Choosing cufflinks — material, scale and occasion
The most versatile and formally correct cufflinks are simple: a silver or gold oval or rectangle, approximately 15mm in length, in a satin finish rather than a bright polish. These work with every shirt colour, every suit, and every tie. They are appropriate in every formal context and communicate precisely the seriousness of the French-cuff shirt without drawing attention to themselves.
More characterful cufflinks — enamel, stone, novelty designs, family crests — are appropriate in social and creative professional settings where the formality level permits a more personal choice. A pair of cufflinks with a personal significance — an initial, a family motif, a favourite colour — is not a distraction in the right context; it is a small piece of biography visible only to someone close enough to shake hands.
The French cuff must be the right size for the cufflinks — neither so large that the cufflinks swim in the cuff nor so small that they pull against the fabric. This is a detail of the shirt pattern that we address at the consultation and the fitting.