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A greater number of people will now buy men’s cuff links since they have come into fashion. Not all men’s shirts need them – and ultimately they are simply a more stylish means of keeping your shirt cuffs closed, but they definitely add some pizzazz to any outfit that you add them to.
New Materials
The most common cuff links out there are the small Chinese knot cuffs that can be bought in most shops – some shops actually include them with the shirt itself when you buy one. If links are not made of cloth, then they will normally be made with metal. Silver and gold are the common choices here, and they can look very stylish.
More demand, however, has led to greater choice in the materials used to craft cufflinks. That old staple of men’s jewelry, titanium, is starting to make waves in the world of cufflinks, as well as more unusual materials like wood and leather.
Cuff links were originally seen as very conservative – this inclusion of new materials means that they are starting to shed that image in favor of being worn in a wider variety of situations.
New Shapes
Just as the rise of geek culture has meant geeky TV shows, geeky movies, and geeky coffee shops, so too does it mean geeky clothing and accessories. There are now cuff links available in the shape of the bat signal, the green lantern, and so much more.
This is not limited to geek culture, however. Cuff links, which before were normally found in some basic geometrical shape, are being made in an ever wider variety of images and forms.
Now, just as a comics fan can show his allegiance to batman on his sleeve, you can show your own love of sports, movies, or Game of Thrones.
New Colours
When cufflinks were made of either material or metal, the color wasn’t seen as much of an issue. If wearing the simple Chinese knot style, most men would simply choose the color that corresponded with the shirt they had on. Metal cuff links would be the color of that metal.
People are now branching out in terms of color, with the inclusion of other metals to give a contrast, or the inclusion of enamels, among other things. This gives your cufflinks a nice pop of color and means that the potential for color inclusion is almost limitless. Blues and blacks are of course the most popular choices at the moment, but there are some cuffs that include reds. More colors will most likely emerge as people get colder with their fashion choices.
New Dimensions
It’s impossible for a usable cuff link to be two dimensional of course, but by and large, they have always been small and unobtrusive.
This is no longer the case.
More and more cuff links are being made in all different shapes and sizes. Whether it is a horse’s head or a playing card, these cuff links are no longer simple shapes that lie flush with your shirt sleeve but fully formed pieces of jewelry that form a part of your outfit.
While the most eye-catching cuff links will be those that are heads or basketball hoops, there is also a growing number of cufflinks that have three dimensional elements due to their inclusion of precious stones. These may be preferable to you since they straddle the line between new and innovative, and traditional.
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This content is brought to you by Polina Olly.
Inset photos provided by the author.
Feature photo: Shutterstock
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