A brief history of Cufflinks
Until the Middle Ages, shirt cuffs were held together by ribbons and strings. With the fashion change of men's shirts, the cuffs also changed, and in the 17th century, early forms of cufflinks as we know them today emerged.
The jewelry of the gentleman: wristwatch, cufflinks, ring, and bracelet. One never really has enough.
The sewn buttonhole came into fashion, and it became trendy to hold the cuffs together with two decorative buttons connected by a chain. Referred to by French tailors as "Boutons de Manchettes," they were very popular among the nobility. Jewelers crafted these modern men's accessories from gold and silver, adding semi-precious stones or finely chiseled coats of arms.
Kings and Lords
Glass crystal (rhinestone) cufflinks with crown setting - a subtle royal touch on the tailored shirt. Keep it like Napoleon, who crowned himself for the sake of simplicity.
In the 18th century, the use of cufflinks reached broader layers of society. Crowned heads, aristocrats, wealthy citizens, and fashion-conscious gentlemen amassed entire collections of these exquisite pieces of jewelry. It became fashionable to personalize cufflinks and present them as gifts or tokens of appreciation.
Extravagants from Manufactories
Golden cufflinks from around 1900 with mother-of-pearl in original box.
In the 19th century, the design was no less lavish and striking: gold and silver cufflinks reached their fashionable peak and were extravagantly designed, often set with magnificent gemstones. Thus, at the end of the 19th century, the Prince of Wales, the later British King Edward II, popularized colorful Fabergé cufflinks. The manufacturing process, which was partly mechanical, contributed to the spread of cufflinks among the middle class during the industrial revolution. Around the turn of the century, cufflinks with enamel enjoyed great popularity.
French cuffs
"French cuffs" - the French double cuffs. Here in the picture with cufflinks from our vintage collection.
But with the simultaneous rise of mass-produced men's shirts, those shirts that already featured a simple buttoning system also came into fashion, making the beloved men's accessory unnecessary. In the 1920s, double cuffs, also known as "French cuffs," conquered men's fashion – and these, in turn, required matching cufflinks.
The 1920s
Art Deco: Tuxedo set with cufflinks and tuxedo shirt buttons ("studs") from the 1920s.
The practical rear folding clasp, as we know it today, was introduced, and design-wise, there were no limits to the cufflink during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. After Coco Chanel popularized the wearing of costume jewelry, men also got in on the action. In the 1920s and 1930s, more cufflinks were worn than ever before. In all price ranges. The centers of production in Germany were Idar-Oberstein (precious and semi-precious stones), Gablonz (glass crystals), and Pforzheim (gold-plated).
Collectible - Vintage Fashion Jewelry. Also for men. Shown in the picture: cufflinks with glass crystal.
"In principle, one can say that to this day, the dress shirt with pre-sewn buttons has prevailed. However, those who place a high value on their appearance cannot overlook cufflinks. Even those gentlemen who wear a tailcoat (White Tie) or tuxedo (Black Tie) often have a whole collection."
Essential for the gentleman's wardrobe - stylish cufflinks. Real stones if you can, glass stones if you prefer.
On the Pleasure of Collecting
"We take great pleasure in our collection and are pleased that the handcrafted production has been providing affordable prices here since the 1920s and 1930s. From the remaining stock, the sample case of a German manufacturer of cufflinks and costume jewelry, who worked for the great Parisian couturiers, we were able to secure a lot of cufflinks from the 1950s to 1980s."
Lush glass crystals with sparkling cut - from our collection of vintage cufflinks from the 1960s
Many of them from the 1960s in the colorful style of Swinging London. Often, we also hunt for fine individual pieces from dealers and auctions; with a bit of luck, even a whole tailcoat set. We believe that a vintage cufflink is something special and often preferable to new items. Stay loyal to us and the cufflinks.
Author: Andreas Thenhaus
Photos: Herr von Welt, Tobin Gattinger
More on the topic:
Vintage cufflinks with glass crystals
