Adding polish with cufflinks: how to choose and coordinate cufflinks for a refined suit look
First appearing in the 1600s, cufflinks have a long history in men’s fashion. Once worn exclusively by the middle and upper classes as a status symbol, today they’re accessible to all and represent an opportunity to inject personality and a sense of personal style into traditional tailored ensembles.
However, despite the rich collection of options available, choosing the right cufflinks for you and your outfit requires a deft hand. To assist, we’ve compiled our guide of the three key things to consider when selecting and coordinating suit cufflinks.
Cufflink styles
Broadly speaking there are two key types of cufflink that you are likely to come across; a metal variety, either crafted from sterling silver or gold, and fabric cufflinks, which while originally made from silk are now more commonly crafted from an elasticated material.
While the style you opt for is ultimately down to personal preference, we tend to steer clients towards metal styles. Although more expensive than their fabric counterparts, we find that a well selected pair is highly versatile and can see you through most of the instances in which you might wear a set.
Wearing cufflinks with a suit
Which brings us to when to wear cufflinks with a suit. Obviously, the ability to wear a pair of cufflinks is largely dictated by the style of shirt you’re wearing, with a need only really arising in the instance that you’re sporting one with French cuffs. However, this also has a knock on effect on the type of suit you're wearing.
The reason why? We generally find that a French cuff lends itself to slightly more formal occasions such as corporate attire or evening events. As such, the corresponding suits tend to be more structured and crafted from fabrics like superfine wools. In this instance, a cufflink compliments the overall weightiness of your attire.
In contrast, lighter suits such as those that are unlined or made from open weave fabrics tend to look at odds with a cufflink and lend themselves more towards a button sleeve shirt.
Matching cufflinks to accessories
At Oscar Hunt, our advice is to compliment rather than match your cufflinks. This keeps the overall aesthetic elevated and elegant and also creates a sense of depth. In most instances, we find that the ideal foundational set will be plain sterling silver in a relatively minimalist style like a plain circle or classic knot.
To discover the full range of Oscar Hunt cufflinks, pop by your local showroom to chat with the team.