On A Cuff

Cuff links show the qualities of a well-dressed fella.

 

There’s a special something about a fella putting on cuff links. He looks elegant and interesting, handsome and sharp. Consider the ad execs on AMC television network’s “Mad Men” or Cary Grant in any of his movies. The cuff links these men are dressed in add in another dimension to their characteristics. 

 

Cuff links have a very long historical past way back to the Egyptian era. Today's cufflink, however, was influenced by the elaborate cuffs of men’s shirts during the Renaissance time, which turned into a plainer cuff which was held together by ornamental ribbons in the 1600s. Aristocracy on both sides of the Channel in France and England are acknowledged with making what we now know as cuff links trendy in the 1700s, once they succeeded ribbon ties with bits of painted glass or jewellery labeled sleeve buttons. Since these were handmade plus time-consuming and highly-priced to produce, it was just the rich who could afford to pay for these little luxuries. 

 

All of that changed in the 1800s, after the Industrial Revolution started and cufflinks were bulk-produced easier and cheaply. This opened the path for the middle-class to afford cuff links. It's de rigueur for a gentleman to put on cufflinks well into the 1960s. After that, more everyday life styles and evolving social principles resulted in a less formal sense of style. But now, in some groups, cufflinks are making a come back. 

 

A New Period

The single thing which can be trusted upon is change and once more, cufflinks have found a following. “Twenty or 30 yrs ago, cuff links were something execs in their 30's to 60's would wear. It was not style; it was a staple to get dressed up,” says Robert Tateossian, chief executive officer (CEO) and designer of his London-based eponymous firm that includes stores world wide. “Nowadays, cuff links are fashion. Now, 18- and 19-year-olds put on cuff links, individuals in their twenties will wear a shirt, cufflinks and coat but no tie.”

 

 

Designer Sheryl Jones of Sheryl Jones Inc., located in New York City’s jewellery district, sees that a selection of guys are getting cufflinks, from the Wall Street tycoon to the young professional. “There is a timeline for cuff links,” Jones says. “Fellas get their 1st set when they graduate from high school or college. Those cufflinks could be somewhat basic. They then get an additional pair as a wedding day gift or to symbolize a special occasion. As soon as they are in their thirties, guys will start to collect cufflinks.” 

 

The Trendy Man

Cuff links from the mid-twentieth century tended to be general monogrammed gold discs, black onyx or a simple knot design. Presently, cufflinks are more of a technique for guys to show their style. “A guy is consumed by sporting cufflinks to exhibit his character, in a way that isn't pedestrian,” notes David Zyla, Emmy-award-winning stylist and writer of the publication Color Your Style. “Guys put on cuff links as a means of displaying the world who they are. A guy will find a cufflink that's quite private and it can be a conversation starter, whether in business or socially. Wearing cuff links can break the ice and begin a conversation.” 

Michael O’Connor, high profile stylist and principal of consulting organisation Style & Substance in The Big Apple, has observed an uptick in guys donning larger sized cuff links with gemstones as a display of status. “Guys are wearing cufflinks as a marker of financial success and as a way to wear jewelry,” says O’Connor. “The cufflinks are becoming even larger and bolder in style and much more flashy. In addition there are even more selections in stones - diamonds, topaz, chalcedony along with other stones.”

 

The Perfect Choice

 

Zyla suggests that when buying a 1st pair of cuff links one should consider the metal used. “Take a look at the metal he wears the most in a belt buckle or watch. This is what he is fascinated with and feels handsome dressed in. Then take a look at whether he is sporting the cufflinks with a suit and tie or jeans and blazer. That will determine if the stone is clear and sparkly or opaque. Take a sign from hair color or shoe color. Go with a stone that matches one of them for a neutral look. The 2nd set of cuff links could be styled to a hobby or something that he is obsessed with.”

 

Apart from self-expression, cufflinks take a guy’s image a step further, demonstrating that he takes additional care in his grooming. “Men must put on cufflinks. Cufflinks show the careful care of going one extra step, they make someone even more appealing. And a cufflink does not go out of fashion.”