Cufflinks: how to wear them, and which shirt they require

Cufflinks are the small detail that makes a shirt look finished - and the detail most men get wrong, because nobody ever explained it to them. This is our guide: which shirt they require, how to put them in, when they belong, and how to choose between gold, silver, onyx and pearl. All cufflinks are from our own collection and ready to ship.

First: the shirt with double cuffs

Cufflinks belong to shirts with double cuffs, also called French cuffs: the cuff is twice the usual length, folded back and closed through four buttonholes that lie on top of each other. An ordinary shirt with a button at the cuff cannot carry cufflinks, and there is no shame in that - it is made for something else. With us the cuff is chosen when the shirt is made to measure: double cuffs for the shirt that goes to weddings, black tie and formal evenings, single cuffs for every day. White or light blue are the classic colours for a double cuff; read the white shirt guide if you are choosing one.

How to put cufflinks in

Fold the cuff back so it lies double, and bring the two sides together with the insides facing - the so-called kissing cuff, where both outer edges point outwards. The four buttonholes should now lie exactly on top of each other. Push the cufflink through all four holes with the face outwards, and turn the toggle on the back a quarter turn so it lies across and holds. It takes ten seconds once you have done it three times, and it is always done before the jacket goes on.

Gold or silver

The rule is the same as for the belt buckle: the metal follows the watch. A steel watch calls for silver-toned cufflinks, a gold watch for gold-toned, and if you wear no watch, let the tie clip and the cufflinks speak the same language. Gold is the warm choice that suits brown and navy suits; silver is the cool one that suits grey and black. Our cufflinks are made in gold- and silver-plated metal, so the tone stays even and calm in daily use.

Onyx and pearl: for black tie and weddings

The round cufflink with a face of black onyx is the black tie classic. It matches the dinner jacket's black lapels and the black studs of the dress shirt, and it is the only cufflink choice that requires no thought with a dinner suit. Pearl is the wedding's: the pale face against the white shirt gives a calm lustre that competes with neither bow tie nor pocket square. Both lie flat against the cuff and close with a toggle on the back.

Gold and onyxSilver and onyxGold and pearlSilver and pearl

Braided knots: for every day and the office

The braided cufflink is the most versatile. The braiding gives texture without reflecting light like a polished face, which is why it can be worn to the office without looking festive. The finely braided one in silver is the most discreet, the wide braid in gold the most visible - choose by how much the cuff should say.

Braided gold, 4x4Finely braided silverBraided gold, wideBraided silver, wide

Plain and rectangular: the minimalist

The plain, rectangular cufflink in silver is the clean choice for the man who does not want his accessories noticed. It works with everything from a suit to a blazer, and it is the one we recommend as a first pair: it suits any double-cuff shirt and any occasion.

Rectangular silverBraided gold, 2x4Brushed gold tie clip

When to wear cufflinks

With a dinner suit always - the dress shirt is made for them. At weddings, galas and formal dinners as a rule. At the office when the shirt has double cuffs and the day matters. Never with an open-collar shirt without a jacket, and never in polished metal at a funeral; there one wears the matte ones or none. And a cufflink is only seen when it is shown: the jacket sleeve should end half a centimetre before the cuff, so the small face lies visible at the wrist. That is one of the measurements the fitting establishes.

Cufflinks as a gift

Cufflinks are the gift men rarely buy themselves, and they need no size. Choose the metal by his watch and the model by his life: onyx for the man with the dinner suit, braided for the man at the office, plain for the man who prefers not to be noticed. The rest of the gift ideas are in the Christmas gift guide.