February 26, 2009

The History of Mens Cufflinks

The History of Cufflinks

Just like mens neckwear, cufflinks have been around for hundreds of years. Since their invention, cufflinks are a formal and elegant fashion accessory for men. It the accessory that is often times personalized to the wearer. Engraving one’s initials into a pair of silver or gold cufflinks is a perfect present for any occasion. Although cufflinks are still in common use, most men prefer convenience over elegance. As a result, cufflinks are typically reserved for important business meetings and formal “black tie” events.

Why Men Wear Cufflinks
Cufflink sets are worn with so-called French cuffed shirts. Unlike regular dress shirts, the French cuff doesn’t have buttons. Instead the cuff is folded over and then buttoned with a pair of cufflink studs. Typically heavy starch is used on the cuffs, giving the shirt a crisp and classy look. Most cufflinks are so called studs, but there are also chained and buttoned cufflinks.

The buttoned collar dress shirt is something relatively new in mens fashion. In the early days shirts didn’t even have cuffs. Cuffs were attached with buttons and then tightened with a pair f cufflinks. Then later on, cuffs were sown onto the shirt, but they were still tightened using cufflinks. Today, the majority of all dress shirts are using buttons out of convenience.

The Early Days of The Cufflink
The first cufflinks used were quite simple. They had the shape of buttons that were held together with a string of a chain. Common materials were bone, wood, and even mother of pearl. Precious metals were rarely used, and if, then only affordable for the upper class.

Ornate and Jeweled Cufflinks
For royalty and the aristocracy cufflinks were a piece of jewelry made from precious metals and gems. They were hand-crafted, one of a kind pieces of art. Such antique cufflinks are still in high demand for collectors today, and reach very high prices at antique jewelry auctions.

Metal cufflinks became more popular during the industrial revolution. New developed machinery made it possible to mass produce metal cufflinks. By the 1800s the majority of cufflinks were made out of metal.

Cufflinks Today
Most cufflinks today are the so-called studs. Cufflinks are made out of any material and come at any price. The most exclusive cufflinks are made from precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum. They are often times handcrafted by skilled jewelers and come decorated with custom engravings and/or precious gems. Besides metal, cufflinks are made from bone, wood, glass, and even silk.

You Might Also Want to Read:
Proper Use of Starch on Dress Shirts
The History of The Necktie
How to Match Cufflinks

Your Ties-Necktie Team