Cufflinks are relatively recent in the fashion history. Until the beginning of the 17th century in Europe, cufflinks didn't exist. Elegant men retained their handles by ribbons or lace.

However, some eccentrics started to use silver or gold buttons connected by a small chain to retain their handles: cufflink had been born.

This eccentricity phenomenon allured but it been necessary to await the end of the 19th century so that cufflinks become an element running of the wardrobe male. Several reasons with that: the industry development which allowed manufacture lower cost but also the shirt evolution and the men's wear in general. Male fashion was democratized and become more sober under the influence of some men like George Brummel whose elegance and refinement marked its century.

At the end of 19th century, the middle-class and the businessmen showed the elegance style. But these new kind of dandies remained very traditional, sometimes austere. Dark costume during the day, dinner jacket during the evening. Only their cufflinks showed their personality. Manufacturers were very imaginative and multiplied forms, matters and fasteners mechanisms: chain, lever with rocker, rigid connection... Principal modern mechanisms were invented at that time.

At the beginning of the 20th century, very imaginative English creators, like large jewellers (Cartier, Tiffany...) adored "Art nouveau". Strong artistic currents like "Art Déco", Cubism or Bauhaus influenced cufflinks creators which used sophisticated matters: opaline, enamels, crystal, pearl, precious stones...

In 1924, Mr Boyer, of the Boyer company, created fastener system made up of a tilting stick over all his length between a double stem. Nowadays, this system remains most still used. Of Charles Lindbergh to Duke of Windsor, elegant men succeeded to mark their time by their detail sense. They never separated from their cufflinks.

In the Seventies, tuxedo shirts with built-in buttons replace cufflinks. Fortunately, some irreducible elegant men fight to continue to carry cufflinks. The haute couture famous names, faithful to traditions, perpetuate this jewel existence.

It will be necessary to wait the Nineties to see new creators putting on again to the day style, french cuffs shirts. Cufflink becomes a fashion accessory then more than a jewel. Young people rediscover this accessory. Paul Smith, Gucci brands create new cufflinks. A new generation of cufflinks was born. The jewel became an essential accessory of the male mode for the great satisfaction of the elegant ones.