Cufflinks have been used as a fashion accessory by men, and women, all over the world for many centuries and have a long and varied history. Indeed, according to the National Cufflink Society, evidence of their use has been found in ancient hieroglyphics in Tutankhamun’s tomb!
Prior to the 13th century pins, strings and belts were used to fasten garments but when fitted clothes became popular buttons became the fastener of choice. However, during the early 17th century noblemen used ribbons, known as cuff strings, to tie the lace cuffs of their shirts. This was considered both elegant and very much a status symbol. By the end of the century jewelled or decorated buttons connected by a chain were also being used to fasten the cuffs and what had been considered a matter of practicality became an opportunity for adornment and individualism. The buttons were expensive to make and therefore only available to the wealthy and privileged.
The Industrial Revolution saw the advent of precious metal electroplating and by the start of Queen Victoria’s reign the middle classes were able to purchase less expensive replicas of the cufflinks. They became even more affordable when an American, George Krementz, invented a machine enabling production of one-piece buttons and cufflinks. What was once enjoyed solely by the wealthy became accessible to all. The 1920s were probably the height of cuff-link invention when manufacturers created a variety of devices and designs allowing the cufflinks to be fitted with a minimum of difficulty.
During the 1970s shirts with built in buttons replaced cufflinks to a large extent but fortunately the foresight of the haute couture brands kept the cufflink tradition alive and by the 1990s their influence had spread to a younger generation, who now view their cufflinks as an essential accessory!