Set aside for more than 50 years, cufflinks are celebrating their big comeback as a fashion accessory, back in the spotlight since the 1990s. Now an essential accessory for the modern man, cufflinks are part of everyday life, whether at the office or at a wedding. Since you want to know everything about cufflinks, we're here to help you choose, and to know when to wear a pair.
So you'll need to choose between style, shape, colour, material and fastening for your cufflinks. How do you match these cufflinks with your shirt or jacket? How do you choose the type of French cuff or the shape of your shirt collar? All questions you might ask yourself, and ones we'll try to answer. While the cufflink remained, for years, reserved for a certain elite, it has now become widely popular with younger generations, who wear it every day. Why not do the same?
Wearing cufflinks to a wedding
The prime moment to wear cufflinks is a wedding. Dare this essential fashion accessory! Whether you're wearing a tuxedo or a traditional suit, cufflinks matched to your tie clip, tie or bow tie will be perfect for this lovely day.
It all comes down to your suit jacket
The important detail not to overlook is indeed the choice of your suit. If you're wearing a tuxedo, your pair of cufflinks should be as classic as the tuxedo itself. Choose gold, silver or steel cufflinks. Avoid overly whimsical accessories that won't match your outfit for the day at all.
If you're going for a suit for a wedding, treat yourself to the luxury of wearing whimsical cufflinks, such as steel ones, which allow for every kind of eccentricity. So why not dare cufflinks matched to your belt buckle or your shoes?
Suit jacket sleeves are designed to reach halfway up the French cuff. So your cufflink will be visible, provided it's a medium size. If your jacket sleeve is too long, have it altered by a tailor. You need to be impeccable on your wedding day.
The colour of your jacket and shirt will also factor into the choice of colour for your cufflinks. If in doubt, choose gold, silver or steel cufflinks, to avoid any fashion faux pas. Platinum and copper cufflinks also exist, and look stunning with a classic, chic suit.
Matching your cufflinks, tie, belt and bow tie to the groom's
Couples often ask their best men and close family to wear the same little flower buttonhole on their jacket lapel, or pinned to the women's dresses. In recent years, it has also become trendy to match the tie, bow tie or belt to the groom's. Why not do the same with cufflinks for the wedding? The guests, gathered on this special day, will be delighted to share a special connection with the groom. As for the bride, she can suggest that the women present wear a fabric bracelet matching the groom's tie or bow tie. These little touches will stay in everyone's memory.
Wearing cufflinks at work
Why not wear cufflinks at work? The world of work today is fairly uniform. The same fashionable suit for men, classic tie and shirt. While it's not always well received to bring a bit of eccentricity to your dress style, why not turn to cufflinks as your accessory of choice? Discreet, yet expressing your personality, the cufflink can be a great ally at the office.
Pairing cufflinks and a watch — now there's a great idea
Remember to match your watch with your cufflinks. Since your cufflinks are visible on your shirt cuff, your watch will be too, especially if it's a good size. So choose a cufflink colour that matches the colour of your watch face. You'll get a perfectly polished style. On the other hand, never wear a watch with a silver strap alongside gold cufflinks. As you've gathered, it's all about harmony of colour and material.
Choosing a cufflink shape for the office
If your job allows it, choose a less classic, even quirky, cufflink shape:
- Animals.
- Superheroes.
- Dollar, euro, yen.
- Watch movement.
But if your job doesn't allow for that, stick to something more understated while still adding your personal touch. Here are a few ideas:
- Square cufflinks: on a steel base, many square designs are set with plain, flat or raised cabochons.
- Round cufflinks: don't choose too large a diameter.
- Triangular cufflinks: for a touch of modernity within an understated style.
Don't forget elastane cufflinks either, with no fastening system, available in every colour. This makes them easy to match with your jacket or shirt.
Choosing the material of your cufflink
Unfortunately, it's all a matter of hierarchy here. If you're a company director, you can wear gold or silver cufflinks. If you're just starting out in your role, stay modest and wear simpler cufflinks, chosen with no less taste:
- Fabric.
- Elastane.
- Steel.
Choosing the shape of your French cuff
As we saw above, your shirt cuff should be visible halfway up once your jacket is on. So take advantage of this to choose a French cuff different from the shirt cuffs usually worn at the office. Shirt cuffs, just like shirt collars, have their own style:
- Square French cuff: the most classic shape. The two sides of the cuff fully overlap one another.
- Triangular cuff: shaped a bit like a wing collar, ideally worn with a bow tie. If you choose this kind of shirt, go for matching cuffs.
- Rounded shirt cuff: the edges of the cuff are rounded. A softer touch for your cufflink.
- Continental cuff: the cuff shape is slightly curved.
- Tab cuff with small button: pairs very well with a shirt with an American collar, which has two small buttons.
- Convertible cuff: this cuff lets you wear either cufflinks or close the shirt cuff with a button.
You'll then match the shape of your cufflink to that of your shirt cuff. If you choose a rounded cuff, favour round-shaped cufflinks, to slide through the cuff holes.
Wearing cufflinks to a job interview
Now there's a good question! Rest assured, you can absolutely wear cufflinks to your job interview. You'll adapt your choice based on the role you're applying for. If you work in advertising or marketing, a touch of originality will always be appreciated by the recruiter. On the other hand, if you want to work in a more classic field, such as banking or insurance, favour a pair of classic cufflinks. To avoid any fashion faux pas, match their colour to your jacket and choose a white shirt. Finally, favour rectangular, square or round steel cufflinks, to stay within the formality of the interview.
How to set yourself apart from other men by wearing cufflinks?
There are 10 good reasons to wear cufflinks! Among them is the fact that they help you stand out from other men, through a personalised cufflink. Consider a cufflink with your initials, or one depicting an activity you love (a sport, a favourite animal, for example). This way, you'll be noticed as a man who knows how to assert his preferences.
If you love beautiful objects and jewellery, the cufflink lets you indulge yourself: set with a precious stone, in silk matching your pocket square, personalised by a jeweller — anything is possible. A man can therefore happily replace a piece of jewellery with a lovely cufflink.
If your style is generally quite eccentric, don't hold back from wearing cufflinks! This way, you can set yourself apart from others with a quirky design matched to your look. You'll bring cheer and humour into your everyday life. Many cufflink makers now offer to create unique, high-end, exceptional personalised designs. Don't hesitate to call on their expertise.
Finally, if your budget allows and you genuinely want high-end cufflinks, visit the websites of major designers. There, you'll find, for example, cufflinks set with a small diamond at their centre, mounted on gold, silver or platinum. This jewellery remains an exceptional product, but there's no doubt this accessory will make you a truly refined man.
We also recommend these other pages:
- The cufflinks guide
- How to match your cufflinks
- How to care for your cufflinks
- How to put on cufflinks
- Buying your cufflinks
Related Products
Whatever the occasion, the perfect pair is waiting for you in our men's cufflinks collection: designs dedicated to weddings, elegant cufflinks for the office and special occasions, and gift sets, ready to give.