For many centuries, noblemen and gentlemen got used to closing the cuffs of their shirts using brightly colored silk ties, conveniently knotted. Although there are already historical references to the use of cufflinks -properly speaking- since the 17th century, it was not until the mid-19th century that their use began to spread among the aristocratic classes.
It was mainly in England (arbiter of good taste and dandyism at that time) where this custom began, one of its main precursors and promoters being Edward VII (1841-1910), the first British monarch of the House of Windsor (who would sponsor named after the so-called Edwardian era, a period of great technological and ideological changes), which he used to order his cufflinks from the famous Fabergé house.
There was a certain aesthetic debate at the time about whether or not it was appropriate for men to use, as women did, pieces of jewelry in their clothing.
Thus, for example, in his famous (1860), a kind of manual of style, etiquette and good manners of the Victorian era, Cecil B. Hartley states: “If a gentleman is going to wear jewels, let them have at least some use Men should not wear them as a mere and simple ornament, to the use of women”.
Burberry
It is perhaps for this reason that men’s jewelry has almost always been restricted to functional accessories in the men’s wardrobe, such as watches, tie pins (which help keep them attached to the shirt) or the aforementioned cufflinks.
The growing popularity of cufflinks during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries caused the most important jewelry houses of the time (Van Cleef, Cartier or Tiffany) to quickly become interested in this new fashion.
The delicate craftsmanship of its goldsmiths has left us -in museum catalogues- truly exclusive and exquisite pieces from this early period, jewel-cufflinks that proudly display creations with topaz, turquoise or sapphire stones.
Cartier
Logically, from that first impulse, the cufflinks continued to evolve over time, giving rise to very different forms and materials, much more accessible to the uses, tastes and prices of the upper bourgeoisie or the middle class.
From the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, the simple, comfortable and functional buttons will win the popular battle in everyday clothing, cornering the use of cufflinks at galas or special events. Industrial shirts, with their ubiquitous single cuff (the most common, if not almost unique, nowadays), are imposed in the wardrobes of contemporary men.
Unlike the latter, the so-called double cuff, which is always closed with cufflinks, has twice the extension of the single cuff and folds over itself (which is why it is sometimes also called the turned cuff), acquiring a touch more formal.
During the eighties, with the popularization of the figure of the Wall Street broker (almost an icon of the decade) and the yuppie fashion associated with finance, the twins revived a second wave of popularity.
Bulgarian
Within the general uniformity imposed by the business suit (normally dark), cufflinks allow a touch of color and variety to be introduced into the business man’s dress, even taking on the most extravagant forms (figures of cars, skulls, horseshoes or symbols of any kind). Today, the number of shades, shapes and materials is almost infinite.
And one last detail to finish: as with the watch, the choice of cufflink must be directly related to the type of outfit worn on each occasion. It seems logical that it is not the same to choose a model to finish off a tuxedo than when you opt, however, for a blazer and sport pants.
The cufflinks are just a small accessory, but they say a lot about who wears them.
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