Cufflinks add an elegant touch to anyone’s attire. Long ago, they were only worn by men, but today women wear them, as well. Cufflinks come in many styles and are an excellent way to show the wearer’s individuality. They make an excellent gift, and there are several companies that sell them exclusively. It’s hard to believe that people used to tie their cuffs with laces.
Pierce and Hobbs is a company that sells cufflinks, and accessories. They sell unique cufflinks, personalized cufflinks and leather cufflink boxes. They make them in different metals, including sterling silver and gold vermeil. The first cufflinks weren’t quite so luxurious. Men wore shirts with long sleeves during the 18th century. They were supposedly more comfortable than the decorative cuffs worn during the Renaissance. The decorative cuffs were hard to keep clean because they got into plates and wine glasses.
The laces were soon replaced by buttons, known as cuff buttons. Designers played around with the buttons. and made them out of precious metals, stones and crystals. The fashion of the day was cuff buttons with miniature pictures. However, only the rich could afford such decorative items. During the industrial revolution, George Krements invented a machine that made buttons and cufflinks. This brought the price down, and they were available to the mass market. They were made out of cheaper materials, and covered with a thin layer of gold or silver.
The rich continued to make cufflinks a luxury item. Faberge, Cartier and Tiffany made the most exclusive cufflinks and cufflink boxes. They went out of style during the seventies, and the trend continued for twenty years. Cufflinks reappeared in the nineties, and designers started making many styles for women with french cuffs. People are only supposed to wear cufflinks with a french-cuffed shirt. Fashion experts say cufflinks should match other accessories, as well. For example, if someone has a gold watch, they should wear gold cufflinks. It is considered in bad taste to mix classic fashions with novelty, or colored cufflinks. Cufflinks won’t be going out of style anytime soon. There is also a big market for vintage pieces. Companies like Pierce and Hobbs will continue to thrive.
