How to Wear Cufflinks (and Where a Tie Clip Goes)

Cufflinks are small fasteners that hold a shirt cuff closed. They replace the button, and they need a shirt made for them. This guide covers the shirt, the steps, the types, matching metals and where a tie clip sits.

What are cufflinks?

Cufflinks are decorative fasteners that join the two sides of a shirt cuff through a pair of holes. They suit a double cuff, also called a French cuff, which is worn folded back on itself. Gentleman’s Gazette notes that double cuffs are fastened together with cufflinks.

A cufflink has a front and a back. The front is the part people see. The back is the bar or clasp that holds the link in place behind the cuff.

Which shirts take cufflinks

Only two cuff styles work. Check the cuff before you buy anything.

Cuff type	Takes cufflinks?	What to look for
Double (French) cuff	Yes	Twice the length of a normal cuff, folded back, with holes and no button
Convertible cuff	Yes	A button plus an extra buttonhole beside it
Single (barrel) cuff	No	One button and one buttonhole

A convertible cuff closes with either a button or a link. That makes it the easiest way to try cufflinks without buying a new shirt.

A French cuff has no button at all. Most have four holes, and some have six so you can adjust the fit. If your shirt has none of these, you cannot wear cufflinks with it.

How to put on cufflinks

To put on cufflinks, fold the cuff, line up the holes and push the cufflink through every layer. The whole job takes about a minute once you know the order.

1. Unbutton the cuff and lay it flat.
2. Fold a French cuff back on itself so the holes line up. On a convertible cuff, pull both layers flat so the holes meet.
3. Push the back of the cufflink through all the holes.
4. Close the clasp or turn the back so it locks, if your cufflink has one.
5. Check the face points outwards, away from your body, with your arms at your sides.

Black Lapel gives the same order for a French cuff shirt: fold the cuff, push the back through the holes, close the clasp. It adds that the design should sit at the bottom of your wrist.

Fasten one cuff at a time. The second cuff is the awkward part, because you work it with your other hand.

Kissing cuff or barrel cuff

The usual way is the kissing cuff. The two inside edges of the cuff touch, so the cufflink sits flat at the front. Gentleman’s Gazette describes this as the kissing style.

The alternative is a barrel cuff. The cuff overlaps like a normal cuff, and the link goes through the overlapped holes. It sits better under a jumper or a snug jacket sleeve.

Let a quarter to half an inch of cuff show below the jacket sleeve. That is the range Gentleman’s Gazette recommends.

Cufflink types

Cufflink types are named after how they fasten. The face can be any shape, so the back decides how easy they are to put on.

• Bullet back: a small cylinder on a short bar. You flip it to pass through, then it turns to lock. Common and easy.
• Whale back: works like a bullet back, with a flat whale tail in place of the cylinder.
• Chain link: two faces joined by a short chain. Some wrap around the outside of the cuff.
• Stud and button: studs are for black tie and white tie. Buttons are more casual.

Bespoke Unit sets out the full list of fastenings if you want more detail.

Our cufflinks and tie clip sets

Both of our sets are square, brushed and made from electroplated copper. Each set has two cufflinks and one matching tie clip.

The silver version is the silver brushed cufflinks and tie clip set. The black version is covered below. Our listings give the finish and material but not the back type. Contact us before ordering if you need a particular fastening.

Matching metals

Match the metal of your cufflinks to the other metal in your outfit. That means the belt buckle, the watch and the tie clip. Bespoke Unit calls this a strong guideline and not a strict rule.

A simple set of pairings:

• Silver cufflinks: silver or steel watch, silver belt buckle.
• Black cufflinks: black or dark watch, black buckle, or a mix with gunmetal.
• Gold cufflinks: gold watch case, brass or gold buckle.

You do not need an exact match. Close tones in the same family read as one choice.

A matched set removes the guesswork. A cufflink and tie clip set uses one finish for both, and the black cufflinks and tie clip set suits a navy, charcoal or black suit.

When to wear cufflinks

Wear cufflinks to weddings, formal evenings, black tie events and the office. Black Lapel says cufflinks are perfectly fine in a work rotation, and French cuffs are the most appropriate option for black tie.

• Weddings: guests, groomsmen and the groom. Our groomsmen gifts guide lists matching ideas.
• Office: plain silver or dark cufflinks with a suit.
• Black tie: a double cuff shirt with studs or classic links.
• Job interviews and funerals: Bespoke Unit advises skipping them. They can distract or look too showy.

How to wear a tie clip

A tie clip goes between the third and fourth shirt buttons and fastens the tie to the shirt placket. It should hold both the tie and the shirt, not just pinch two layers of tie together.

Black Lapel says to place it between the third and fourth button and to fasten the tie to the placket. It should sit roughly halfway between the knot and the jacket button.

Tie clip width

The clip should never be wider than the tie. Black Lapel suggests about 50 to 75 percent of the tie’s width. A narrow tie needs a smaller clip.

Keep it horizontal. Black Lapel says an angled clip looks sloppy. Skip the clip if you wear a waistcoat or cardigan, since that already holds the tie in place.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is the wrong shirt. A single cuff has one buttonhole, so a cufflink has nothing to go through. Check for two holes or a second buttonhole.

The second is a cufflink facing the wrong way. The face belongs on the outside of the wrist. If you see the back, flip it round.

The third is a loose cuff. Slide the link through every layer of fabric and close the back fully. A cuff that gapes looks untidy.

The last is a clip placed too high or too low. Count the buttons down from the collar, and place it between the third and fourth.

Quick checklist before you leave

• Shirt has double or convertible cuffs.
• Holes line up and the link goes through all layers.
• Faces point outwards.
• Cufflinks, watch, buckle and tie clip share one metal family.
• Tie clip sits between the third and fourth buttons and is narrower than the tie.