Ever thought that the tiny little jewelry on your cuff has rules and trends? Well cufflinks are a statement of their own and should be worn with utmost pride. Cufflinks are a type of jewelry that are used in shirt cuffs to secure it. It first made an appearance in the 1600s but did not become quite common until the 18th century. The cuff links were developed for men’s shirt only. Men have been wearing shirts and shirt-like items since 5000 years. After the Middle Ages the visible areas of the shirt, such as the neck, chest and wrists, presented an opportunity for decoration in the form of frills, ruffs and embroidery. Frills that hung down from the sleeves were worn to formal setting during the 18th century and those frills were contained with ribbons or button in casual settings.
Cufflinks are designed for use with shirts with cuffs with buttonholes on both sides of the sleeves, but no buttons. They may be either of single or of double length. In the US, the “barrel style” where one edge of the cuff link points outwards and the other one inwards so that its hem overlaps, became popular by a famous 19th century entertainer Dan Rice. Since then many designs of the cufflinks have been popularized. A motif or a monogram was stitched on the cufflink. The motif could be a
birthstone or something that reflects a hobby or association. Being worn with casuals, informal wear or even business suits cufflinks can be of novel, traditional or contemporary design. But it is essential for the to be matched with shirt studs.
There are certain ways of wearing the cufflinks. Like, if its worn during formal occasions then pearl cufflinks are preferred for white tie events. The metal of one’s cufflinks should be coordinated with other jewelry such as watch case, belt buckle, tie bar or rings. Experts often recommend gold to be worn during the day and silver for evening. An alternative to the metal cufflink is the fabric cufflink that comes in cheaper silk. First introduced in 1904 by the
French shirt maker Charvet, they were designed in a “braided style”. These days, these cufflinks are often made from a fabric pulled over an elasticated core, and not silk.
Cufflinks are required to fit snugly and if different motifs are chosen for the four buttons of a pair, make sure they are well coordinated. Check out the cufflink at Beverlyheels.com.
