...
Home JJ The Ultimate Guide on How to Wear Cufflinks

The Ultimate Guide on How to Wear Cufflinks

by Jamie Wilson
The Ultimate Guide on How to Wear Cufflinks

It can be hard to know how to wear cufflinks, especially when they’re seen as accessories for more formal occasions, but with this simple guide, you’ll see that they’re easier to wear than you’d think. 

How To Wear Cufflinks

How to Wear Cufflinks
@Jonathan Francisca via Unsplash

Cufflinks are simple to wear I hear you say, however, they can be a little bit tricky to get right when the time calls for them. Go for the right dress shirt and you will make the entire fastening process easy! There are a few rules and exceptions when it comes to wearing cufflinks, especially when it comes to more formal occasions where presentation is key.

How To Wear Cufflinks For A Formal Occasion

When it comes to formal occasions cufflinks are almost a given to be a part of your overall outfit. The truth is that there are different types of cufflinks to choose from. Do you wish to go for bar cufflinks, or convertible cuffs, or are you aiming for fancy business attire? There are two types of formal occasions that normally crop up from time to time, black tie and white tie (there’s more to it than a simple tie change, believe me). The differences in the suit may change your mind when it comes to your cufflinks, as a white tie is a lot more formal than a black tie.

Black Tie or Tuxedo Cufflinks

Black Tie or Tuxedo Cufflinks
@Phils Wei via pexels

Do you love to wear a fancy suit jacket for special events? When it comes to occasions such as these, you want to opt for a more formal type of cufflink. This is why most guys opt for stainless steel or sterling silver when it comes to black tie events. Go for a classic silver colour with a slight hint of detail as you don’t want to take away from your outfit. By adding that slight hint of detail, you’re still keeping that classic cufflink style, without going too out there and brash. Avoid comical cufflinks style as these never look good. However, you could go for something a bit different with a pair of rose gold cufflinks.

White Tie Cufflinks

If you’re off to a white tie event then things get a little more tricky as the formality of your outfit heightens even more. If you are attending a white tie event, then you’ll usually be given a certain dress code that you’ll have to comply with, but every event varies, so make sure you read the invitation.

How To Wear Cufflinks For Work

Many of us don’t work in environments where we have to wear cufflinks on a daily basis, myself included, but I know that some of you out there do. So, if you do have to adhere to strict dress codes when you’re in the office, then I’m going to show you how to liven up a simple, probably boring office look with a pair of cufflinks. If you’re wondering how to put cufflinks on a shirt, this is how to go about it. Stick to common types of cufflinks that can look well with your tuxedo shirt, and always aim for durability. 

Cufflinks To Wear With A White Work Shirt

Cufflinks To Wear With A White Work Shirt
@Caleb Oquendo via pexels

I should think that we all own a classic white button down shirt, but I should think many of you haven’t teamed it up with a pair of cufflinks. Wearing cufflinks isn’t as tricky as you would first think, especially when you’re wearing a great base colour such as white.

Cufflinks To Wear With A Blue Work Shirt

White Tie Cufflinks
@Rene Asmussen via pexels

When you venture into colour with your work shirt, you’ll want to keep the colour pallet of your cufflinks the same as your shirt. If you’re wearing a blue shirt then I’d suggest going to the opposite end of the spectrum within the same colour. What I mean by this is, if you have a light blue shirt on, then go for a cufflink that has a main colour of a darker blue to counteract the shirt, and vice versa.

Cufflinks To Wear With A Pink Work Shirt

Cufflinks To Wear With A Pink Work Shirt
@Heng Films via Unsplash

Again, when it comes to a coloured shirt you’ll want to have a pair of cufflinks that works within the same colour pallet as your shirt. However, when it comes to colours such as pink, it can be difficult to get a pair of cufflinks that a) look nice and b) aren’t too gaudy that you couldn’t possibly wear them to work. These are also perfect for classic styles and any short or long sleeve look. 

How To Wear Cufflinks For A Casual Occasion

You may be thinking that you can’t wear a pair of cufflinks with a casual look, but you’d be wrong. A pair of cufflinks can easily be paired with a casual look, so try wearing a casual striped shirt and a navy tweed blazer over the top. Team the blazer and shirt with a pair of raw denim jeans and brown loafers for good measure and top it off with a pair of silver cufflinks.

When To Wear Cufflinks

Choosing when o wear a pair of cufflinks is entirely up to you, whether you want to wear them for work or for pleasure, you can easily style a pair of cufflinks no bother. For more formal occasions, however, you may be required to wear a pair of link up cufflinks to coincide with your formal outfit.

How To Put On Cufflinks

Heng Films
@Michael Morse via pexels

Cufflinks are simple and easy to put on, depending on your shirt you can go wild with colour and design. All cufflinks are simple to put onto your shirt, sometimes a little fiddly, but it’ll get easier every time you put them into your shirt.

Your Quick Guide to Putting On Cufflinks And How Cufflinks Work

  • Take your cufflink and place the small bar at the bottom straight.
  • Fold up your shirt cuff so that the two holes meet at the bottom.
  • Place the cufflinks through the two adjoining holes.
  • The simple twist the bar at the bottom horizontal so it stays secure.

Shirts To Wear With Cufflinks

Picking the right shirt to wear with cufflinks can be a little tricky, as certain shirts have buttons, or button cuffs that have no need for a pair of cufflinks. However, if you’re hell-bent on wearing a pair of cufflinks, then I’m going to show you which cuffs and shirts work with a pair of cufflinks.

Double Cuff Or French Cuff Shirt With Cufflinks

The double cuff, or French cuff, is the most classic cufflink shirt you can wear. The sleeves of the shirt are longer, with the cuff (unfolded) coming well past your wrist. This type of shirt and shirt cuff is most commonly used for more formal occasions such as black tie, but you can wear them for work. Just watch out for the right side of the cuff and its insides. What you’ll need to do is simple fold the cuff back so that the two holes for the cuff meet and simple place the cufflink through. Don’t worry about the fabric, as long as you insert it and toggle right, it will look so good.

The Button Cuff Or Barrel Cuff With Cufflinks

The button cuff or barrel cuff is less formal than the double cuff as most shop bought shirts come with button cuffs. However, a lot of shirts can with a double button cuff which can be converted into a shirt cuff that can be worn with cufflinks. All you have to do is cut off the buttons and away you go.

Personalised Cufflinks

You can always add your own little twist to the handy cufflink by investing in a personalised pair. These can be anything from your initials or pictures that you want on them; they add a little bit of personalised detail that will make your outfit your own. Initials are a great way to add a little bit of detail in your outfit as engraved cufflinks are bang on trend. You might also want to go all out and get men’s designer cufflinks for the occasion.

What Are Cufflinks And How Do Cufflinks Work

For those of you who don’t know what cufflinks actually are then, I’m going to break it down for you. Cufflinks are designed to keep the cuffs of your shirt together when you wear them for more formal occasions. They’ll usually be two pieces of metal that have a surface piece (the bit you’ll see, and then another piece of metal that locks when twisted underneath.

How To Wear Cufflinks

  • First, you need to get the shirt right, so pick a formal shirt with either a double cuff, or French cuff or a buttoned cuff.
  • Next step is to choose your cufflinks, depending on the event and the colour of your shirt, it’s always best to stick to classic colours and styles for your cufflinks.
  • Make sure that they aren’t comical or too out there, as some bosses or formal events may not like this.
  • Then simply place them through your shirt to keep it nice and secure.

On That Note

Cufflinks are no longer just for formal wear. In the 19th century cufflinks became a fashion accessory, offering a bit of customised style to a man’s wrist with any suit. Nowadays it’s acceptable to wear them for many different occasions, work or social.

Feature image from Pexels

You may also like