What is the Purpose of Cufflinks?

There's no skepticism amongst modern fashion elites that cufflinks add a certain je ne sais quoi to formal ensembles. They're a hallmark of sophistication and they add a level of detail that suits and ties alone simply can't provide. But what is the purpose of cufflinks?

Going beyond their aesthetic brilliance, cufflinks do serve an old world function. They were initially curated to hold the cuffs of your shirt together- so you can think of them as the rich man's button. Although in today's fashion landscape we're accustomed to more modern conveniences such as buttons- cufflinks are one of those timeless artefacts that will never go out of style. 

Cufflinks have a very prosperous history. They were created in the 1600s out of necessity and have only flourished and spread since then. Today, cufflinks are generally prized for their aesthetic sensibility, but they still hold their functional appeal. 

Any shirt that is fixed with buttonholes in the cuffs can be adorned with a flashy pair of cufflinks. Their marrying functional and ornamental qualities makes cufflinks one of the most worthwhile fashion investments you'll ever make. 

Although many shirts come with sewn-in buttons these days, they still have holes where you can slide through cufflinks. This means you get the best of both worlds: the sturdiness of a button and the sophistication of a cufflink. 

 Shirt Cuff Styles

However, there still are a variety of shirts these days that don't have any buttons. These shirts require cufflinks.

French Cuff Shirt

French cuff shirts demand the use of cufflinks because they require their fabric to be folded back and then attached on either side. Generally speaking, a french cuff will not have fixed buttons. 

Convertible Cuff Shirt

A convertible cuff is a style of shirt that allows you to choose between a fixed button or a pair of cufflinks.