It's also dethroning the tie on various everyday occasions:
- At work: while the tie (and understated, classic-style cufflinks) still dominates in the business world and traditional professions (architects, doctors, etc.), the bow tie is increasingly seen in creative professions. If you work in this field, to stand out from your colleagues and express your creative flair, go for a pair of original cufflinks.
- At informal evenings with friends: a bow tie (in fabric, wood or leather) fits perfectly here, elevating, for example, a coloured shirt (patterned or plain), jeans and trendy trainers. Don't hesitate to surprise your friends by dressing your shirt cuffs with a pair of original cufflinks. Or you can opt for discretion instead, with silk-knot cufflinks, for a smart-casual look.
- At family celebrations (birthdays, christenings, Christmas, etc.): elegant, refined, festive and, above all, less formal than a tie for this kind of event, the bow tie is worn here with a shirt and chinos (or jeans), with or without a jacket. A pair of quirky cufflinks on a convertible-cuff shirt will add elegance to your outfit.
- At a wedding: the bow ties of the groom, the ushers and the guests should match the wedding's theme and colours. Such an event is also a great opportunity for you to wear lovely cufflinks on your wrists to assert your style — while being careful, of course, not to upstage the groom.
- New Year's Eve: a festive outfit finished with a patterned bow tie gives its wearer elegance, originality and distinction. And to mark the occasion, don't hesitate to wear carefully chosen cufflinks, either quirky or personalised!
In short, if you want to perfect your look (formal, semi-formal or casual) with elegance and refinement, adopt the bow-tie/cufflink combo, which instantly brings style, elegance and personality to any outfit.
Properly matching a tie (or bow tie) with cufflinks
In fashion, a "classy" outfit is all in the details. Indeed, accessories such as the tie, bow tie and cufflinks shape men's elegance. So knowing how to match your cufflinks with your outfit in general, and with your tie or bow tie in particular, is of the utmost importance for men of taste.
One good way to avoid a fashion faux pas is to match the colour of your shirt jewellery with that of your shirt, tie, socks, or even your shoes.
Matching colours
To successfully match colours, follow one of these 4 principles:
- Colour matching (identical, solid colours): simply choose cufflinks in the same shade as another accessory, your tie, for example. That said, avoid repeating this same colour too many times (tie, cufflinks, pocket square, socks, etc.) — the effect could end up looking a bit clownish!
- Tone-on-tone: your cufflinks are the same colour as your tie, but generally in a darker shade. For example, dark blue cufflinks paired with a light blue tie.
- Analogous colours: for your tie and cufflinks, you can choose colours very close to each other on the colour wheel (e.g. pink and purple).
- Complementary colours: this means choosing colours opposite each other on the colour wheel for your tie and cufflinks, such as blue and gold, or silver. Silver has the advantage of pairing with any outfit.
Matching patterns and materials
Wearing a patterned tie or bow tie? By matching the print and colour of your cufflinks with those of your tie, you'll ensure your whole outfit is beautifully harmonious.
Finally, if your cufflinks are metallic and you're also wearing other metal accessories (watch, buttons, ring, belt buckle, etc.), be sure to match their colour. So, no gold cufflinks with a silver watch strap — they should all be either gold-toned or silver-toned.
By following this advice, you're sure to successfully match your entire outfit and all its accessories, right down to the last detail.
We also recommend these other pages:
- Matching your cufflinks with your shirt
- Matching your cufflinks with your bow tie
- Which accessories go well with cufflinks?
- Wearing original cufflinks
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