When it comes to menswear, the variety of outfits remains less rich than for women. Beyond everyday styles, dressing with refinement naturally steers a man towards a suit made up of a shirt, a jacket or a tie. This traditional style tends to lack whimsy and can stop a man from expressing his personality. Cufflinks are an accessory that avoids an overly formal suit; each cufflink manages to turn a basic outfit into a unique look, at a modest price.
The primary purpose of a cufflink is, of course, to hold each shirt cuff together, but it's above all its aesthetic appeal that people are after. And good news! While menswear isn't always the most innovative when it comes to a suit and tie, round cufflinks are far more daring. If you want to give your wardrobe a fresh look, cufflinks are a safe bet. So let's give the floor to men's cufflinks, their role, and the best way to match them.
Menswear: all hail the suit and its accessories
Fashion still suffers from a major paradox today. Despite designers wanting to break the rules with every collection and create ever more original pieces, menswear still lags behind womenswear. You only need to go to a smart evening event or a wedding to notice that men often run out of ideas for asserting their look and standing out from the crowd. The suit with a shirt and tie, or even a bow tie, is often chosen almost automatically. Everything then rests on the choice of accessories for a man to stand out. Fashion offers several types of accessories for men:
- the tie,
- the bow tie,
- socks,
- the belt,
- the watch,
- the hat, cap or beanie,
- the pocket square,
- gloves,
- jewellery,
- cufflinks.
All these accessories are essential for adding character to a suit. It's these accessories that complete an outfit with refinement, without spending a fortune. Just like a tie or a men's shirt, cufflinks deserve to be chosen with equal care.
Cufflinks: the essential accessory for a chic men's outfit
Among all men's accessories, cufflinks aren't always the easiest to choose. Long associated with shirt accessories belonging to the upper classes, round cufflinks have made a strong comeback in recent years. Far from any notion of high-society exclusivity, cufflinks are now just as affordable as a tie, and complete a suit to perfection.
But what exactly is a cufflink for? Despite its small size, the cufflink has more than one trick up its sleeve. Its primary role is to fasten and tighten each cuff of a shirt. Keeping your cuffs held together stops you from having to roll up loose cuffs, thereby protecting the shirt from damage. But as we've mentioned, this practical aspect is really just a pretext for embellishing a suit with a tie or bow tie. Most often, cufflinks come out of the drawer for a wedding, a ceremony or a smart evening out. This true symbol of elegance makes all the difference to a man's style.
But what's interesting about a pair of cufflinks is precisely their ability to adapt to any occasion. You no longer need to wait for a big night out to fasten them to your shirt cuffs. Round cufflinks can absolutely be worn every day or at work, without risking a look that's too stuffy. Like a piece of jewellery for women, your cufflinks will brighten your shirt without overdoing it. Very subtly, each cufflink lets a man express his personality.
Silver, metal, colour, price: how to choose your cufflinks?
Once you've decided to buy cufflinks, you still need to match them correctly. First of all, you should know you're spoilt for choice when it comes to designs. To build yourself a fine cufflink collection, you'll need to fine-tune several factors:
- The shape of your cufflinks: round, square, fish-tail, bullet-back, chain-link, etc. Each cufflink shape brings a different style to a suit.
- The material of your cufflink: mainly metal or silver, more original cufflinks are made from wood or silk. Highly fashionable, wood is a clever choice with an immediate, unique aesthetic effect.
- The colour of the cufflink: classic cufflinks come in matte or shiny silver. Choose cufflinks whose colour is coordinated with your tie, for example. Repeating a colour is always a winning move.
Choosing your pair of cufflinks naturally depends on whether you're heading to a wedding or to work. Selecting them and matching them properly is essential. You can build your cufflink collection to suit the different occasions in your life.
Wearing cufflinks during the day
If you want to elevate your shirt day after day, a pair of cufflinks is a great idea. Designers such as Hugo Boss or Gucci, for example, have brought cufflinks back into fashion by giving them more modernity. It's no accident that so many men wear cufflinks to work. Very discreet, these shirt accessories contribute to the chic, relaxed look that a work outfit calls for. It's up to you to pick your favourite cufflinks from your collection, based on your taste and your mood for the day. You have far more freedom of design here, and can dare a bright colour or a material other than metal or silver.
Matching your cufflinks for an evening out
More than just an option, cufflinks are a must for a dressy evening. Choosing cufflinks becomes trickier in this setting; the smallest mistake could be seen as a major fashion faux pas. It's time for restraint and discretion. Favour a dark colour and an understated material such as metal. Bolder men might fasten flamboyant gold or silver cufflinks to their shirt. Make sure to match your pair of cufflinks with your tie, while also considering the colour of your suit jacket. Harmony is crucial, and restraint is always advisable. The challenge, then, is finding the right balance between asserting your personality and choosing a refined cufflink design.
Bring your cufflinks to a wedding
Finally, the occasion where cufflinks are always appropriate remains the wedding. A pair of accessories will serve as a simple touch, but one that's guaranteed to elevate a man's shirt within his suit. Not wearing them will be noticed instantly. It would be a shame not to seize this wonderful opportunity to shine in everyone's eyes. If the wedding in question has a theme, it can be a smart idea to personalise your cufflinks with the couple's initials or an original symbol. A wedding is always a good excuse to bring out your finest pieces while taking a few style risks. Take the opportunity to dare a bold colour and an original shape, all while keeping a sense of moderation and harmony.
We also recommend these other pages:
- How to choose your cufflinks
- Giving cufflinks as a gift
- Buying personalised or made-to-order cufflinks?
- Collecting cufflinks
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