Cufflinks. They’re one of those mysterious “guy things” for most women. Why would they wear them? Why do they make men’s shirts so they need cufflinks in the first place? Buttons seem to work very nicely for women’s shirts, for instance. In searching for an answer for these questions, one doesn’t have to look too far to find the answer to one of life’s more common mysteries. As Olympia Dukakis as Clairee Belcher once said in Steel Magnolias, “The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.” Cufflinks certainly fall into that category.
As it turns out, cufflinks started out in the early 16th century as a “cuff string”. Men (and women apparently) wore ruffled wristbands with openings on each side through which a string would be fed and tied to keep the ruffles properly in place. A hundred years later, in 1715, strings had become simple glass buttons.
Cufflinks have been progressing ever since.
Cufflinks are only used today with shirts which have buttonholes on both sides but no buttons. These can be single or double-length cuffs, the double-length cuffs are traditionally referred to as “French” cuffs. Cufflinks can be worn either with the ends pinched together and “kissing” or “barrel style”. (It is certain that the French had something to do with that description of cuffs “kissing”.) French cufflinks for men are traditionally “pinched together”, while “barrel-style” cuffs have one end overlapping another end. Those in the sartorial know, suggest that while the barrel-style was popular in the 19th century, French cuffs are preferred these days.
Of course, men weren’t content with simple glass buttons and cufflinks have been a personal lifestyle statement ever since. Traditional metal monogrammed cufflinks for men are still considered conservative and always “in style”. But, there is so much more to cufflinks these days. You can find cufflinks with Katherine Hepburn’s picture on them and Herbie the Love Bug (a miniature VW bug set of cufflinks to cufflinks with miniature power drills on them for the handyman in real life. The assortment of cufflinks for men is truly staggering.
For a completely amazing selection of cufflinks, from crazy, funny to wedding and formal occasion sedate, head over to CufflinkDepot (http://www.cufflinkdepot.com). You will be astounded at how many different styles, types and varieties of cufflinks exist out there!
Did you want Marilyn Monroe or Houdini on your cufflinks, sir?
