Dating back to the seventeenth century, cufflinks came about when men wanted something more elegant for their shirts than ribbons or ties to hold together their cuffs. Men began using small chains that were fastened to the end of a gold or silver button and fed through the holes of the cuff to keep them together.
Are cufflinks for men only?
Theyre truly a mans accessory, which was, in fact, inspired by a female trend back in the early 16th century when women fastened their shirt cuffs with ribbons. But today, men have again started to use cufflinks not solely for their function but in order to express their individuality and personal style.
Can you wear cufflinks with chinos?
Pair some minimalist cufflinks (like these grey or red cufflinks from BLOCK) with a neutral blazer and some slim chinos or slim, dark jeans. If you want to step up the flair, wear colored pants to matching the cufflinks (red or blue) but keep the shirt neutral and avoid any other loud accessories.
Is single or double cuff better?
A double cuff is formal because it folds over, hiding the seam at its end. As with black tie trousers, hiding a seam makes things smoother, and is therefore seen as more formal. The thing is, single cuffs also look fine with most suits, so they are much more versatile – from worsted to woollen to weekend.
The traditional view on this subject is that French cuffs should really only be worn in more formal scenarios, such as if youre wearing black tie or if youre wearing a conventional business suit and necktie. Some will even argue that wearing French cuffs with a blazer or sport coat is a stretch.