Happy Halloween!!

Halloween is celebrated in most parts of the Western World. The term comes from All Hallows Eve, which has now turned into All Saints Day celebrated on Nov. 1st this year. If you are new to Earth, kids dress up in costumes, go from house to house asking for candy by saying "trick or treat." Adults commonly bob for apples, or carve pumpkins in celebration of the night when all of the spooks come out to play!

Now if you are a big kid and think you are too old to wear a costume, the only suit-able way to dress up is to attach cufflinks! Here are a few good ideas for your Halloween parties!

Tracy Mayer brings you a pair of spooky sterling silver Diablo Cufflinks. A classic symbol of devilishness. Perfect for a boy’s night out. Rare black mother of pearl diablo carvings are mounted in elegant silver chain link cufflinks.
Each pair is individually carved and guaranteed to be unique.

Creepy crawly arachnids stay attached to your cuffs with this pair of Spider Mounted Cufflinks on Montana blue crystals from Tateossian London.

Sterling silver skulls like this pair from the Ravi Ratan collection,
have the ability to show your Halloween spirit without having to
dress up as the BK King!

Be careful tonight as you head out to your costume parties and make sure to watch out for the little ghosts and goblins trick or treating!

Happy Halloween!

Faux Pas in Mens Fashion

The first faux pas in Common Male Fashion Mistakes Part I on askmen.com...

French cuffs without cuff links

Since it’s not necessary to wear most dress shirts with cufflinks, many men seem to be unaware that shirts with French cuffs actually do need to be accompanied by cuff links. Essentially, French cuffs without cuff links are like a Playboy without the centerfold. If you have a shirt with French cuffs, cuff links are really the icing on the cake and will enhance your appearance by making you seem more presentable and smartly turned out. As well, since French-cuffed shirts are generally worn on more formal occasions, or at least in a business environment, the purpose of wearing such a shirt is to look polished -- a feat that is hard to accomplish when your sleeves are flapping about.

Don't make the same mistake. To help ensure cufflink success,
I have compiled a list of some classic black and white cufflinks you can't go wrong wearing.

There are a large number of semi precious stones that come in black and white. Stones are always a great way to go. They provide your suit with luster and an aesthetic appeal your duds would not have without their refining addition.

Lets start with a vivacious stone that comes in many colors, including both black and white.

Very similar to the look
of a diamond, crystals come in many different shades.
Crystals make for gorgeous accessories and can be used on almost any texture including fabric. This stone even has a luxury brand known as Swarovski.
Swarovski crystals are precision cut lead crystal glass.

Then there is the famous pearl that everyone knows from their grandmother. Pearls are produced by a living mollusk, like an oyster or a mussel. The rare gem is ideally round, but sometimes mollusks create a baroque pearl, which doesn't offer the round shape. Another type of pearl that is of prominence is mother of pearl. Shown above, mother of pearl comes from the inside of a shell and is white with a hint of brilliant and iridescent hues.

Another iridescent stone, coming from the sea like mother of pearl, is abalone. Abalone is primarily white, but provides more iridescence than most mother of pearl gems.

Now for the darker side of the stone spectrum...

Onyx is usually a black stone but it can also be featured in other colors. Onyx is actually an Assyrian word meaning ring. The natural stone is used in all types of accessories including cufflinks and is most often cut as cabochon, which just means the stone has been shaped and polished as apposed to faceted.

Fiber optic glass is another great way to achieve a dark cufflink. The face or the backing can be fiber optic, either way is a great choice. Fiber optic glass can offer a chameleon appeal to your cufflinks that you cannot get from many other stones.

A good wrap up for the black and white feature is enamel. While enamel is not a stone, it comes on many black and white cufflinks and is a great formal piece. Unlike the enamel on your teeth, enamel for jewelry is a hard paint that is applied to the cufflink and then covered in a shiny topcoat. Enamel is hard and durable, and does come in many other colors.

There are your tools for success. Be sure to check back often for more cufflink information.

To shop cufflinks click here.

An Exclusive 15% Off Sale

From now until Sunday, Nov 2nd, dailycufflinks readers can receive 15% off any order of $100 and up. Just enter daily15 at checkout. Offer ends Sunday. Start shopping here

Top 5 Engravable Cufflinks

Engraving a gift is a great way to go the extra step and show someone your care. Not only are you giving them a present, but the personalization adds a special sentiment to the gift that otherwise may not be there. Engravables make for great family heirlooms and bring back memories for generations.

Cufflinks are already a great gift for anyone in your life and engraving them makes the present that much better.

Here are the top 5 cufflinks to have engraved:

#5

Personalized Cutout Initial Cufflinks are ideal when it comes to cufflinks specifically geared for initials. These custom made initials are made in sterling silver and can even be made from

14k gold.

#4

Personalized Signet Cufflinks are another great item for engraving initials. One pair at a time, these cufflinks are engraved in signet style and are laid on a antiqued background. The black backdrop offers a more formal pair of sterling silver cufflinks.

#3

Rectangular Titanium Engravable Cufflinks are a great sterling silver substitute and they give optimum space for engraving dates, names, messages and even company logos. Here's an interesting fact, titanium is 4 times stronger than steel but half the weight.

#2

Sterling Square Engravable Locket Cufflinks are my personal favorite. The outside is available for personalization of any kind. With 5/8" on all 4 sides there is ample space for any type of message you want to be everlasting. And to top it off there are insets for photos. This gift allows you to keep your loved ones within arms reach at all times.

And now for the best engravable cufflink...

#1

A unique trend emerging from engravable cufflinks is the ability to engrave on the backing of an otherwise unengravable cufflink. Cufflinks that feature a flat whale back with no logo, like Ravi Ratan's collection, allot space for dates, initials or short notes like "I love you."
Engraving on the backing of a pair of cufflinks takes personalization to the next level. Not only are you adding that special touch, but you also get to keep the personalization more intimate. All the world sees is the Eiffel Tower on his cuff, they have no idea that the Eiffel Tower is where you two got married on 5/10/01.

To shop engravable cufflinks click here.

Catnap Cufflinks

"Early to bed, Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and stylish!"

Below are 5 cufflinks to wear when work is wearing you out.

The weekends over and it's time to get back to work. This pair of Sterling Silver Abacus Cufflinks shows that it may be Monday, you may be a little groggy but you have come prepared and ready to get down to business.


Get back in the groove of things with your coffee in hand and on your cuff! These Greek Coffee Cufflinks are the perfect pick me up.


Pick a pair of NFL cufflinks, not only will you be sporting the Monday night football champs on your cuff but your team is sure to spark some interesting sports gab around the office making for a much more interesting morning.


With a pair of engravable locket cufflinks, your loved ones are within arms reach all day long. When the paperwork is piling up or the impending deal is stressing you out take a minute to breathe and look inside your cufflinks to find INSERT LOVED ONES NAME HERE. Their presence is sure to bring a smile to your face and help you get through the day.


These cufflinks are priceless when that aching pain comes back. Whether it's your head or your back, these Rhodium Plated Aspirin Cufflinks hold the key to finishing out the day productively.

To shop more cufflinks click here.

Mad about Manholes

We have all seen them on the street and admired their creative designs. Some are hand painted and other are made of cast-iron and cement. They keep the water below the streets and keep people above but who knew manhole covers could be used in such a variety of ways?

"Why are Manhole Covers Round?"

Microsoft used the shape of the cover as a way to see what kind of approach an applicant would take to their question, pragmatic (manhole covers are round because manholes are round) or more philosophical.

The people of Vail have introduced a way to own a piece of the city while staying fashionable. The cities design of their manhole covers have been adorned onto a pair of earrings. A piece of the friendly streets to take with you where ever you decide to go.

Fred and Friends have a collection of city manhole mats! Choose from 8 of the most popular cities including Chicago, LA and London. Good for a chuckle when visitors stop by.

A true icon of the street becomes perfect for your cuff with Ravi Ratan's collection of manhole cover cufflinks. Shown here in sterling silver are New York City manhole cover cufflinks. With over 19 cities from all around the world to choose from, you wont be disappointed with the selection.

You Tube

This guy learned the hard way that manhole covers are there for a reason.

To shop more manhole cufflinks click here.

Groomsmen Gift Guide

Groomsmen are the people in a grooms life that are important to him, a life long best friend, a college roommate, even a brother. A gift that will work for the entire group is often hard to decide upon. Some people are just hard to buy for, but here are 5 gifts you can't go wrong with.

#5 The Tie
Ties are a great gift men can reuse after the wedding. You can buy the tie to color coordinate with your soon-to-be wife's bridesmaids. Buying a piece of the friends outfit would be one less expense they would have to worry about for your wedding day. Paired with a nice tie clip would make a great groomsman gift.


#4 The French Cuff Shirt
French cuff shirts are a staple to every man's wardrobe. There will always be those occasions when a dressier shirt needs to be worn, ie your wedding day! Pick out a nice French cuff shirt for the people you want to be a part of your wedding. Their's to keep and use long after your special day.



#3 The Flask
It's no surprise that guys like to keep a little party in their pocket. Keep your friends mellowed out with a nice flask they can reuse and remember how great of a friend you are. The size of a flask is suited specifically for a trouser pocket. A flask would be a great gift to let your friends know, while your wedding day is important to you, you also want it to be fun for everyone else too!

#2 The Money Clip
Money clips are a great gift because of the variety of designs available. Engraved money clips with initials or dates are always a great way to go. It shows your buds that you appreciate them enough to go the extra step and make the gift unique and personalized.

#1 Gift Idea for Goomsmen

The Cufflink

Cufflinks are an exceptional gift for groomsmen on your wedding day. Good gifts can be used over and over again and cufflinks are just that. The perfect accessory for everyday wear and cufflinks are elegant enough to keep pace with your wedding. Cufflinks can also be personalized with engraving dates or initials on them. Also an added bonus, one size fits all! No sizes necessary.

Even more personalized can be the selection you choose. Each groomsmen could receive a different pair. A new trend is Alma Mater cufflinks.

Whatever gift you choose, add a personal touch, after all these guys have been there for you through everything. Show them you care with a great gift they can use again and again.

To shop more groomsmen gifts click here

Cufflinks: A Quick How To - Part III

Yesterday I explained the great reasons to choose a whale backing and incited you to come back today for an explanation of the classic chain link cufflink.

Well here it is...

The most traditional form of cufflinks feature a chain link. Chain link cufflinks are the original form of cufflinks and are found most often in items of English production. Chain links characteristically have 2 sides that are joined together by a chain link. Due to the agility required to put them on, these are certainly for the expert level cufflink connoisseur. The benefit of this style is that there is something to look at on both sides of the cuff. Additionally, chain link cufflinks typically allow for a looser cuff.


Featured here is a pair of Ravi Ratan's Ball and Chain cufflinks. Perfect for a soon-to-be-wed bachelor! Made with sterling silver, these chain linked cufflinks are able to add a bit of humor to a traditional accessory. This pair of cufflinks can also be reversible which is common for many of the chain link cufflinks.

Be sure and come back tomorrow when I will explain the Fixed Backing

To shop cufflinks click here.

Cufflink Backings - A Quick How-To- Part II

GQ's Guide to the 21st Century Gentleman got us thinking on how to inform the 21st century gentleman on the ins and outs of cufflinks. It's easy to say wear cufflinks, but how to you choose a pair that suits you best?

Starting with the backings we have decided to start a narrative of all the details surrounding cufflinks. In a Quick How To Part 1 we discussed one of the most common backings - the Bullet Back.

Now, an in depth look at the whale back.

The best combination of ease of use and elegance. This style involves a straight or curved post extending from the back of the face and a solid "whale tail" that flips flat to insert, and flips back in place to secure the cuff.

Whether the cufflinks utilize a straight or curved post, the advantage is in the ease of use and refined sophistication of the whale backing. It is the perfect blend of style and function. Both straight and curved whale backs are featured here in sterling silver.


To shop cufflinks click here.

Up next in the quick how to segment...
The Chain Link

Tony Bennett Gifted Cufflinks

Specializing in entertainment memorabilia, Julien's Auctions hosted an auction of property from comedian and actor Bob Hope's 100 years on Earth. Nearly 800 items from his life were sold to the highest bidder on October 18 and 19 at a public auction in Los Angeles, California.

Items brought in anywhere from 10 to 20 times their expected values. More than $601,000 in proceeds will be given to The Bob and Delores Hope Charitable Foundation.

One of the pieces from the auction, a pair of 14K gold cufflinks given to Bob Hope from Tony Bennett, brought in $5,000. Made to look like a record, the outside of the 45 reads "Because of You," the name of Bennett's first big hit on the pop charts in 1951. The inscription on the back reads "To Bob Hope from Tony Bennett."

While opening for Pearl Bailey in 1949, under the stage name Joe Bari, Bennett's career took off. Hope attended the show and invited Bennett to accompany him on the road. Hope also made the suggestion for Bennett to change his stage name by shortening his real name and going by Tony Bennett. By giving Bennett such a big break at the beginning of his career, Because of You proved to be a phrase full of meaning to the two legendary icons.

History of the Cufflink

Believe it or not suits and formal wear have been acquainted with the cufflink for centuries. These accessories have come to know the ins and outs of businessmen and the socially elite.

Cufflinks actually came before the shirt! The National Cufflinks Society found evidence in hieroglyphics in King Tut's tomb of their use. But as an accessory to the shirt, cufflinks began to be used in the 1700s.

Its first placement in writing was in 1788. Men wanted something more decorative than ribbons and buttons. In the beginning all cufflinks were hand-made with gold, silver and inlayed with jewels and stones. These cufflinks were reserved for the wealthy and elite classes in society.

Inventions made during the industrial revolution were able to mass-produce cufflinks and from that point mens jewelry was opened up to people other than the elite of the upper class. Cufflinks became a staple in men's fashion and haven’t missed a beat since.


The French cuff shirt became wildly popular in the 40's. Even the middle class wanted to adopt the use of cufflinks, although their cufflinks weren't made of gold or silver. They would often used foil to simulate the shine of the their more wealthy neighbors.

Before black became the tradition, people used to place a hair of a family member under the glass on a cufflinks as a sign of grief.

It was actually the mass-production of the shotgun shell that enabled the more efficient production of high quantities of cufflinks at higher quality. George Krementz attended the Philadelphia Centennial Expo in 1876 and saw machinery that produced cartridge shells for rifles. It was that machine that created his inspiration for a machine that could produce mens accessories. And with that businessmen were gifting and receiving cufflinks regularly.

In the 1920's Russia forced luxury artists of Faberge to leave Europe. They found home in America and taught their skills to others making the newest material for cufflinks, enamel.

The use of Cufflinks in the 1960s was hugely popular. Swank Inc was making 12 million a year. Gross sales for Swank have increased consistently over the last 10 years and the French cuff shirt is still the most popular shirt among the higher class.


King Edward VIII can be written in the books as the man to first own the most expensive pair of cufflinks. A present from his future wife, this pair was set in platinum, covered in diamonds and later sold at an auction for $440,000.

To the men who wear them cufflinks are more than just a sleeve fastener, they are a form of expression. A little piece of art. New Hampshire is home to the Cufflink Museum, which has more than 70,000 pairs broken down into 140 categories. Individuality that is in style is possible with the use of cufflinks. They have proven to be a source of expression of creativity for men and women in the business world.


To shop cufflinks click here.

Presidential Cufflinks

Leaders of the world have adorned suits and ties before politics even had a name. A classic, smart look is an essential piece of the puzzle that any political figure must represent at all times in office. Images of JFK impeccably dressed come to mind.

As early as the 1920's, politicians have used cufflinks as a carrier to spread their message. History tells us that exchanging cufflinks as gifts to foreign and domestic dignitaries has been a presidential pastime. And why not, cufflinks are a sure sign of a distinguished gentleman, and a classic way to show support while looking dapper.

Here are some presidential cufflink moments in our history:

On Feb. 10, 1936, Time Magazine featured an article about an organization in connection with the 1920 vice-presidential campaign for Franklin Roosevelt. This group went by the name the Cuff-Links Gang and were friends and advisers aimed at putting Roosevelt in the White House as the veep alongside James Cox. Although the 37 year-old didn't step inside the White House until 1933, he is the only president to have served a record four terms. The Cuff-Links Gang were on to something.

At the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas, you can find presidential treasures and pieces from his presidency. The presidential cufflinks pictured were a gift to President Eisenhower and were made from exotic materials - walnut, jade and gold.

During their time in office, US Presidents have utilized cufflinks as awards of appreciation and honor. Common to many of the cufflinks were the materials used, 14kt gold, an engraved signature and often a presidential seal. Often given as personal gifts to world leaders, friends and family, the cufflinks hold great historical value.

With the race for the white house nearing an end, it may come down to the cuff.
Be sure and rally your support for your side,
Democrat or Republican.

Click here to view political and presidential cufflinks.

Cigar Aficionado Feature

As seen on the Cigar Aficionado Web site...


The perfect source to recognize
"The Good Life" style.

"With Ravi Ratan's Brown Cigar Cufflinks
and matching studs (cufflinks.com, $275)
holding your cuffs together,
you will discover how a detail can easily
become the focal point."


Designed with impeccable detail in enamel and heavy sterling silver,
this set includes the ever popular Brown Cigar Cufflinks
as well as it’s formal stud set counterparts.


Cigar cufflinks and studs are a must have for anyone who enjoys the good life.


For more cigar related products
click here.

www.cufflinks.com

Cufflink Backings - A Quick How-To - Part 1

You've buttoned up your French cuffed shirt and are ready to look the part of what GQ deems the 21st Century Gentleman. You clutch your handpicked cufflinks and confusion sets in, what do you do?

Just as unique as the faces of cufflinks can be, the backings can be just as compelling. History tells us that men used to apply string or a chain to connect to fasten cufflinks. Luckily for us, designers have made wearing cufflinks an effortless act of style.

For the most part, modern cufflink backings fall under a handful of possibilities. Over the next week, we will highlight one of the 6 most common cufflink backings and the best way to put them on.

Starting with today - The Bullet Backing

The most common of the backings & arguably the easiest to put on. This backing is constructed with bullet shaped capsule that is suspended between two posts. The bullet can be flipped on its axis to manipulate it through the button holes in the cuff, and then flipped horizontal to secure the cufflink on the shirt. Featured here in sterling silver.

Equestrian Elegance

Horse racing can be traced back to history in the

United States as early as 1665.

New York held the first meet as it was supervised by

New York's coloniel governor Richard Nicolls on the Salisbury plains.

Horses have been used for therapy,

and in the 30's horse racing helped lift

the nation's spirits during a time of deep depression.

One of the most fascinating parts of the sport is the appreciation

the rider has for his horse.

Its a bond the two share and no one else understands

their connection.

Theres also the thrill of winning big by betting on your favorite horse.

Nows your chance to big for your wardrobe!

Grab a pair of these

thoroughbred cufflinks.

Cufflinks.com

has even more equestrian elegance for your cuff.

Click here to see them before they leave you in the dust.