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If you have always associated cufflinks with upper class nobility and you think that they are ‘stuffy’, then here are five great reasons why you need to change your mind! If you don’t own cufflinks yet, you’ll find that these five reasons will get your mind racing and your cuffs aching for the finest links available!

1. Chicks dig them. Okay, that sounds a bit like a sweeping claim, but it’s true! Women like a man in uniform who is professional, good looking and actually looks like a million bucks. If you aren’t a policeman and you definitely aren’t a fireman, your office ‘uniform’ will have to do. Jazz up your slacks with a formal French Cuffs shirt and seal your cuffs with a set of stylish cufflinks, and be sure to ride up and down your building’s elevator often enough so that all of the women on all of the other floors start to notice you!

2. You look filthy rich, and that means that you get respect. Haven’t you ever noticed that people who look like they are made of money actually get treated better than you do? At restaurants the rich people glide past all of the queues to a pre-reserved table that wasn’t actually reserved but the waiters keep it there just in case. Also, rich people get helped at shopping outlets all the time while the cufflink-less plebs are left to find their own size in those shoes or that jacket.

3. You get to feel like James Bond. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have that James Bond feeling? To know that women want you and men want to be you? Then don your most expensive tuxedo (or rent one if you don’t own one!), put on your ultra stylish cufflinks and walk around putting your surname before your name. You’ll look cool, feel confident, and create an air of sophistication wherever you go. This might look odd if you suddenly throw away your jeans-and-t-shirt look at work in favour of the tux, but enjoy the attention while it lasts anyway!

4. Your sophisticated look will give you the upper hand in an interview. This is a big reason to wear cufflinks: your sophisticated appearance will create a look of professionalism and attention to detail, and will count in your favour when you attend a job interview for a job that you really want to get. First impressions last, so make sure that you look the way you always want your future employer to think of you!

5. You get to pass the time during boring business meetings with nifty ‘novelty’ cufflinks. Novelty cufflinks are all the rage nowadays. You can get cufflinks that are miniature compasses, miniature clocks, miniature scissors and much more! Pass the time during boring business meetings or while on the phone to your girlfriend and play miniature roulette, or measure the various lengths on your shirt sleeve. Anything is better than listening to office politics or the price of eggs!

Alain Picard
Cufflinks, Wedding Cufflinks and Designer Cufflinks expert.

Do sometimes look down to your wrists and see your bland shirt cuffs and feel that there is definitely something vitally important missing from the picture? You would be right! If your shirt’s cuffs are looking bland then they are in dire needs of dressing up. Fortunately there is a perfect and magnificent solution to the bland cuff dilemma. And if you were ever looking for a reason to spoil yourself with something that is essential but also glamorous then a great set of cufflinks is as much for you as they are for your underdressed shirt cuffs.

Typically you choose your shirts and cufflinks by matching them up by well co-ordinated colour. However you should not feel prescribed by sticking to usual colour combinations. The greatest benefit of mixing and matching your shirt to your cufflinks is that you will maximise and get the best from your cufflinks. You will find that it is like having a new wardrobe as your shirts will have different looks and new appeals about them that were previously undiscovered. You may have bought a set of cufflinks to match a particular shirt but do not feel limited to only wear the two together, try out new shirt combinations and new cufflink combinations with each of your shirts too. Cufflinks are extremely versatile items of jewellery. You will be amazed at some of the resulting and great new combinations.

And remember you don’t always have to take your style or fashion too seriously, mix it up, have fun and always be sure to enjoy whatever you are wearing. With a set of cufflinks that speaks to your personality and even reflects your sense of humour you can create a unique and very individual style. This extra injection of life into your outfit will be noticed and your personality will shine through even more because of it. So go for an unusual set of cufflinks. Maybe go for something bold in its design and bright in its colour. By having a couple of fun and flavour filled cufflinks in your collection you can at anytime choose to mix up a sophisticated suit with a touch of vibrant personality. Or why not go for a themed set of cufflinks. Just because you are wearing a suit does not mean that you have to become one. You are much more than your clothing and your job so breakout a little with a set of themed cufflinks that speak to your personal loves or interests. If you are technology man then go for a set of iPod style designed cufflinks. If you are into gadgets then the perfect pair of cufflinks for your is an actual working pair of compass cufflinks.

Cufflinks are about style and extremely good fashion sensibility, they are made and designed to be enjoyed and to be worn by the discerning man who knows how to combine classiness with the everyday. So find your favourite sets of cufflinks and don’t hold back on the mixing and matching to keep your look fresh and exciting.

Alain Picard
Men’s fashion consultant. Cufflinks, wedding cufflinks and designer cufflinks expert.

Casual wear means different things to different men. One man may hear that his upcoming 4th of July brunch for work is casual dress and excitedly rush straight to the back of his closet to grab the jeans he uses to mow the lawn, the very ratty Birkenstocks he has had since college and his vintage AC/DC t-shirt. Yet another man may panic and simply throw his hands up in front of his wife screaming, “What the hell is casual wear? I am up for a promotion and now I have to worry about what that term means? There is too much on my plate! You pick for me! I’m out!” And still another man will quickly skim through his latest GQ magazine and figure out what casual outfit he can recreate using the clothes in his closet. Yes, this man exists. I have a husband like this and, no, ladies our marriage is very much stable and loving and he is not up for grabs.

Many men will fit the description of the man in the second scenario that panics wondering just what casual wear means. Unfortunately, it will take a little detective work to figure out just how casual you can get with your clothes, depending on the situation at hand. If you are just hanging out with friends shooting a little pool and drinking some beer, sure you could do what the first guy did above and head straight to your college gear; however, if you are not in college anymore and actually have managed to land a full-time job with responsibilities, don’t make the tragic mistake of substituting “casual” with “messy.” Remember when your mother said how you dress is a reflection of you? Like most things, she was right. How about that famous quote by Deion Sanders (the former NFL star), “When I look good, I feel good and when I feel good, I play good” and when I play good, they pay me good. Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to look like a GQ model every single time you walk out your front door, but a little effort in classing up your normal casual wear could very well be the thing that puts a spring back in your step. As with business and formal wear, all it will take to spice up your casual wear wardrobe are a few staples that can be mixed and matched for the right situation: great jeans, khakis, tailored shirts, sterling silver cufflinks, the right set of ties, and nice shoes.

For casual wear, the right pair of jeans is a must. Slim-leg or boot-cut jeans are the way to go, although recent fashion trends have tended towards the former as slim seems to be in. Now, do not mistake slim-fit for the notorious “skinny jeans” you may have seen. Sure, fashion designers on “Project Runway” and major rock stars can get away with these jeans, but unless you are a guy who is naturally (or because you are abusing heroin) less than 110 pounds, steer way clear of this fashion trend. Stick with a medium or dark rinse for your slim-leg jeans and avoid jeans that have manufactured rips in the knees or butt region. After all, we are living in the new millennium, not the 1980s. Paired with a nice (read: not torn or faded) t-shirt and some new Pumas or Adidas sneakers, these jeans will look great when just hanging out with friends. If you want to dress up the look a bit, pair them with a sport jacket, a solid colored button-up shirt, some sassy cufflinks and a nicer pair of dress shoes (although you will want to steer clear of your shinier interview shoes).

You will also want to invest in a few pairs of khakis or even a khaki suit. Unlike the more conservative, more formal black or blue suits, khaki suits can be dressed down a bit more for a casual look. Want to look completely modern and yet completely relaxed? Try a khaki suit that has a slimmer cut with pants that sport a flat front. You can choose to pair this with a slim tie (or not) and a nice slim-fitting white shirt, making you look like you walked right off the set of Ocean’s 11 (or 12 or 13). Heading to a beach party? Dress the khaki suit down even more with a solid color polo and some sandals and watch the ladies come out of the woodwork. Khaki pants can take you from the work environment to a laid-back party making them very versatile and very much a necessary staple for your casual wardrobe. Do your best to stay away from pleated khakis which will give you that khaki front bulk which does little to add to the attractive factor. Instead, seek out flat front khakis that have a natural waist and a straight leg. This will help lean out your frame and give you a more modern and crisp look. In terms of color, you don’t have to stick with the tan color we are all used to. Khaki pants have a wide spectrum of hues, so choose a few pairs of differing shades.

The polo shirt will help round out your casual wear wardrobe. Like the white button-down shirt for formal wear, the polo is the backbone of men’s casual wear. This preppy addition to your wardrobe has never gone out of style and is as versatile as the khaki pant. Polos can be paired with cargo shorts and sandals for a beach look, khakis and dressed up shoes for an office look or a blazer and jeans for a business casual look. With a wide array of colors and an endless number of polo vendors, you can find the shirts that are right for your body type and skin tone. With only a few additional pieces to your wardrobe, you will be able to go from your normal casual wear of torn jeans and faded t-shirts to a more modern version of casual wear.

Whether your interests are in sterling silver, gold, artistic, sports, or other theme-related cuff link products we’ve got you covered. Cufflink Aficionado carries a broad range of men’s cufflinks designed to meet each connoisseur’s individual style and interest. Our selection of sensible and stylish men’s cufflinks are sure to top off that perfect look! Cufflink Aficionado