Before you know it, it’s going to be Father’s Day, and if you’re like me, you’re going to be rushing to the mall at the eleventh hour (the hour exactly after Amazon Prime can ship to you for free) to find a pair of shoes or a tie clip or a box of cigars or, or…or something. Because if there’s one thing he doesn’t want, it’s another bargain-bin tie with a sports team logo on it.

I can’t make you more punctual, but I can suggest some great Father’s Day gift ideas for the son (or daughter) in a bind.

Of course I’m going to suggest cufflinks. Because they’re formal wear, they convey a message of classy sophistication just as well as a $250 bottle of scotch would. Not that you have to spend that much. If you know where to shop (hint), you can find high-quality Father’s Day gifts without spending an extravagant amount. If Dad likes being the King of his Castle, snag him these Royal Crown cufflinks (which happen to be discounted by 51% right now).

If you do want to go ahead and get Dad a tie, don’t settle for anything less than the best – a 100% silk necktie is another classy Father’s Day gift. He’s going to expect a tie, but he won’t expect one this nice.

The best thing about our ties is that they’re paired with matching cufflinks. But that’s just my opinion.

So if you’re starting to panic about not having the perfect gift, go ahead and check out our ties, cufflinks, and other Father’s Day gifts before it’s too late.

There’s been a big debate around the Cuff-Daddy office about whether or not cufflinks are okay for casual wear. The prevailing opinion is that cufflinks are for formal wear only unless you’re a hipster trying to rock the double cuffs and jeans look. But more and more, people we know are hitting the clubs with their cuffs firmly linked. We’re pretty laid back about cuff etiquette - in fact, we’ll take any excuse to wear our product - but it makes us wonder:

1.Do you wear cufflinks only when you’re wearing a suit or tux?
2.Do you always wear a tie with cufflinks?
3.Would you ever wear cufflinks with jeans or khakis?
4.How important is it to match your cufflinks to your other accessories?

We’ll hold off on our own answers to give you guys time to reply. Let us know what you think!

As a big, tall guy – over six and a half feet tall and as broad as a linebacker – I have to lodge a complaint.

See, if you’re simply ‘big’, you have no problem finding the right clothing to fit you. Same goes if you’re ‘tall’ (though your options are maybe a bit fewer). However, if you’re, like me, stuck at the intersection of Big and Tall, you’re most likely out of luck.

Because I dress mostly business-casual, it’s not something I notice a lot, but when I need to really pull out all the stops and dress formally – like I did a few months ago for a presentation in front of a room full of surgeons – I found myself scrabbling to find a shirt with a 22 neck and 39/40 sleeves. As difficult as it is, there are a few men’s clothing brands who can hook me up in the sizes I need, but even in those cases, my choice of colors is severely limited, so I need to make the most out of my accessories – my tie, watch, belt, etc. I don’t mention cufflinks, because I have yet to find anyone outside my tailor who can hook me up with a French cuffed shirt in the size I need. So much for wearing cufflinks. I got a great pair as a gift when I was best man for a friend of mine, but I have only one shirt I can wear them with. And with the economy in its current shape, I’m not rushing out to have more shirts custom made.

Tell me, loyal readers, do any of you have a similar problem? What resources do you use?

Dressing like Batman can be…problematic in the modern office. It can earn you an employer-mandated psych consult, and maybe even get you fired. But if the kid in you still loves the Dark Knight, you can still sport the Bat-symbol in style with these silver-set Batman cufflinks. And if you find yourself at the red-carpet premiere of The Dark Knight this July, you won’t even feel underdressed.

Executives are a superstitious and cowardly lot, so wearing these cufflinks in a high-powered business meeting is sure to distract and disorient them, giving you the advantage.

Of course, if you’re more of a Boy Scout, we also have Superman-inspired cufflinks with the classic S-Shield design in classy black and silver. With these links in your wardrobe, you’ll be ready to leap tall buildings or fight a giant spider in the third act.

No matter what your fandom, there’s a cufflink design that celebrates it. Pirates, videogames, poker, grammar – anything you can think of. Well, maybe not; the warehouse tells me that we don’t have any James Bond gadget cufflinks, so no hidden laser beams…yet.

Over at Men.Style.Com, Katherine Wheelock tears into French cuffs – and cufflinks by association - with loads of snark and vitriol. “Unless your name is Lagerfeld, Wonka, or Prince Such-and-Such, you do not have license to wear French cuffs – under any circumstances.” Wheelock overloads her article with mocking sexual overtones and relegates cufflinks to ‘artifact of a bygone age’ status.

I respectfully disagree.

Ms. Wheelock is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It’s true that gaudy, ostentatious cufflinks don’t look that smart – of course they don’t, they’re gaudy and ostentatious. That’s not because they’re cufflinks, but because they’re ugly cufflinks.

The article also disputes the idea that links make a good impression on the ladies. I’m sure that there are plenty of ladies that don’t go for them, but my experience is that there are plenty that do. I can’t remember a time when I’ve gone out to a bar or club in French cuffs and not gone home with at least a phone number. And most of those times, the conversation starter was a compliment on my cufflinks.

There’s nothing wrong with French cuffs, or with the cufflinks that go with them. In fact, one point I can agree with Katherine on is that ‘open-cuffers’ – people who try to achieve a ‘cool’ look by wearing French cuffs sans cufflinks – just look messy and unstylish.

The simple truth is that no accessory is inherently good or bad; it depends on how it’s worn. Always dress appropriate to the occasion; if you’re going to try to pull off French cuffs in a more casual environment, it’s a good idea to pick fun cufflinks that don’t look like they came from your grandfather’s sock drawer.

The Future Is The Past: Retro Cufflinks And Why They Are Awesome

A friend showed me Canadian artist Clockwork Zero’s Flickr account a few days ago, and I have to admit she’s making some seriously cool stuff. Granted, it’s mostly pendants and cameos, but how cool would some vaccuum tube cufflinks be? The thought piqued my curiosity.

I turned to Google and looked up ‘Retro Cufflinks’. I turned up Some Retro Reflective Blue & Gray Enamel Round Silver Cufflinks
Image here

I’ve been looking through the store to try and find some product that matches this Industrial Revolution vibe, and I think I’ve managed to find a few cufflinks that qualify.

Wii Want To Wear

Game-themed cufflinks – cards, dice, dominos, etc. - are nothing new. And the odd high-tech set of links shows up every now and then, like a circuit or these iPod cufflinks. But with the gaming hobby aiming at a more mature demographic than ever before – ages 25-35- and the Nintendo Wii’s userbase even trending a bit older, it’s not too much of a shock to see these Nintendo Wii cufflinks from Ravi Ratan get some love on techie mega-blog Engadget.

These sterling silver links explode the myth that gamers don’t dress well, no?

What’s really shocking is that these Wii cufflinks aren’t the first gamer cufflinks we’ve seen. We’ve also spied the PlayStation’s DualShock controller and the Game Boy Color adorning gamers’ French cuffs. Hopefully this collision of gaming and fashion ends up being a better idea than Marc Ecko’s video game.

It is important to clean your cufflinks
on a regular basis to keep then shining like new

To Clean:

1. Select a mild dish washing detergent with water. Avoid
using any solution that has harsh chemicals, such as bleach, which can
cause precious metal to break down. A little white vinegar or ammonia
will work also. For tougher stains mix water and window cleaner.
2. Fill a bowl with 1 cup of warm water and add several drops of your
mild dish washing detergent. Mix thoroughly to create a soapy solution.
3. Place your gold cufflinks in the solution and allow it to remain
undisturbed for several minutes.
4. Use a soft toothbrush to very lightly massage the jewelry piece. An
older toothbrush with very soft bristles is best. The bristles on a
newer toothbrush are too stiff for this purpose.
5. Remove the jewelry piece from the soapy solution.
6. Rinse it thoroughly in clear, warm water.
7. Polish gently with a soft, 100% cotton polishing cloth. Making sure
the cloth is clean and free of debris.

Once you’ve cleaned your cufflinks it’s important to store
them properly so they won’t tumble around or get scratched and dusty.
Try a Black Leather & Felt Cufflink Cuff Link Presentation Box for safe
keeping. If your gold jewelry piece is given proper care, it should
last a lifetime. Check out Cuff-Daddy.com’s large selection
of cufflinks, gold cufflinks and cufflink storage boxes!