Cufflink Tips November 3, 2008

Taking care of your cufflinks is all part of the male grooming process. The style of cufflinks say alot about a man, a man who does not regularly maintain their formal accessories will find it hard to keep their sharp formal look together and consistent.

Here are 5 tips on how to take care of your cufflinks:

Tip 1:

Make sure you have a well cushioned jewellery box. By storing your cufflinks in any type of box you come across, you will run the risk of scratching the surface of your cufflinks which can be hard to get rid off and you may need to spend a lot of money getting the cufflinks professionally cleaned and fixed.

Tip 2:

Well looked after and well polished cufflinks will be a great investment for the future, especially if you have a big collection. By ensuring you have the right cleaning equipment such as jewellery cloths, your cufflinks will stay looking new for longer

Tip 3:

Buying cheap cufflinks will probably tone down your fine formal look. Purchasing a high quality pair at that extra price will not only be a great investment, but will also give you that all important sharp tailored look for any occasion. Also keep in mind that it is also important to choose the right style of cufflinks that matches your formal look.

Tip 4:

For those who favour enamel cufflinks, hiring the services of an enamel restorer will definitely be worth the extra money as they have the expertise and experience to get your cufflinks back to looking as good as new. Most enamel procedures are the same and that is to preserve the original material as much as possible

Tip 5:

Finally, a set of formal cufflinks will serve well as a gift for a loved one or something to keep dad happy on father’s day. Another great addition will be the cleaning tools to maintain the look of the cufflinks; the tools needed will be a well cushioned jewellery box, jewellery cloth and jewellery cleaner.

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Cufflinks- classy or sassy? July 25, 2008

Cufflinks have been in fashion and have gone back out again but they have never truly gone away. While shirts needing them continue to be made then cufflinks are here to stay in one form or another.

Today the choice is endless. There are many elegant, timeless and dateless designs that always look good, especially with a tailored suit and crisp white shirt. There is also an infinite variety of novelty cufflinks available to suit the wearer’s hobbies, pastimes or affiliations. I have seen them in the shape of footballs, horses, aeroplanes, cars, national flags, letters of the alphabet, even working clocks, and a host of other designs. Where they were traditionally made using gold and gemstones, now they are also manufactured from materials like enamel or even fabric mounted on to the typical cufflink mechanism.

There is something very sophisticated about the gentleman who wears cufflinks; I think they look far classier than any little shirt button.

Fashion from our roots July 4, 2008

In today’s increasingly flexible society, this question evokes a debate not simply about attire, but arguably about the importance of presentation in the workplace. As far back as the 13th century, the cufflink has been used both for decoration and practicality, although recently there is a trend towards using buttons as an alternative for fastening cuffs. Equally, formal shirts date back centuries, and are now seen as synonymous with success and affluence.

However, many would argue that in today’s world, such official apparel is not as needed as it was in days gone by. This is mainly due to the huge growth in communications over the past century. In 1900, practically every meeting was conducted face to face, and so first impressions were vital. Nowadays however, video conferencing, or telephone calls are very much the status quo. Therefore, as a result of reduced personal contact, the opinions formed when first communicating are very much based on eloquence and professionalism, rather than presentation.

Equally, there are those who would argue a smart dress code helps to promote an organised and professionally conducted workplace. Equally, it may help to reduce potential distractions whilst working. Indeed, every City firm in London insists on a suit, cufflinks and tie combination; not solely through tradition, but also as a mark of expertise. Overall, it would seem that whilst cufflinks and shirts are not seen as important as they once were, they nonetheless set a benchmark for efficient, professional work.

Dress code that dictates your environment July 3, 2008

Shirts are traditionally officewear because they look official and smart.Nobody is going to choose to consult a solicitor if he is wearing a tshirt and jeans.Shirts make people appear more credible.Men and women who come to work dressed smartly ,look as though they are in control of things.They are the ones who will gain promotion, all else being equal.Imagine approaching a policeman or woman for help in the street and then discovering that they are wearing lycra ! You would think twice about whether they were really able to help you with your problem.You rarely see a doctor who is not smartly dressed for the same reason.

A shirt is acceptable wear nearly everywhere and that makes it an ideal garment.Cuff links can only be worn on shirts where the cuff is made to accept them.A shirt with buttons, wont have the holes that the cufflinks must go through to ‘link’ the cuff.That makes them more of a fashion accessory than a practical piece of wear in this modern day.

The type of clothing you wear to the office rather depends on what type of office you are working in. The clothes you decide to wear forms the basis of what other people think about you and you also have to consider the image of your company. If you are working in a legal firm for example you would certainly be expected to dress very smartly in a suit, shirt and tie. You might decide to wear cufflinks but this is probably a matter of personal choice. Sandals and shorts are certainly not an option!

However if you were working in a graphic design or media setting you would probably be expected to wear more casual clothing maybe even jeans as it would be seen as a sign of your creativity.

If in doubt about what to wear you should look at what the boss is wearing and take your clue from that. If he is dressed in a tailored suit don’t turn up in jeans.

Dress to impress July 2, 2008

When you dress smartly you tend to act more professionally, not to mention give a potential customer the right impression. A smart looking staff member gives a customer confidence as they appear as though they know more about their job. Image is everything in this day-and-age.

With this in mind, it makes perfect sense that a basic requirement for all offices should be a dress code that requires that a person should turn up for work wearing the finest shirt and unique cufflinks. Cufflinks may sound like something that can be done without but the best shirts are made to be used in conjunction with these. A visit to a top purveyor of clothing, such as Thomas Pink, reveals this fact very quickly.

Any professional should be prepared to invest in a business wardrobe. It will help get them the job they seek and also assist any person who deals directly with the customer to become more successful.

Best mix for cufflinks July 1, 2008

I think that cufflinks should be stylish, classic and not overly ostentatious. If a man is wearing a well cut, smart suit, with a shirt that requires him to wear cufflinks, they should be of a minimalist design, and preferably in a silver coloured metal, such as silver, platinum or white gold. Yellow gold can sometimes look a little tacky.

Some cufflinks are also available in fabric – I have seen some really interesting ones made from twisted threads of fine silk made into a knotted sphere, that were stylish yet understated. It is important that the cufflinks match and go with the suit and shirt that is to be worn. For example, with a slim fitting single breasted 1960’s three button suit in a mod style, it would be quite good to wear a pair of cufflinks with targets on them.

I think that novelty cufflinks, as with novelty ties and socks for men, look rather silly. They may be amusing for the first time that they are worn, but the joke starts to wear thin after that. Perhaps these type of novelty items should only be purchased occasionally. They do seem to be a money making exercise for large companies to get more money out of consumers, as most of the novelty cufflinks etc, are adorned with symbols of materialism, eg. characters from television shows and films, so they are best avoided.

Cufflinks:Historian accessory June 27, 2008

In a way cuff links can be considered as timeless classics,since these miniature works of art actually predate the shirt. According to the National Cufflink Society, evidence of their use can be found in ancient hieroglyphics in King Tut’s tomb. But cuff links as we know them were first used during the 1700s.During that time buttons had ceased to be decorative and cuff-fastening slits were being cut into clothing. The ribbons or tape ties of the past were replaced with luxurious items, often made with gold or silver and set with gemstones. These were an extravagance reserved for the wealthy classes and were all hand-made.

It wasn’t until the mid 18th century and the invention of the steam-driven stamping machine, electro-metallurgy and the Tour a’ Guilloche machine, which could mass-produce enamel cuff links, that men’s jewelery was opened up to a wider audience. By the 1840s what we now know as the French cuff, or double-cuff shirt became popular – and unlike most fashions it’s remained so since. The middle classes adopted cuff links, but unable to afford the silver or enamel cuff links they used replicas such as fake diamonds and gold-colored alloys with foil backing instead. A hair of a lost loved one was traditionally placed under glass on a man’s cuff links as a sign of grief.

During the 1880’s in America, George Krementz patented a device based on a civil war cartridge shell-making machine that could mass produce one-piece collar buttons and cuff links. Suddenly every US business was commissioning cuff links for advertising or as gift incentives for clients. During the 1920s the enamel cuff link became the most prevalent style. In Russia, the communist revolution forced the luxury artisans of Faberge to emigrate across Europe and often to America, where they taught their enameling skills to others. Their designs often reflected the art movements of the day, but by the 1930s low-cost production of plastics led to a decline in the use of enamel. But these enamel cuff links remain highly collectible; especially the hand-made ones.

Cuff link use peaked in the mid 1960s, when Swank Inc, a popular manufacturer, was making 12 million a year. These days the figure is closer to 200,000. But cuff links are making a comeback, with gross sales having increased consistently over the last ten years, while the French cuff continues to be the most prestigious type of shirt,which have buttonholes on both sides of the cuff.To trace every significant movement in art through the design of cuff links. can be done at the Cuff link Museum in Conway, New Hampshire, which proudly displays over 70,000 pairs.The most expensive cuff links ever sold were a pair given to the soon-to-be King Edward VIII by his later wife Wallis Simpson. These featured diamonds set in platinum and sold at auction for $440,000. So as a whole,cuff links have a long history spanning many cultures and designs which makes it a timeless classic.

Shirt Accessories that suits June 18, 2008

I think that cufflinks should be stylish, classic and not overly ostentatious. If a man is wearing a well cut, smart suit, with a shirt that requires him to wear cufflinks, they should be of a minimalist design, and preferably in a silver coloured metal, such as silver, platinum or white gold. Yellow gold can sometimes look a little tacky.

Some cufflinks are also available in fabric – I have seen some really interesting ones made from twisted threads of fine silk made into a knotted sphere, that were stylish yet understated. It is important that the cufflinks match and go with the suit and shirt that is to be worn. For example, with a slim fitting single breasted 1960’s three button suit in a mod style, it would be quite good to wear a pair of cufflinks with targets on them.

I think that novelty cufflinks, as with novelty ties and socks for men, look rather silly. They may be amusing for the first time that they are worn, but the joke starts to wear thin after that. Perhaps these type of novelty items should only be purchased occasionally. They do seem to be a money making exercise for large companies to get more money out of consumers, as most of the novelty cufflinks etc, are adorned with symbols of materialism, eg. characters from television shows and films, so they are best avoided.

Brand or Non-brand fashion May 23, 2008

I’ve been through various fashion stages in my life and each of them has come with their own set of designer labels. Be it when I tried to look stylish, when there was the Gucci shoes, or my cool, surfer-look stage, when brands like Quicksilver and Rip Curl took my fancy. However, the money I ever actually ending up spending on these designer fashions amounted to very little.

I was a person who would very much only buy these items if they were heavily reduced or end of line goods, meaning that I got the best deal for my money. Now I’m not saying that these clothing labels do not look good, but it’s obvious why we wear them; for the respect we attain from our peers, and for a lot of people, that can be priceless.

Fortunately for me, I’ve never belonged to groups who have had major feelings one way or the other for designer clothes, so I’ve never been under too much pressure to spend most of my earnings on them (although I’ve always secretly wanted to own lots of designer brands). I think a cool shirt or a smart pair of cufflinks make you look and feel great. However, If I run through the outfit I’m wearing whilst I type this, I can safely say that I’ve not spent over 10 pounds on any single item of clothing (in fact my jumper was free!)

So why do we feel we must spend most of our worth on the name brands of clothing? The answer is simple; we do it for our image! But don’t think less of the people that do fritter away the wads on designer labels, after all they’re just playing the image game. Don’t hate the player, hate the game!

Packing for Summer Holiday – Top 5 Items April 30, 2008

When it comes to packing for vacation, men usually have the least headache. In fact most men prefer to travel light. Bringing along essential items that suits the weather is very common for short trips lasting no more than few weeks. Traveling light is considered convenient and practical.

Not surprisingly, most men are not embarrassed to rotate or even wear the same few pieces of shirts or pants for the entire holiday, assuming laundry services are available. However, for the ladies, this is quite unthinkable as most will pack in a few extra sets just for photo taking purposes.

So, what do men usually pack with them if they are going for summer holiday? It is always best to bring along casual clothing that are cooling, easy to clean and dry of course. Having a set of formal wear is also common for an unanticipated formal dinning.

Here are the Top 5 items men should have in their luggage:

1. 3 sets of T-shirt
2. 2 sets of short pants or Bermuda
3. 4 sets of under wear
4. 1 set of formal wear (long sleeves shirts and long pants)
5. 1 piece of sweater/ wind breaker (to be worn during flights or night traveling)

And for sure, I won’t be leaving without my set of jewellery.