Wearing cufflinks is one of the most distinctive, elegant gestures in a man's wardrobe. But before choosing the ideal pair, one fundamental question arises: which shirt should you wear with cufflinks? Because without the right shirt, even the finest cufflinks will stay in their box.
This guide explains everything you need to know to pair the right garment with the right accessory, based on the occasion, your style and your build.
Which Shirt for Cufflinks? The Guide to French Cuffs
Reading time: ~7 min
Which shirt for cufflinks, based on your style and the occasion
In practice, the French-cuff shirt, also known as a double-cuff shirt, is the only one truly designed to take cufflinks. The choice of colour, fabric and style then depends on the occasion (a wedding, a gala, the office) and how you want to work this accessory into your outfit.
Why not every shirt works with cufflinks
Why a single cuff isn't enough
This is the starting point many people overlook: a cufflink can't be fitted to just any shirt. The single cuff, found on most off-the-shelf shirts, is closed with a button sewn directly onto the fabric. It has no through-hole for a cufflink to slide into. In other words, if your shirt has a fixed button at the cuff, it isn't designed for this purpose.
How the French cuff works
The shirt suited to wearing cufflinks is a French-cuff shirt, also known as a double-cuff shirt. Its distinctive feature is simple but decisive: it has no button at the cuff at all. The cuff, longer than on a classic shirt, folds back on itself to form a double layer of fabric. This fold creates four layers through which the cufflink slides to keep the cuff closed. It's this precise mechanism that makes the French-cuff shirt essential.
The French-cuff shirt, the only truly suitable choice
A French-cuff shirt for formal outfits
The French-cuff shirt is the absolute reference the moment you want to wear cufflinks. It's designed for exactly this, and nothing else can really replace it without a compromise. A white French-cuff shirt is, incidentally, a timeless base: it pairs equally well with a dark suit or a tuxedo, and can be elevated with mother-of-pearl cufflinks for a classic, polished result.
The French-cuff shirt for everyday wear
This type of shirt is often presented as a high-end piece, reserved for dressy settings. That's true of its primary purpose, but it would be limiting to confine it to special occasions alone. A French-cuff shirt in chambray or lightly textured cotton, paired with original cufflinks, can fit very well into a smart-business or even semi-casual register. The cuff should peek out slightly from the jacket sleeve, about two centimetres, so the effect is visible and elegant.
Which shirt to choose depending on the occasion
Choosing a shirt for cufflinks doesn't depend solely on the type of cuff. The occasion plays a central role in selecting the fabric, colour and overall style.
| Occasion | Shirt | Cufflinks |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding or ceremony | White, French cuffs | Silver or gold, matching the wedding band |
| Tuxedo or gala outfit | White, with a bib front and French cuffs | Discreet, close to the tone of the shirt or the tuxedo |
| Professional or smart-business setting | Sky blue, grey or fine-striped, French cuffs | Understated, for a subtle everyday flourish |
Wedding and ceremony
For a wedding or a ceremony, a white French-cuff shirt stands out as the safe choice. It's paired with silver or gold cufflinks, chosen to match the wedding band worn that day. Cufflinks are seen as essential in this setting, on a par with the tie or bow tie.
Tuxedo and gala outfit
For a tuxedo or a gala outfit, the rules are even stricter. A white shirt with a bib front and French cuffs is almost mandatory. Cufflinks should stay discreet, in a tone close to that of the shirt or the tuxedo itself. In this case, avoid overly colourful or novelty designs, which would throw off the balance of the outfit.
Professional or smart-business setting
In a professional or smart-business setting, you have more freedom. A sky-blue, grey or fine-striped shirt with French cuffs lets you work cufflinks into an everyday outfit without looking like you're dressed for a ceremony. It's actually in this everyday use that cufflinks reveal their true power: turning an ordinary outfit into a remarkable one.
Can you adapt a classic shirt to wear cufflinks?
This question comes up often, and the answer is yes, as long as you accept a slight alteration to the garment. It's possible to convert a single-cuff shirt by creating a reinforced eyelet at the cuff. The idea is to remove the existing button, cut an opening of the right diameter, then reinforce it with blanket stitch to stop the fabric fraying. This technique requires a minimum of sewing skill, but remains within reach of anyone patient and methodical.
This workaround does have its limits, though. Since a single cuff isn't designed to fold back, the visual effect stays different from that of a genuine double cuff. The result is functional, but it doesn't recreate the structural elegance of the French-cuff shirt. For a special occasion, it's best to invest in the right shirt from the outset.
How to put cufflinks on a French-cuff shirt
The technique isn't intuitive the first time, but it quickly becomes second nature. Here are the steps to follow.
- Fully unfold the shirt cuff, without folding it back.
- Bring the end of the cuff back up so it overlaps the wrist opening, creating four layers of fabric.
- Line up the four openings (two on each side) and insert the cufflink vertically through the first two layers.
- Pass the cufflink through the remaining two layers, then straighten it to lock it in place.
- Adjust the cuff around your wrist so it sits comfortably and correctly.
The exact motion varies slightly depending on the type of cufflink used: a fish-tail design is handled differently from a stud or a braided-silk cufflink. The key is not to force the fabric, so as not to damage it.
Style tips for coordinating your shirt and cufflinks
Once you've chosen the right shirt, the question of overall style comes into play. Cufflinks don't just need to match the shirt: they need to work with the whole outfit.
The basic rule is metal consistency. If you wear a watch with a silver strap, silver or steel cufflinks are the natural choice. Gold cufflinks pair better with a signet ring or a belt buckle in the same metal. This harmony between accessories is what sets a genuinely well-put-together outfit apart from a haphazard assembly.
For colour, three approaches work well. Tone-on-tone (cufflinks close to the shirt's shade) gives a discreet, refined result. A closely related colour creates an interesting subtle variation. A complementary colour, such as blue paired with gold, adds character without going overboard. With a dark suit, you can afford bolder cufflinks, since the shirt then acts as a neutral backdrop that shows off the accessory.
To go further, discover our full selection of cufflinks, with fast delivery and free exchanges.
FAQ
Can a single-cuff shirt take cufflinks?
No, not without alteration. The single cuff is closed with a sewn-on button, with no through-hole. It's technically possible to create a reinforced eyelet to insert a cufflink, but this requires sewing work and doesn't recreate the visual effect of a double cuff.
Which shirt colour should you choose to show off your cufflinks?
A white shirt remains the timeless reference: it shows off every type of cufflink, whether in mother-of-pearl, precious metal or stone. Sky blue is also highly versatile. For novelty or coloured cufflinks, a plain, understated shirt is best, to avoid visual clutter.
Are cufflinks only for special occasions?
No. While their use is historically tied to ceremonial or evening wear, cufflinks fit very well into a professional or smart-business setting too. A cotton French-cuff shirt with understated cufflinks is enough to refine an office outfit without looking dressed for a gala.
How much cuff should show below the jacket sleeve?
The generally accepted rule is around two centimetres. This slight overhang lets the cuff and the cufflinks show without looking excessive. If the cuff is entirely hidden by the jacket, the elegant effect is lost.
The French-cuff shirt, the key to wearing cufflinks
Choosing the right shirt to wear cufflinks with is, above all, about understanding that the accessory and the garment form an inseparable pair. The French-cuff shirt is the only one that fully shows off a cufflink, whatever the occasion. Whether it's a wedding, a business dinner or a dressy evening, the result depends just as much on the choice of shirt as on the choice of cufflink itself.
To go further and discover pairs that suit your style, explore the selection at Une Autre Paire De Manche.