THE HISTORY OF CUFFLINKS
According to the National Cufflink Society, the cufflink predates the shirt, and evidence can be found in ancient hieroglyphics in King Tut’s tomb. However, during the 1700’s, the cufflink as we know them were first used.
In the mid 18th century, enamel cufflinks were mass-produced with the invention of the Tour a’Guilloche machine, which opened the marketing of cufflinks to a wider audience. The French cuff became popular in the 1840’s.
During the 1960’s the cufflink was most popular, with Swank alone making over 12 million a year! The number of cufflinks being manufactured has dropped dramatically in the last few decades. However, cufflinks are making a comeback with both men and women the French cuff being the most prestigious type. Cufflinks are a man’s expression of his personality and can be a subtle or flamboyant as he wants.