The History of Cufflinks

The history of cufflinks is closely tied to the history of modern shirts. The comfortable and convenient long-sleeved shirt style taken for granted today evolved slowly over the centuries and popular fashions have historically been driven by practical issues and the manufacturing capabilities of the eras.

In the beginning

By the early 1500s, shirts were generally considered attractive with large ruffles around the wristbands. While the look was undoubtedly elegant, the style was not very practical for farmers and tradesmen, so shirt-makers generally designed the wrists with ribbons and holes to allow the wearer to tie the ruffles up. During the post-Renaissance era in England, the men of the upper classes began using ornamental buttons with fasteners on the back to pin the wristbands of their shirts. These early antique cufflinks were often made with rare gems, but slightly more affordable versions were eventually produced with colored glass stones. It was in 1788 that the word "cufflink" first appeared in print and the novel "The Count of Monte-Cristo" was published in 1845, describing jeweled cufflinks as a symbol of status.

The Industrial Revolution brings the style to the masses

Before the 19th century, cufflinks were made exclusively by skilled jewelers and were not affordable to the common working man. The manufacturing advances of the Industrial Revolution made the production of cufflinks much less expensive and by the early 20th century, wearing cufflinks was a common practice not restricted to the wealthy. It was considered the standard style for the middle and lower classes as well.

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