The Complete Handbook of Cufflinks

Chapter 1: Understanding Cufflinks

Cufflinks are a mechanical fastening device designed to hold closed the two layers of fabric on a dress shirt cuff. They are small, typically worn as a pair (one on each wrist), and consist of two main parts: a decorative or functional head and a fastening mechanism that anchors the link through a buttonhole-like opening in the cuff. Unlike a button sewn to fabric, a cufflink does not require threading through a loop; instead, it passes through pre-drilled holes in both layers of a folded cuff and uses a mechanical back—a toggle, chain, or fixed post—to hold the cuff closed from the inside of the wrist.

The basic principle is straightforward: when you fold a dress shirt cuff back on itself (a process called cuffing), two layers of fabric overlap, and the two buttonholes in those layers align. You insert the shaft or post of the cufflink through both holes, one from the outside of the cuff and one from the inside. The back of the cufflink—the mechanism on the inner side of your wrist—sits against the inside surface of the cuff and prevents the link from sliding back through. The decorative head sits on the outside, visible to others. The result is a closed cuff that looks neat and professional, and a fastening that does not come undone with normal movement, as long as the cufflink is properly seated and the mechanism is engaged.

Cufflinks exist within a larger category of formal menswear fasteners. A