Cufflinks are small decorative objects that are used to hold the double cuffs of a man’s shirt together, and they have been around for several centuries. Originally, they were the province of the rich and famous – kings and princes had them made to their own designs – and they were not for the poorer classes who simply couldn’t afford them. They were especially popular with King Charles II who had pairs made to commemorate weddings and other special occasions.
Over the succeeding centuries they were worn by the upper classes until the arrival of the industrial revolution. Suddenly, materials became cheaper, and producing cufflinks could now be done by a machine once the original designs had been finalised, so they became available to everyone. Cufflinks were made in silver and gold, and finally in platinum, and in France they became the essential item to close the French double cuff. Men began to wear their cufflinks as part of everyday casual wear.
By the middle of the 19th century almost everyone in the middle and upper classes wore cufflinks, but then shirts with buttons attached to the cuffs made their appearance. Cufflinks declined, returning to special occasion status, until about 1920, when new designs included precious and semi-precious stones which were often left in their natural state and simply polished. Once again, they became the province of the real gentleman.
Today, cufflinks are available in an almost never-ending stream of patterns and designs, from the sober and gentlemanly to outlandish patterns such as Lego bricks, racing cars, beer bottles, and many, many more.
Wimbledon Cufflink company is one of the foremost cufflink manufacturers in the UK and produces a very wide range of patterns and designs in silver and gold. One of their ranges features designs that pay homage to one’s heritage, featuring symbols such as the English Oak, Scottish Thistle, English Lion, Welsh Dragon, Irish Shamrock, American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and many more.
Furthermore, the company will also produce bespoke cufflinks featuring any design that you wish. One of their latest ideas is to produce personalised fingerprint cufflinks, so you can have them with your own fingerprints on them.