Cufflinks and Tie Clips: A Man’s Guide

Cufflinks and tie clips are the two pieces of men's jewellery that come with the most rules attached, and most of those rules exist for a practical reason. One holds your cuff shut. The other stops your tie swinging into your soup. Once you know why each one is there, wearing them well stops being guesswork.

This guide covers both from the shirt up: which cuffs take a link, how to fasten one without fumbling, how the main styles differ, where a tie clip should sit, and when either piece belongs in the drawer instead.

A rope-twist barrel with a warm gold finish. Featured: Rope Cuff Links (Gold).

Jump to:

• What do cufflinks and tie clips actually do?
• Which shirts need cufflinks?
• How to put cufflinks in
• Cufflink styles and fastenings
• Tie clip, tie bar or tie pin: what's the difference?
• Getting the height, angle and width right
• When to wear them: office, black tie and weddings
• Matching metals with your watch and rings
• Cufflinks and tie clips as a gift
• Looking after steel cufflinks and tie clips
• Cufflinks and tie clips FAQs

What Do Cufflinks and Tie Clips Actually Do?

Both started as hardware. Before shirts had sewn-on buttons at the wrist, sleeves were tied with ribbon or string, and the cufflink replaced that string with something sturdier and more presentable. The tie clip came later, once long ties became everyday wear, to pin the tie to the shirt so it stays straight when you lean over a desk or a table.

That history is useful, because it explains the modern etiquette. A cufflink only makes sense on a cuff designed for one. A tie clip only makes sense when there's a loose tie to hold down. Wear them where they have a job and they look natural; wear them where they don't and they look like decoration for its own sake.

Which Shirts Need Cufflinks?

Turn your sleeve over and look at the cuff. There are three types you'll come across:

• The double cuff. An extra-long cuff that folds back on itself, with a hole through each layer on both sides. It has no buttons at all, so it can't be closed without a cufflink. This is the formal option, and the cuff you'll find on most black tie shirts.
• The convertible cuff. A single-layer cuff with a button on one side and holes on both. You can button it as normal on a weekday, or leave the button undone and use a cufflink instead.
• The standard button cuff. One button, one hole. A cufflink has nowhere to go here, so it's not an option.

If you're buying a shirt with cufflinks in mind, a double cuff gives the fuller look, with the link pinching the two folded edges together so they meet like a closed book.

How to Put Cufflinks In

It feels fiddly the first few times. This order makes it easier:

1. Put the shirt on first, cuffs open. Some men link the cuffs before dressing, but most find the sleeve then won't pass over the hand.
2. Fold the cuff back (on a double cuff) so the fold sits roughly level with your wrist bone.
3. Line up the holes. Bring the two edges of the cuff together so the holes stack in a neat line, with the edges meeting rather than overlapping.
4. Turn the bar on the back so it lines up with the post. In this position it slides through the holes.
5. Push it through from the outside in, so the decorative face ends up on the side people see.
6. Flip the bar back across to lock it, then give the cuff a light tug to check it holds.

Do your weaker hand's cuff first, while your stronger hand is free to work. And fasten both links before the jacket goes on; with a sleeve in the way, the job gets twice as hard.

That flat bar on the back is what locks each link in place. Featured: Rope Cuff Links (Gold).

Cufflink Styles and Fastenings

Most cufflinks share one basic build: a decorative face, a short post and a bar behind. From one design to the next, what changes is the outline of the face and the way the back moves.

Face shapes. A barrel or bar face reads as more sculptural and picks up the light along the whole twist. A flat round face sits closer to the cuff and looks quieter. Square and oval faces fall somewhere between the two.

Backs. The most common back has a flat bar that turns or flips in line with the post to go through the holes, then turns back to lock. Older designs use a chain linking two faces, and some use a fixed back with no moving part at all, which is sturdy but slower to get in.

Our two designs cover the two main looks. The Rope cufflinks have a twisted barrel face, available as a gold pair or a silver one. The Round cufflinks have a flat engraved face and come in silver. Every pair sits with the tie clip on one cufflinks and tie clips page.

A flat, engraved round face that sits low on the shirt. Featured: Round Cuff Links (Silver).

Tie Clip, Tie Bar or Tie Pin: What's the Difference?

The names get swapped around a lot, but there are three distinct pieces:

• Tie clip. A bar with a hinged, spring-loaded jaw that grips the silk and the shirt behind it.
• Tie bar. A bar folded back on itself, with no hinge. It slides over the tie and holds by tension alone. Many people call this a tie clip too, and the two do the same job.
• Tie pin (or tie tack). A decorative head on a short pin that goes through the tie and into the shirt, fixed by a small clasp behind. It leaves holes in the fabric, which is why it's less common now.

For everyday wear, a clip or bar is the practical choice: nothing pierces the silk, and it takes seconds to fit. Our Rope tie clip comes in silver, with the same twisted detail as the Rope cufflinks.

Slim enough to sit well inside a standard tie. Featured: Rope Tie Clip (Silver).

Getting the Height, Angle and Width Right

Height. Aim for the middle of your breastbone, which on most shirts lands somewhere around the fourth button down. The test is your jacket: with it buttoned, the clip should show in the V or sit just inside the opening. Too high and it looks like it's holding up your collar; too low and it vanishes behind the jacket and stops doing its job.

Angle. Level is the safe choice. A very slight downward slope towards one side is a deliberate style some men like, but a clip that's clearly crooked just looks knocked.

Width. The bar should never be wider than the tie at the point where it sits. Somewhere between half and three quarters of the tie's width looks right, so a narrow tie needs a shorter clip.

Grip. The clip needs to hold the front and back blades together with the button strip of your shirt. If it only grabs silk, it can't anchor anything, and the tie will still swing.

Skip the clip with a bow tie, with a knitted tie that's too thick to grip, or when a waistcoat or a jumper already holds the tie flat.

The rope detail up close. Featured: Rope Tie Clip (Silver).

When to Wear Them: Office, Black Tie and Weddings

At the office. One or both is fine with a suit, especially for meetings, interviews and presentations. Keep the designs simple, keep the metal consistent, and let 1 to 1.5cm of shirt cuff peek out past the jacket sleeve, or the link stays hidden.

Black tie. Cufflinks, yes: a black tie shirt is built for them. A tie clip, no, because a bow tie has nothing to clip. For what else works with a dinner jacket, see how we'd approach black tie jewellery.

Weddings. As a guest, a smart pair of cufflinks and a slim clip suit almost any dress code short of white tie; our wedding guest advice covers everything else you'll wear. If it's your own wedding, the groom's jewellery guide takes you through the day itself.

Smart casual. A convertible cuff with links, no tie, and the jacket over an open collar can work, but it's a bolder look. If you're unsure, save the cufflinks for days with a tie.

Matching Metals with Your Watch and Rings

Your cufflinks and tie clip sit close to two other metal things you're probably already wearing: the watch at your wrist and, for many men, a ring. The easy rule is to let them agree. A steel watch points to silver links and a silver clip; a gold case, or a two-tone one, points to gold.

Your belt buckle counts too, as it sits in the same line of sight as the tie clip. If the buckle, the watch case and the clip all share a finish, the outfit holds together without anyone noticing why.

Mixing can work in everyday wear, but with a suit and tie it tends to look accidental. Which of the two metals flatters you more is a bigger question we answer elsewhere, and our take on how many pieces a man should wear at once applies here too.

Cufflinks and Tie Clips as a Gift

A pair of cufflinks is one of the easier jewellery gifts to get right. There's no ring size to guess or chain length to choose, and nearly any man in a suit has a reason to wear them: a promotion, a graduation, a big birthday, a friend's wedding.

A few tips for buying them for someone else:

• Match what he already wears. Glance at his watch. Gold case, gold links.
• Check his shirts. If he only owns button-cuff shirts, a tie clip may get more wear.
• Give them together for a set that's ready to wear on day one.

Each of ours comes in its own presentation box, so there's no wrapping problem to solve. If you're shopping for a whole wedding party, our groomsmen gifts guide has more ideas.

Looking After Steel Cufflinks and Tie Clips

Underneath the plating, ours are 316L steel, which most skin is comfortable with: this grade releases very little nickel. That outer layer of plating is made to resist scratches, and a handful of small habits keep it sharp for longer:

• Store them apart. Keep them in their box or a soft pouch, not loose in a drawer where they rub against keys and coins.
• Wipe after wearing. A soft, dry cloth removes fingerprints and skin oil before they build up.
• Aftershave first, links second. Let sprays and lotions dry before you fasten anything near them.
• Water. Rain on the walk to work won't harm them. Remove them before swimming, salt water or chlorinated, and before any hot tub; both can wear the finish down over time.

When the finish needs more than a wipe, this deep-clean method for gold plating is the one we recommend.

Cufflinks and Tie Clips FAQs

Can you wear cufflinks with a normal shirt?

Only if the cuff has holes on both sides. A standard cuff has a button sewn to one edge and a single buttonhole opposite, so a cufflink has nothing to pass through. You need a double cuff or a convertible cuff, which has both buttons and holes.

Which way should cufflinks face?

The decorative face goes on the outside of the cuff, the side people see when your arms are by your sides. The bar sits on the inner side, against your wrist.

Do cufflinks and a tie clip have to match?

They don't need to be a set, but they should share a metal. Gold links with a silver clip can look like a mistake, while two pieces in the same finish look intended.

Are tie clips still in style?

They are, provided the clip is slim and placed with care. A narrow bar that holds the tie in place looks tidy and practical; a wide, heavy one tends to look dated.

Should a tie clip show when your jacket is buttoned?

Ideally it shows in the V of the jacket, or sits just inside it. If it disappears completely behind the buttons, it's placed too low.

Can you wear a tie clip with a skinny tie?

Yes, but choose a short clip. The bar should never be wider than the tie; on a narrow tie that means picking the slimmest, shortest design you can find.

Do you wear cufflinks with black tie?

Yes. A dress shirt for black tie usually has double cuffs, so cufflinks are expected. A tie clip is not, because a bow tie has nothing for it to hold.

What are CRAFTD cufflinks and tie clips made from?

Both are built on 316L steel and plated in your choice of 18K gold or rhodium; the coating is designed to stand up to scratches. Every one comes boxed, with a lifetime warranty.

Two Small Pieces, Worn Well

Neither piece is compulsory, and neither has to be loud. Pick links for the shirts that take them and a clip narrower than your tie, match both to your watch, and they'll quietly earn their place for years.

Our Rope cufflinks and Rope tie clip are a good place to begin.