Tasteful cifflinks are large enough to be seen and noticed if one is so inclined but fit in seamlessly with the rest of one's attire.  Too much flash or over the edge (or whatever the wrap around ones are called) reminds me of Las Vegas.

I like sterling cuff links, but without shine.

What about something like these?:

http://www.faycullen.com/cufflinks.html

http://www.mplevene.co.uk/searchresults.aspx?categoryid=1139

I think cufflinks should never be too big and always double-sided (i.e. without the ugly snap bar on the inside of the cuff). I'm not a big fan of jeweled or overly polished metals either.

I have 25-30 pairs, with the vast majority being Baer & Wilde snap cufflinks from the 50s and 60s,

Panzer

Last edited by Tomasso (2006-05-14 05:12:26)

Nice cufflink sites

http://www.deakinandfrancis.co.uk/


http://www.forzieri.com/usa/deptb.asp?l=usa&c=usa&dept_id=10&brand_id=30&ads=1

http://www.faycullen.com/cufflinks.html

This site is decidedly hip. I mostly like the titanium card case. That's 21st century cool:

http://www.edwardmirell.com/Consumer/Category.asp?CategoryID=8&Page=3

I recently had a good experience with the place below. The titanium cufflinks are hip-old-boy or hip, depending on the style you choose.

http://www.kjbeckett.com/acatalog/rectangleyellowline-titaniumcufflinks-ti2.html

here is the whole line:

http://www.kjbeckett.com/acatalog/ti2titanium.html

Not too many men choose expensive cufflinks. Or so you would think. It does seem that expensive cufflinks abound. Cufflink choices say a lot about someone. They are a problm too because it seems what is cheesy to one set is considered beautiful by another.

As an example this guy showed me his hot and cold water faucet cufflinks. They looked heavy and cheap, plus the fact that he was calling attention to them made me roll my eyes internally. I was reminded of that classic line in Gatsby about the human molar cufflinks.

However, I dont mind tongue and cheek references about what people wear at all, as long as they dont have to tell me about them all day long.

I have a pair of heart shaped enameled cufflinks from, I think, links of London in red. Inevitably a woman will notice them and even pull my sleeve a little to see them better and to make a pointed comment about them, which is the type of attention I like. Then when she asks why I have cufflinks like hearts, Ill say something like "I wear my heart on my sleeve" or "Love is always in the air for me".

I think amongst the traditional American set, youre going to find an adherence to those enamelled ones you get at Paul Stuart. I was weened on those and they are always right for me. Simple, well thought out sterling ones are also a favorite of the traditional American, like a tee and golf ball. But they have to be cast just so and sized just so.

The English seem to wear these kicky sterling ones too and dont mind the clips as much because they often dont bother to have their shirt sleeves shortened and thus just grab a pair after buying a few shirts at Harvie and Hudson to keep the cuffs from sliding over their hands. Also, they buy such loud shirts (Butcher stripes and checks) that who is going to notice their cufflinks?

The Italians like a more expensive looking cufflink and they certainly make some exquisite examples of the art. They are so beautifully rendered that there is more universal appeal. To a certain extent, I believe that choice of cufflinks is or should be an exercise in universal appeal. I am not saying that you have to accomplish this but I think the sartorial triumph is in choosing a pair everyone can admire.

I found this. I dont know if this is necessarily true or slated to sell more 18ct gold though. It may all depend on the alloy mix

http://www.9carat.co.uk/hardnessofgoldalloys.html