One of the most important principles of men's style it that if a man decides to wear jewelry, it should be a fine and elegant element that provides character to any outfit.
Legend has it that Alexander Dumas is responsible for the fact that men's cufflinks became one of the most popular elements of men's jewelry due to his novel "The Count of Monte Cristo.” The hero of the novel wore decorated diamond studs on the cuffs of his shirt and attracted everyone’s attention. They have become his trademark, and the success of the novel Dumas made the tailors quickly figure out that cufflinks can become an important accessory of a well-dressed gentleman. But men’s cufflinks existed long before Count Monte Cristo as in the 17th century Louis XIV, was known for his ornamental cufflinks with emblems and precious stones. Back then however, men's fashion treated a shirt as part of underwear and fashion of the court was not accepted by the then French high society.
The times of the industrial revolution at the end of the 19th century and the emergence of new machinery that improved production of small parts made men's cufflinks widely produced. The beginning of the next century and the emergence of an art deco style contributed to even greater popularity of this element of the men’s wardrobe. Cufflinks started to be perceived as an interesting part of the men's jewelry, proving good taste of a man. They took different shapes - square, rectangular or round and were decorated in a variety of ways - from pearl stones and minimalist metal finish, to the decorations in the form of photos of landscapes or people. During this period, men's shirt was rarely seen without ornaments in the form of cufflinks - men betted on elegance and a new way to express their personality by choosing the right shape. A few decades later, in the 1960s and 1970s, elegant cufflinks were forced out of men's closet, which was undergoing a visible change, aiming towards casual and more informal style, so typical for the turbulent periods of revolution and hippie fashion. Businessmen and politicians also gave up classic and very elegant cufflinks and replaced them with other jewelry – tie clip. This element allowed to remain chic and elegant, but it was certainly seen as more casual and less obliging than the sophisticated cuffs, decorated with precious cufflinks.
The return of men's suits in the 1980s marks the beginning of a second life cufflinks for men. Again, they have become one of the most elegant parts of men’s jewelry, and began to be seen as a symbol of professional position or financial status. Designers such as Gucci and Hugo Boss, created collections of richly decorated gold and silver cufflinks, which were worn by the most influential people in business and politics. Today, even the most conservative men's fashion is treated rather lightly and thus designers such as Paul Smith, propose more creative and less formal versions of men’s cufflinks. Cars, dice, cactuses and flies - the designer imagination knows no limits and proves that the casual style closely intertwines with classic elements of the men’s style. On the other hand, there are designs by Tom Ford or Bottega Venetta - very elegant, decorated with diamonds and other precious gems, usually unicolor, made of precious metals. These designs are aimed for special occasions, such as weddings and important receptions and will certainly make a tasteful and distinctive element of the classic men's style. More diverse models of designer cufflinks can be found on our website Vitkac.com.
