All You Need to Know About Men’s Cufflink Shirts

For generations, men of style and status have been wearing cufflink shirts. If you have ever taken a close look at your formal and dress shirts, you would have noticed how each cuff is unique. Cufflink shirts are the perfect example of how every little detail matters. Each cuff on men’s shirts is designed differently. When choosing men’s cufflink shirts, you need to pay attention to the style of the cuff on them because the type of cuff dictates the fastener one needs to use.

Cufflink shirts have been around for centuries

Men’s shirts weren’t always designed with a button to fasten the cuff. Back in the 13th century, men’s shirt cuffs were held together with ribbons, ties, and strings. Soon after, the stitched buttonhole was invented. Elite gentlemen quickly moved on from cloth as ‘cufflinks’ and chose ornamental buttons to fasten their shirt cuffs. These buttons were decorative, often painted with miniature portraits and held together by a small chain. This may have been the beginning of the modern cufflinks men use today.

While decorative cufflinks were reserved for the royalty and noblemen from the wealthier sections of society, by the mid 1800s, they became increasingly popular among the common man. George Krementz, a German immigrant inspired by the manufacturing process of bullets, replicated the process to manufacture cufflinks in great numbers. This mass production led to a rapid rise in the usage of cufflinks.

It was only by the end of the 20th century that men’s shirts were designed with buttons already on the cuff. This cuff design was functional but it decreased the use of cufflinks dramatically. This lean period, however, did not last long. With a heavy French influence on men’s fashion, the French cuff (or double cuff) made its way to England. To date, this remains one of the most popular cuff styles among men’s formalwear.

Before elaborating on the different types of cuffs on men’s cufflink shirts, let us take a quick look at the popular kinds of cufflinks available for men today:

• Bullet back cufflinks: One of the most popular and easy to wear cufflinks for men, the bullet back cufflink is inspired by the shape of bullets. Invented by George Krementz, this style of cufflinks is characterized by a small cylinder set between two small bars. To secure it, you need to flip the cylinder to 90 degrees.
• Whale back cufflinks: The unique Whale Back cufflinks have a flat decorated front and a back designed like a ‘whale tail’. This ‘tail’ flips back to close the link.
• Fixed back cufflinks: Also known as stud/button cufflinks, these unique designs have no moving part in their design. These cufflinks are a bit more difficult to adjust through the buttonhole. To fasten them, you need to simply tilt the smaller end of the cufflink and then straighten it.
• Locking cufflinks: This cufflink works like a hinge and is fastened with the help of a locking style similar to that of a wristwatch. The locking cufflinks come with a dual locking system and a contemporary design.

Men’s cufflink shirts: The popular types of cuffs

The double or French cuff:

One of the most formal cuffs, the French cuff is characterized by its length. It is twice as long as regular cuffs found on cufflink shirts and is folded back on itself, and finally secured with cufflinks. Of all the cuff styles available, the French cuff has a distinctive appearance and is often found on the most formal cufflink shirts. Heading to a black tie event? A crisp white shirt with a French cuff is the most appropriate. If you’re someone who wears cufflinks often or is an ardent cufflink fan then ensure that your cufflink shirts have a French cuff.

The convertible cuff: While the barrel cuff doesn’t need cufflinks, some men’s cufflink shirts have a combination that allows for both buttons and cufflinks fastening. This style of the cuff is known as the convertible cuff which has a button that can be tucked inside, making it possible for you to use a cufflink.

Picking the right one

The cufflink has been a constant element in men’s style for years. Now that you know about the different types of cufflink shirts, the question is which one should you choose? The type of cufflink shirt you choose depends on the occasion you plan to wear it. While the French cuffs are the go to choice for formal events, what about less formal occasions? Contrary to conventional beliefs, cufflink shirts are not just meant for formal looks. Casual cufflink shirts fastened with new age cufflinks can look equally dapper. When wearing cufflinks for less formal occasions, convertible cuffs or single cuffs are more appropriate. No doubt, cufflinks are most recognizably associated with evening wear or black tie ensembles. However, as with most things in fashion, you need to ignore the rules and add cufflinks to your everyday workwear.

Cufflinks are a simple but powerful way to express your style. As a thumb rule, ensure that you match your cufflinks with the other elements of your cufflink shirt. At Zodiac, you can find a range of men’s cufflink shirts that meets all your unique cufflink needs. Choose from single, double, and barrel cufflink shirts in myriad patterns, colours, and prints, designed for all kinds of occasions.