How to Style with Cufflinks
The origins of cufflinks are rooted in the 1700s when the nobles wore shirts with small openings in the cuffs to place their accessories. During that time, cufflinks were used by men to distinguish their social class from the rest. Today, cufflinks are used to mark and distinguish style over authority or social standing, but only when the event requires it such as a wedding, a special party or an important celebration.
Cufflinks are an essential accessory for any man who likes to dress with class. If you are not sure at what moment you can wear them, read on - we'll tell you when you can wear cufflinks to give your look a touch of distinction.
Match Cufflinks with your Outfit
Many gentlemen are not sure what kind of cufflinks to wear with their attire. If you've never worn cufflinks before, it can be pretty tricky to put them on once your shirt is fastened. We recommend attaching them before putting your shirt on to fasten them with ease as the last step. You can also go through a couple of online video tutorials the first time you wear cufflinks that explain how to wear them so you don't throw in the towel too early.
Matching with your Shirt and Tie
Choose between the classic Double Cuff or French Cuff shirt if you decide to wear cufflinks. These types of shirts have two eyelets in the cuffs of the shirts through which you can place the cufflinks to fasten them securely. These accessories should be facing away from your body so that they can be seen clearly in your outfit. Ideally, you should wear other men's accessories such as a bow tie or a classic necktie to complete your entire getup.
Choose a Neutral Design
Look for a design that you like but also have pairs of cufflinks that are neutral and simple so that they can be worn for many occasions in many different outfits. Do not listen to those who say that cufflinks are an old-fashioned accessory. You need to look no further than the most prestigious avant-garde designers who continue to produce this accessory.
Play with Contrasting Colours
If you feel confident, playing with contrasting colours is a great idea to perfectly infuse your own style. Do you have a blue suit in your wardrobe? Pair it with red cufflinks. You can also play with alternations of light and dark tones in your outfits. For example, a navy-blue jacket may be best offset with sky-blue cufflinks. Usually, the cufflinks are hidden under the sleeve of the suit, so if you have contrasting cufflinks, they will appear when you move and add a touch of subtle distinction.
Match your Accessories
The material should match the other accessories in your outfit - the watch, other jewellery and the belt buckle. All these elements should normally be made from the same material or be the same colour (for example, gold and gilded metal or silver, aluminium and silver metal). So, if you wear a gold-plated watch, your cufflinks should also have gold tones in them.
Colour of your Outfit
Always remember that the colour of the cufflink is not only determined by its material (gold, silver, metal, etc.) but by its design components. Contrary to this, the colour of your cufflinks must match the elements in your outfit such as the tie, the belt, the socks or the shoes.
Occasions to Wear Cufflinks
Have you ever been stupefied looking at some twins that looked from a showcase and, for not knowing on what occasion put them on, hence you decided not to buy. Do you think you can only use them at weddings? We will give you some tips so you can learn when you can wear the cufflinks.
Formal Occasions
The best time to wear cufflinks are at formal events, where you can wear a dark-coloured suit in either navy or black. It is advisable that you wear silver or gold cufflinks for dark suits. There are many types of cufflink designs in round, square and oval shapes and the style that you choose will largely depend on your personal taste. If you want to customise your cufflinks and outfit further, you can even inscribe your initials on the pieces. When engraving, it is best to choose classic gold, silver or black cufflinks for a sober and traditional look.
Informal Occasions
If the occasion is informal, you can choose a style of cufflinks that are less dressy. You can choose a pair of cufflinks that complements the other material, style or colour in the other accessories in your outfit. For example, there are trimmed cufflinks that are made of elastic silk-yarn and available in different shapes; ball, square or barrel-shaped. They are ideal to give a creative touch to the cuffs of your shirts and complete your final look. They are usually are very reasonably-priced, comfortable and easy to wear. For a cufflink to look good, even if it is an informal occasion, the best thing is to wear a classic white shirt. For example, if you are going to have a romantic dinner with your partner and want to be well-dressed and elegant for the occasion, you can wear cufflinks to add a touch of style to your outfit. You could wear a white French cuff shirt, navy suit pants, a blazer and some cufflinks with an original design and unique colours.
Conclusion:
Cufflinks bring a small and quick touch-up to your styling. Hence, you can go from a formal style to an informal one in less than a minute without the need to go home and change clothes. Nowadays, cufflinks are used more frequently than they have ever been used on many different occasions.