“Watching a man doing his cufflinks is every bit as sensuous as having a zipper slide down the back of a little black dress,” Anon

Women are often the ones who enjoy a myriad of accessories. And we get to express ourselves in many different ways. Men, on the other hand, don’t have this much freedom. Good thing there are the likes of cufflinks giving them the license they need.

Cufflinks have a history that goes back to the middle ages, when cuff strings were the vogue for men. The London Gazette would already make reference to what would later be known as cufflinks as early as the years 1684 and 1686. A gold cufflink that dated as far back as the 17th century was also found in Suffolk, England.

Cufflinks, however, only came to exist on its own in the mid-nineteenth century, when functional and minimal sleeves replaced elaborate wrist ruffles. Every discerning gentleman had to have adorning cufflinks. During the 20th century, King Edward VII of England gave cufflinks his stamp of approval by wearing one as he was ascended to the throne. Cufflinks later went mainstream, as the likes of Child & Child in London and Krementz & Co manufactured versions that were relatively affordable.
After the World War II, cufflinks saw a temporary decline in its popularity, with most areas in fashion suffering from a fall-down. With the death of refined culture came the end of formality, with cufflinks dying with it. It was only after 20 years that they returned into vogue, as haute couture and glamour began to reemerge. In 1990, a popular gentleman’s magazine, called the GQ, celebrated and paid tribute to the return of cufflinks.

Up until these modern times, cufflinks have continued to retain their popularity and acceptance by mainstream. They have also become popular gifts items, the engravable cufflinks most especially. And they are a favorite among groomsmen who are excitedly anticipating their wedding favors.

Cufflinks have grown to become a comfort to every man, and definitely a worthy gift item for every occasion. Don’t forget to include it in your gift lists!

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