Off The Cuff: Tips On Accessorizing (Reasonably) The modern day success story dictates that you need to focus not only on your performance, but on your personal grooming routine as well.
By Tareq Samara
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You've got your standby suits, shirts and ties, and now you've got yet another event to attend. This is when cufflinks come into play- an integral accessory when it comes to looking your best. A few years ago, your success in the workplace was dependent on your ability to excel and perform well on the assigned tasks. The modern day success story dictates that you need to focus not only on your performance, but on your personal grooming routine as well. How you pull together your outfit for professional events says a lot about your personality.
Dressing the part boosts your self-esteem, thus increasing your chances of being a superhero at socializing. Working a room well can help to open doors for bigger and better opportunities, so give yourself an additional confidence boost by paying closer attention to your wardrobe. Fortunately, executive fashion has become very flexible in the past 10 years, and there's no reason why your attire shouldn't tastefully reflect your personality. Given that there are literally hundreds of thousands of models of cufflinks for you to choose from, you can change things up quite often.
In addition to enhancing your overall look and giving you an air of gearing yourself up for achievement, cufflinks actually serve to keep the shirt in line with your choice of jacket. The cufflink fastening function also dispels with the standard-issue unimaginative buttons- always a plus. In terms of outfits for formal occasions, your creativity is admittedly limited regarding what you can and cannot wear. Cufflinks play an especially important role here, and make it possible for you to show off your individuality and sense of whimsy, even. There's no need for you to get confused with the broad range of men's cufflinks available. As the founder of a startup solely-focused on men's accessories, BoxKnocks, you can imagine my own broad personal selection of cufflinks.
Here are some tips on choosing price range and design when building your cufflink collection:
• How often will you wear cufflinks? If you plan on wearing cufflinks regularly, opt for the affordable models. Inexpensive themed cufflinks are a good fit here, as you're able to buy many different types to suit your mood and needs.
• Do you attend formal events regularly? If so, invest in a quality set of cufflinks that can really convey elegance. This is when you look for a more timeless set, as you should consider this type an investment that can be worn for a few years.
• Are you willing to upgrade your shirt style? Cufflinks are meant to replace the button- if you aren't ready to forgo buttons completely, start with a collection of three different affordable styles with one investment set. Once you begin to transition away from the button cuff, you can continue adding to your cufflink collection.
Related: Accessorizing The Executive Wardrobe: Pocket Squares
