Do we really need cufflinks? Well you may be surprised to know that the humble cufflink is making a comeback! Yes, in recession-torn 2009, cufflinks are firmly back on the sartorial menu.

Perhaps a reaction to the times we live in? You may not be able to afford a house and you may be afraid of loosing the shirt off your back but while you still have a shirt, why not make it look good with some snazzy wrist adornments?

Cufflink History 

Cufflinks appeared around the 17^th century when men got fed up with tying the cuffs of their shirts with laces. The first cufflinks were typically a pair of gold or silver buttons joined with a small chain that held the two cuffs together.

Anyone who has tried will know that this style of cufflink is difficult to fasten. Modern cufflinks often have a simple pivoted rod attached to a single button instead of a chain to make fastening simpler.

Another simple modern cufflink design is the silk knot, also known as monkey's paws. This consists of two elastic spheres joined with elastic and relatively easy to insert into the shirt cuffs.

As cufflinks became more affordable by the middle classes they were often sold with matching collar studs. At the beginning of the 20th century cufflinks were often a luxurious gift.

Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna ordered cufflinks shaped like cicadas from Faberge. Many jewelry Houses such as Cartier, Tiffany, Montblanc and Korloff produced exclusive cufflink designs.

As more men moved into the professions numbers wearing shirts and ties increased. Shirts became mass produced with ordinary cuff buttons fitted rather than 2 button holes for cufflinks. This led to the decline of the cufflink, relegating their use to evening wear together with dress shirts, tuxedos and dinner jackets.

However, cufflinks have remained a niche product aimed at those wanting to look really smart. James Bond typifies the cufflink wearer – sophisticated and swarve. The cufflink also proved a useful place for Bond to conceal espionage gadgets such as the odd secret camera or miniature knockout gas canister.

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In 1987 a pair of cufflinks that belonged to King Edward VII were sold at auction for a staggering $440,000. They'd been given to him by his wife Wallis Simpson and were set in platinum and covered in diamonds.

Today there is a resurgence of interest in the humble cufflink. One reason may be that they are ideal items to sell on the Internet, being small and light and in these increasingly hard times people like to dress up even more for special occasions.

Contemporary cufflinks range from simple enameled discs to fancy mosaics or engraved or engravable cufflinks. They can also be great conversation starters, as cufflinks are available advertising our careers, alma maters or hobbies such as computers or golf.

You can find them made from anything including precious metals such as silver or gold and gemstones to novelties like scrabble tiles, playing cards, computer keyboard keys or poker chips. Not forgetting Pinups or Sci Fi themes such as Storm Troopers, Daleks or the Tardis.  Themed cufflinks are also a great gift for a special occasion such as a wedding.

Great Gifts and Presents

So in these recessionary, doom and gloom times, why not check the Internet for cufflink websites to see the incredible range of cufflinks available across a broad price range?

Next treat yourself or your partner to a gift or present of some flashy, fancy cufflinks and, with dress shirt, dinner jacket or tuxedo, hit the town. So forget your financial woes for one night and say to yourself, "look out James Bond - here I come!"