A pair of cufflinks can help elevate your formalwear. Each pair can show off your personal style or help polish your look. Apart from providing aesthetic value, cufflinks serve a function as well. It helps secure the cuffs of your dress shirts, particularly those that don’t have buttons or feature a double cuff.
These men’s accessories can be made from different materials. But the popular ones are usually made of metal, glass, stone, precious metal, leather, or any combination of these. While a lot of men still choose cufflinks in classic designs, many are embracing custom cuff links nowadays to make a fashion statement.
Since cufflinks come in numerous styles, colors, and designs, it can be daunting to select the right pair to wear together with your suit—especially on important occasions when you need to look your best. If you are not certain which cufflinks to wear for a particular event, here are some helpful tips.
Wear Cufflinks in Formal Events
Cufflinks are most commonly worn on formal occasions like black tie events, weddings, and business events. In functions where you will need to wear a dinner suit or tuxedo, cufflinks are added to the outfit. For black-tie events, you can stick to using cufflinks that feature a clean and simple design made of a single type of metal such as copper or gold. You can also match your cufflinks with the shirt studs for a more elegant look.
If you are attending a wedding, whether as a guest or as a groomsman, you can take this opportunity to show off your personality with a uniquely designed pair of cufflinks. Select any metal cufflinks and experiment with the color and shape to add another layer of sophistication to your formal attire.
While there’s nothing wrong with wearing cufflinks with an understated design when going to business meetings or conferences, you might want to make a lasting impression with the people thereby choosing cufflinks that feature customized inscriptions or your company’s logo.
Select the Right Metals
You need to consider the metal colors of the cufflinks you will wear. The classic ones are easiest to match with numerous outfits including silver, gold, white, and black. For men who are confident in wearing cufflinks with colorful crystals or gemstones, they can opt for stylish hues like brighter red, pink, green, or purple. When it comes to having a more put-together look, you can also select the cufflink metals to match the rest of your accessories including your watch, lapel pin, and tie bar.
Pair It with Your Shirt
As an accessory, you need to ensure your cufflinks will complement your entire outfit, including your shirt. White shirts are easier to pair with because they provide a clean plain background where most cufflinks will look good on. You can experiment with various materials, colors, or shapes. It all depends on the event you will be going to.
If you plan to wear a classic blue shirt, you can select cufflinks that have hints of blue in them. You also have the option to have a monochromatic look by sticking to different shades of blue cufflinks. On the other hand, wearing black shirts is a good opportunity to highlight the cuffs of your shirts with gold or silver cufflinks. You can also experiment with gem-colored cufflinks to help make your cuffs more noticeable.
Aside from the classic hues of white and blue, more shirt colors are becoming acceptable to wear with formal suits. In case you are at a loss with which cufflinks to pair your shirt with, you can go monochromatic and match the shade of your shirt. While a patterned shirt is a bold fashion choice, you can still add cufflinks. Since your shirt is the first thing other people will spot, you can keep your cufflink choices simpler with single-colored ones. Silver is always a fashionable and good option, and many silver cufflinks come in interesting shapes and designs.
Choose Stand Out Designs
While most men prefer more toned-down designs of cufflinks for formal events, these accessories are the easiest way to make a statement. You can try various cufflinks styles featuring your favorite hobbies and interests. If you are a car enthusiast, you can select automotive-themed cufflinks. For the avid comic book collector, you can choose cufflink designs that are associated with your favorite characters.
There is no hard rule when it comes to which cufflinks you must wear. While the classic ones are a staple in most men’s wardrobes, more designs are coming out to let individuals experiment with different looks. Whether you are just starting to appreciate the elegant appeal of this accessory or looking to explore other styles, you can find a pair of cufflinks that will complement your suit for every occasion.
