Appearance, Clothing
Are the cufflinks an essential element of office wear or they should be reserved for formal occasions? For gentleman who wants to stand out or show his status, cufflinks are a great accessory that make a statement.
Clothes do not make the man, but attention to the detail differentiates man from the gentleman. Choosing a shirt with cuffs is a matter of style and require wearing cufflinks.
Cufflinks were an essential accessory for nobles for centuries and became more common in Victorian times. In the seventies of last century cuff links were replaced with build-in buttons, but they made a big comeback in the nineties and today are worn by men and women. What was once an exclusive domain of wealthy and privileged class of people became a main street fashion accessory.
Today, cufflinks are commonly available, and in my opinion they are always in a good taste to complement a professional attire. They are also a part of men’s jewerly and since the more stylish a man becomes, the more he relies on smaller details, you should strive to match the colour of your cufflinks with other metals – your watch or ring.
Shirts come with either cuff with buttons or cuff for cufflinks. The last is definitely more elegant option and I would advise having few shirts for cuff links, as well few pairs of metal and silk knot cuffs.
If you decide for enamel or knot cufflinks, you should coordinate their colours with the rest of your attire. Knot cufflinks are an inexpensive option for adding an extra flair to your look. They work great for a more relaxed look and you can play with the colour, matching them with tie or handkerchief.
There is a wide range of fancy cufflinks available on the market and even some fashion designers promote them. Pair them rather with casual outfits, as funny cufflinks do not add to the professional look.
Please note shirt with cuff links is meant to be worn with the jacket. If you want to be more relaxed and remove the jacket, then choose for a shirt with buttoned cuffs.
Tips on wearing cufflinks:
- Choose gold or silver cufflinks for formal occasions
- The more formal the occasion the less ornamented the cufflinks
- For formal occasions choose double cuff shirt (also known as French cuff)
- For office wear and business, you can choose less formal single cuff shirt
- For a professional office look avoid fancy cufflinks, keep them simple and solid
- Match the colour of your knot cufflinks with the attire
- For an elegant look, metals of all jewerly pieces should match
- When wearing cufflinks, keep the jacket on
Appearance, Clothing
Do you want to look stylish, fashionable and yet elegant and appropriate? Then have a collection of ties! There are 5 rules when it comes to your tie…
Man’s wardrobe must look boring in comparison with a closet of a woman. In a way men are limited to suits, shirts and ties which make their everyday business look pretty boring. Yet, some men crave to stand out of the crowd of look-alike executives and want to add a personal twist to the business outfit. Experiments may be fun, but might also lead to disasters.
5 rules to match a tie
The rules for a good match of the suit, shirt and ties are simple:
1. The more formal the occasion, the more conservative the outfit
For formal occasions decide for a white shirt and plain, one color tie. The more authority you want to command the less fancy your clothing should be. That’s the reason for a classic, elegant look – no pattern, high contrast, two color formal wear.
For a more relaxed look or informal business meeting opt for the pastel color shirt (ivory, blue or pink) with colorful tie that compliments the color of the shirt or suit. If in any doubt, choose a ‘save option’ – white shirt. It goes well with any suit and tie and always looks appropriate.
2. The wider the collar – the bigger the knot
Choose the tie that works best with shirt collar. If the collar is wide spread, compliment it with a thick full knot or a single knot of a thick woollen tie. If the collar wings are narrow, choose a thinner fabric tie like silk and go for smaller knot.
3. The tie should be darker than a shirt
Black shirt and white tie? This surely will make you memorable but not necessarily in the right way. For a classic business look always choose a light color shirt and dark, contrasting or matching tie. If you like monochromatic look, then go for a plain tie a shade darker than the color of the shirt.
4. The stripes on the shirt and tie need to oppose each other
If you want to play with stripes please remember this rule. The wider the stripes on one item, the narrower the should be on the other. This will ensure appropriate balance and the final effect will be elegant and not overwhelming.
5. Tie width should match the width of the suit lapels
This is all about proportion… If you want to wear skinny tie, you need to wear it with a suit jacket with narrow lapels. Wider lapels require a wider tie.
I always encourage my clients to experiment. Once you gain the confidence to coordinate your wardrobe according to the rules, you may want to break them from time to time, as long as the occasion is appropriate for a bit of a show off. Whatever you do please remember that the final look should always enhance your personal style and elevate your image.
