The Correct Way to Wear Cufflinks

The best looking and most decorative fashion accessory for a modern bloke is cufflinks. This blog post serves as a guide on the different types of cufflinks and how and when to wear them.

When it comes to adding style and charm to an outfit, a good pair of cufflinks is exactly what you need. Cufflinks do so much more than just keep your cuffs neat, they add sophistication and style to your look while showcasing your personality as well.

When to wear cufflinks:

Cufflinks is a formal and semiformal alternative to buttons. More men are starting to wear cufflinks and even converting some of their shirts into ones that can take cufflinks. This can be done simply by having a tailor convert them by removing the button and inserting a small buttonhole.

Do not be afraid to wear cufflinks to social events which may be less formal and more social. The look is very easy to get right with a neat casual blazer, pants and bow tie or tie. Add a pair of novelty cufflinks and you will be assured to portray an accomplished yet fun sociable look.

Type of shirts required for cufflinks:

• French/Double Cuff - most shirts that require cufflinks are French cuff shirts with a double-long cuff that folds back over itself.
• Single Cuff - these shirts are rare because they are worn with white tie attire. Single cuff shirts do not double back over themselves but close just like French cuff shirts.

 How to put on and fasten your cufflinks:

• Fold one cuff of your shirt back over itself.
• Insert the cufflinks through the two outside cuff panels. The cufflink's face must be on the outside.
• Push the closure through the two inside panels. Make sure the panels are flat against each other and not curved like with normal barrel cuff shirts.
• Fasten the cufflink.

Most Common Types of cufflinks:

Bullet Back & Toggle Closure Cufflinks - these are most common due to the ease of use. The bullet is flipped 90 degrees to line up with the post and flipped back to secure the cufflink. 

Whale Back Closure Cufflinks - these are easy to handle and features a flat whale tail at the end.

Stud or Button Cufflinks - these are smaller and lighter. They are the most secure but requires the most effort to fasten.

Ball Return Cufflinks - these are more appealing, simple to put on and provides looseness for the cuffs.

Other types of cufflinks are Chain Link Cufflinks, Locking Cufflinks and Silk Knot Cufflinks.

 Choosing the Appropriate Cufflink:

• Black Tie / Tuxedo - for formal black tie event, it is best to keep it simple with a pair of classic silver cufflinks and match them with a silver belt buckle and silver watch.
• Black Dress Shirt - here you can wear silver or gold cufflinks as long as you remember to match your metals (tie clip, cufflinks, belt, etc).
• Blue Dress Shirt - wear dark blue cufflinks with a light blue shirt and light blue cufflinks with a dark blue shirt.
• White Dress Shirt - here you can experiment with different colours, patterns, and types. In a formal setting, it is best advised to wear silver.
• Patterned Shirts - match your cufflinks to a secondary color in your shirt or tie pattern.