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Shirts with French cuffs—which are cuffs with two buttonholes instead of one buttonhole plus a button—are designed for cufflinks (or cuff links, as they are sometimes spelled). Some cufflinks feature straps that wrap around the outside edges of a shirt’s cuffs, but most cufflinks feature an embellished surface that is worn facing out, as well as a pivoting post that discreetly secures the decorative side of the cufflink to the cuff.

In the late 19th century, as Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts vied with Edwardian sensibilities for style supremacy, cufflinks were often made of 14-karat gold and set with everything from onyx to agates. Lion heads were popular designs, as were cufflinks made from Roman coins. At the turn of the 20th century, a manufacturer called Fenwick and Sailor made numerous styles of cufflinks that resembled charms on a charm bracelet...

By the 1920s and ’30s, enameling techniques common to other types of jewelry—from rings to bracelets to brooches—had found their way to cufflinks. South of the U.S. border, Mexican silversmiths in Taxco created cufflinks in the shapes of tropical birds and other animals. And at some point, Royal Copenhagen and Wedgwood got into the act, the former creating pillow-like porcelain cufflinks in the firm’s trademark blue, the latter producing cameo cufflinks out of Jasperware.

The functional design of these cufflinks was as varied as their decorations. Instead of a pivoting post, some so-called “dumbbell” or shank-style cufflinks would feature a backing piece that was just small enough to squeeze through the cuff’s buttonholes. Small lengths of slender chain were substituted for posts in some designs, while double-face cufflinks (also referred to as double-side or double-panel cufflinks) had no “good” or “bad” side since both faces were richly detailed.

Cufflinks achieved a cachet of cool after World War II, when the sophisticated man about town kept a collection of cufflinks on hand that rivaled his array of neckties. In the 1960s in particular, a company called Swank was making 12-million pair a year, most of them big and brassy as costume jewelry. Crown shapes were a popular Swank design, as were cufflinks that showed off large chunks of topaz, smoky quartz, and other semi-precious stones. Swank also made cufflinks for Masons and other fraternal orders, while Hugh Hefner sold his devotees square black cufflinks with a white bunny at their centers.

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Recent News: Cufflinks

Source: Google News

Valentine's Day gifts for guys
Providence Eyewitness News, February 8th

The jeans go for 98.00 on BONOBOS website. http://www.bonobos.com Another stylish option is cufflinks by bolbach for $55.00. “They're really easy to go from work to play” said Levine. The cufflinks come in alligator and snake skin patterns on their...Read more

Parkhead players model new Celtic jewellery collection
Scottish Daily Record, February 8th

And the woman who designed the club-themed rings, cufflinks, pendants, earnings, and bracelets reckons the lads are as good in front of the camera as they are on the park. Summera Shaheen, boss of The Diamond Studio in Glasgow, said: “It was fantastic...Read more

Monterey Police: Tuxedo shirt, cufflinks stolen
The Salinas Californian, February 6th

1/21/12 Individual reported an unknown to have stolen his tuxedo shirt and silver tiffany cuff links from 750 Cannery Row. Hall 1/21/12 Fall of person in the 100 block of El Dorado. Wright 1/21/12 CARSON. ALAN was arrested for public intoxication at...Read more

Star Wars Cufflinks
Coolest Gadgets, January 30th

by Edwin - on January 30th, 2012 If you and your mate are Star Wars buffs, then for sure the both of you might want to check out the $59.99 Star Wars Cufflinks – they are perfectly designed (and officially licensed products, mind you) for the Star Wars...Read more

These USB, Wi-Fi Hotspot Cufflinks Will Make You Feel Like James Bond
PCWorld, January 26th

But just in case the need should arise, the next time you suit up, why don't you throw on a pair of these cufflinks from Brookstone? Hidden in one of the polished silver cufflinks is a 2 GB USB drive. Even better, the other cufflink can be used to set...Read more

The username's Bond, James Bond: New cufflinks have a wi-fi hotspot built in
Daily Mail, January 25th

By Rob Waugh James Bond has used watches with laser cutters built in, and a cigarette rocket launched - but so far, his cufflinks have been for fashion only. But a new set of cufflinks from US luxury retailer Brookstone could have come straight from Q...Read more

What You've Always Wanted: Wi-Fi Enabled Cufflinks
Wall Street Journal (blog), January 23rd

But now, perhaps, they have a reason to dress up a little, because you cannot wear cufflinks with a T-shirt. These gadget shirt-fasteners, however, come from Brookstone, purveyors of all sorts of items you never knew you wanted, such as talking meat...Read more

Cufflinks with Wi-Fi hot spot turn you into a digital 007
CNET (blog), January 19th

Fortunately, Brookstone has you covered with this slick pair of Wi-Fi-enabled cufflinks. These silver oval 'links keep your cuffs together without the embarrassment of using some silly analog plastic buttons, and also double as a USB thumbdrive with...Read more

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