Photo: Drake's LondonTradition says that a gentleman's jewelry consists of his wedding ring, watch, signet ring, and tie pin with but one exception. And that is his cuff links, the bits of color that by the end of the 19th century had replaced ribbons and bows as the principal method for closing one's shirt cuffs.
Today, the cuff link era appears to be drawing to a close. Except among English men who wear them with their town clothes, shirts around the world tend to be closed by inexpensive buttons. But, like the disappearance of other elegant members of the wardrobe from bow ties to spectator shoes, the rarity of the linked cuff is an opportunity to add a bit of discreet interest to the day's dress.
Photo: Drake's London
Perfectly attractive cuff links do not need to be expensive, for which I submit Exhibit A, the silk knot, which costs hardly more than a button but adds considerably more panache to the shirt cuff. And between the almost free silk knot and the steeply expensive realm of jewelry lies a fertile ground for other styles, such as Drake's sterling and glass examples in the photos.
I like to recommend that men who are visiting a shirtmaker for the first time begin their made to measure shirt wardrobes with a white or light blue dress shirt with turnback cuffs, and further indulge themselves with a starter pair of cuff links. It is an opportunity to add a touch of color to the cuffs.
Posts
8 comments:
Great Blog, I read it everyday. I was curious if you have been into a Macys or Nordstrom men's department lately. It seem that the Turnback Linked Cuff has come back into more common usage. In previous times, those stores only offered one or two shirts with turn back cuffs (and those were likely black tie affair). However, today those stores offer turn back cuffs in almost every color and style. I have also noticed many men wearing linked cuffs at the gym I go to every day. So Cheers....It seems as if the linked cuff is coming back into its own grandeur.
The cuff link era may be drawing to a close generally, but at the investment bank where I work, they are still seen in relative abundance. Unfortunately, many men here wear dress shirts with cuff links but neither jacket nor tie. Oh, and no collar stays, either. The sight of a dress shirt (especially with contrasting collar and cuffs) being worn this way, with the collar points curled upward and links in the cuffs, is not pretty.
Really beautiful and colourful cufflinks, those of Drake´s.
In Spain cuff link era is not drawing to a close at all. On the contrary, linked cuffs are living a new golden era nowdays.
I myself am the proud owner of a small, but very coherent, colection of about a dozen pairs of sterling silver, double sided cufflinks.
Silver knots, balls, buttons, plaques, skulls, onix and mother pearl discs or bars... etc
A good advice: keep them simple (and, of course, avoid those whith logos or big brand names on them)
My new shirts arrived a couple of days ago. One — a light mustard colour, I found an interesting change — has double cuffs. The others have single cuffs with buttons, but can also take links. I like the latter as I can dress them up or down. I often wear links for work, but had never worn a silk knot. However, the tailor had thrown in a free silk knot with the double cuffs that compliments the colour beautifully. The silk knot makes quite a pleasant change for me: the shape of linked cuffs, but a little less bling.
Can you show readers a photo or illustration of how they should tie a ribbon to fasten their double cuffs? I cannot find an example.
Eric, today's french cuffs are not designed for a ribbon closure.
In England, contrary to your Drakes items, chained cuff links are the only considered option.
New York's jewellery shop, Tiffany, do a nice pair - silver buttons linked by chain.
hi folks, i'm Victor, from Portugal, and just wanted to share an idea i had for an unexpensive pair of discreet but nice-looking cufflinks: i simply bought miself two sets of chromed-steel screw-bolt and screw-bolt nut. you just have to join each screw-bolt with a screw-bolt nut (leaving the nut appear on the exterior side of the cuff) and there: you'll have gotten yourself a different, modern, unexpensive pair of (and here comes the importance of the steel being chromed) silver-looking cufflinks... after all, like the people say, not all that shines is gold, right?
Post a Comment