They may be small, but cufflinks pack a powerful sartorial punch. With minimal effort, a pair of smart or snazzy cufflinks can elevate your look from the mundane to the magnificent and help you make a statement.

Whether you’re dressing for work or a wedding, cufflinks are often considered to be the king of all accessories. As long as you’re wearing a long-sleeve shirt with holes in the cuff, you can incorporate cufflinks into any outfit you like.

But knowing how to wear cufflinks is a skill that many still get wrong. So, we’re here to show you how to apply cufflinks in easy steps so you can wear them in full confidence.

How to Wear Cufflinks: Key Considerations

If you’re a fan of men’s fashion accessories or keen to master the art of wearing cufflinks, here’s everything you need to know.

1. Select the Right Shirt

Before you learn how to wear cufflinks, you’ll have to select the right shirt. That means a shirt with French cuffs or single/convertible cuffs.

French cuffs are double-layered and can only be folded back and fastened in place using cufflinks.

On the other hand, single/convertible cuffs can be fastened with either cufflinks or buttons, offering greater flexibility.

2. Pick the Right Cufflinks

Always consider the colour and style of your outfit when choosing your cufflinks so they don’t clash. They should complement your suit or clothes and ideally match any other accessories like a pocket square, neck tie, bowtie, or leather belt.

Similarly, make sure your cufflinks are aligned with the formality of your outfit. For example, classic cufflinks often work best with a traditional suit. If the vibe is more casual, it’s fine to experiment with bolder colours and designs that showcase your personality.

3. Fasten Your Cufflinks in Place

You’ll need to fasten your cufflinks securely in place to get the best results. Fold your shift cuff back, line up the buttonholes, hold both side of the cuff together, and insert the cufflinks through the holes, then close the fastening at the bottom of the cufflinks. Voila!

You may prefer to leave your shirt cuffs unbuttoned – known as sprezzatura styling. But if you’re wearing cufflinks, always fasten them down properly to prevent your cuffs from opening. More of this below.

4. Display Your Cufflinks with Pride

You’ve gone to the trouble of selecting cufflinks, so you’ll want to show them off. Whether you’re wearing a suit jacket or smart blazer, make sure the sleeves are tailored to the ideal length so your cufflinks are clearly visible.

Aim to leave around half an inch of your shirt cuff below your jacket sleeve. This will allow your cufflinks to be on permanent display, providing a sophisticated and stylish touch to any outfit.

How to Wear Cufflinks in 4 East Steps

Cufflinks can be worn with French cuffs or single/convertible cuffs:

·         French cuffs: These have two holes either side of the opening which you line up when the cuff is folded back.

·         Single/convertible cuffs: These resemble the cuffs on a regular buttoned shit but with holes on both sides of the opening.

Here’s how to fasten the cuff with your cufflinks.

Step 1

Make sure the holes on both sides of the cuff opening are neatly lined up.

Step 2

Insert the cufflink through the holes until the stem runs all the way through and pokes out the other side.

Step 3

Once the stem of the cufflink has been pushed through all the holes, fasten it in place using the toggle at the back.

Step 4

With both cufflink toggles set in their closed position, ensure they fit properly and are comfortable when worn. If they stick into your skin, remove the cufflinks, adjust, and start the process again.  

How Should I Position the Cuffs?

There are two traditional methods for positioning your cuffs when applying cufflinks: the kissing style and the overlapping style:

·         Kissing style: The side of the cuffs are neatly lined up so they’re ‘kissing’ and the inner faces are touching each other. This means the hemmed cuff edges look outwards from the wrist and sit on top of one another.

·         Overlapping style: The underside of one edge of the cuff is placed on top of the upper side of the other edge. This way, only one hemmed edge is pointing outwards, offering a slimmer styling than the fancier kissing look.

The kissing style and the overlapping style are both common when fastening cufflinks, and the method you prefer comes down to individual choice.

How to Wear Cufflinks: Materials, Types, and Designs

Cufflinks come in all sorts of materials, types, and designs. Here, we round up the most popular cufflinks to help you choose the style you need.

Toggle / Bullet Back Cufflinks

Easy to apply and secure, toggle and bullet back are the most common variety of cufflinks. The bullet capsule is fixed to the stem or post and once pushed through the cuff holes, is turned 90 degrees to secure it in place.

Whale Back Cufflinks

Another simple cufflink to attach to a shirt, whale back features a straight stem or post and a ‘whale tail’ at the end. The closing part line up with the post and flips back to lock the cufflink in position.

Chain Link Cufflinks

Chain link is a traditional cufflink design and worn on both sides of the cuffs, enabling a looser fit. The chain has two heads which are threaded through the buttonholes until each head is visible on both sides of the cuff.

Locking / Dual Action Cufflinks

A unique type of cufflink similar to the metal closure of a watch strap, the design features a dual action, foldable locking system. It is applied by inserting the cufflink through the buttonhole, folded over, and locked into place.

Button / Stud Cufflinks

A highly secure cufflink due to their fixed backing and absence of moveable parts. However, button or stud cufflinks require more effort to fix in place than other cufflinks because they lack a hinge mechanism and must be forced through the cuff holes.

Knot Cufflinks

Manufactures from strong fabric, silk knot is a more affordable style of cufflink that usually come in a variety of colours and designs. Like chain link cufflinks, two heads are connected by a short, flexible connecting post that is pushed through the buttonholes and secured.

When Should You Wear Cufflinks?

By now you’ll know how to wear cufflinks. But when should you wear them?

Cufflinks are typically reserved for formal and semi-formal events, or to complement a smart office suit, for example.

Ultimately, when to wear cufflinks is a matter of personal taste, and it’s perfectly acceptable to include cufflinks in your everyday getup if they help elevate your look.

Here’s when you might consider wearing cufflinks:

Formal Occasions

Cufflinks are an essential part of any black-tie or white-tie event. Typical black-tie styling means a classic tuxedo or dinner jacket and a white formal dress shirt with the sleeves fastened down by your favourite cufflinks.

White-tie events represent the height of formality and call for mother-of-pearl cufflinks or something similar. For black-tie occasions, go for silver, gold, or gemstones including diamonds or pearl cufflinks.

Semi-Formal Events

Semi-formal allows you to express your personality more than formal attire. From wedding attire and cocktail party ensembles to sophisticated dinner outfits, semi-formal means matching your suit or blazer with a necktie or bowtie alongside a pair stylish cufflinks.

You have greater flexibility over your choice of cufflinks when the code is semi-formal, so enamel, stainless steel, or even sturdy fabric materials are perfectly acceptable.

Office and Business Settings

Like neckties and bowties, cufflinks aren’t an essential part of modern office and business wear. But a pair of statement cufflinks will undoubtedly add a touch of professionalism and refinement.

Here, classic cufflink designs in gold, silver, or chrome work best and avoid novelty or flashy designs.

Casual Days & Nights

Cufflinks aren’t reserved for high formality alone, and they’re perfectly acceptable in casual settings if your outfit demands it.

Your cufflinks can represent your personality and style preferences and enable your individuality to shine through. From leather and wood to patterned and novelty, let your cufflinks showcase your unique taste.

Need the Perfect Suit to go With Your Cufflinks?

Complete your perfect outfit by exploring our extensive range of suits and shirts from House of Cavani. From timeless navy suits to lighter summer suits, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today.