Cufflinks, tie bars and lapel pins occupy a strange place in men’s style: three small pieces of metal that are either the most considered detail in an outfit or the clearest evidence that a man is trying too hard. There is very little middle ground.
The governing principle for all three: one at a time, matched in metal tone, and only when the outfit already justifies it.
Cufflinks
When: only with a French cuff (double cuff) shirt. That’s not a style preference — a barrel cuff has buttons and physically cannot take them.
How they work: the two halves of the cuff fold back and sit edge to edge — “kissing” — with the cufflink passing through all four buttonholes. They should not overlap like a barrel cuff.
The types:
- Bullet-back — the pivoting bar. Easiest to use, most common, entirely correct.
- Whale-back — a flat flip-up backing. Slightly more traditional.
- Chain link — two decorative faces joined by a chain. The most formal and the most elegant; the cuff sits slightly looser.
- Silk knot — woven fabric knots, usually sold in pairs of colours. Inexpensive, informal, genuinely charming with a summer suit.
- Fixed-back — one solid piece. Fiddly. Skip.
What to own: one pair in silver or gunmetal with mother-of-pearl or onyx faces covers black tie, weddings and formal business. A pair of silk knots covers everything relaxed. That’s a complete collection for most men.
Avoid: novelty cufflinks. The tiny golf clubs, the miniature dice, the logo of your football club. They’re a gift category, not a style category.
Tie bars
The only one of the three with a genuine function: it holds the tie against the shirt so it doesn’t swing.
The two rules: never wider than the tie (about three-quarters is right), and positioned between the third and fourth shirt buttons.
It must clip through both the tie and the shirt placket — a bar fastened only to the tie is decorative and will slide. Full detail in how to wear a tie clip.
Never with a bow tie, and never without a jacket — a tie bar without a jacket looks orphaned.
Lapel pins
The riskiest of the three and the one most often overdone.
Position: in the buttonhole on the left lapel if there is one; otherwise centred on the left lapel, roughly a third of the way down.
Scale: small. A lapel pin should be noticed at conversational distance, not across a room. Anything over about 2cm is a badge.
What works: a simple metal bar or geometric shape, a small enamel piece in a single colour, a boutonnière (real or fabric) for weddings and formal events.
What doesn’t: anything with text, novelty shapes, multiple pins at once, or a pin worn alongside both cufflinks and a tie bar. That’s three metal statements competing, and the outfit stops reading as considered and starts reading as costume.
The rules that govern all three
- Match the metal tone. Silver with silver, gold with gold — including your watch and belt buckle. Mixing metals is the small error that registers subconsciously.
- Two maximum, and preferably one. Cufflinks and a tie bar together is fine. All three at once is too much.
- Only when the outfit earns it. These belong with business formal, cocktail attire and black tie. Never with business casual, never with an open collar.
- Restraint reads as confidence. The best-dressed man in most rooms is wearing one small metal thing, correctly.
Frequently asked questions
When should a man wear cufflinks?
Only with a French cuff (double cuff) shirt — a barrel cuff has buttons and cannot take them. Appropriate for black tie, weddings, formal business and cocktail attire; never with business casual or an open collar.
Where should a lapel pin go?
In the buttonhole on the left lapel if the jacket has one, otherwise centred on the left lapel about a third of the way down. Keep it small — under roughly 2cm. Anything larger reads as a badge.
Can you wear cufflinks, a tie bar and a lapel pin together?
Two maximum, and preferably one. Cufflinks with a tie bar is acceptable. All three at once means three competing metal statements and the outfit stops reading as considered.
What cufflinks should a man own?
One pair in silver or gunmetal with mother-of-pearl or onyx faces, which covers black tie, weddings and formal business. Add a pair of silk knots for relaxed summer wear. That’s a complete collection for most men.
Do metals need to match across accessories?
Yes. Cufflinks, tie bar, lapel pin, watch case and belt buckle should share a metal tone — silver with silver, gold with gold. Mixed metals are a small error that most people register without consciously identifying.
TL;DR
- Cufflinks: French cuffs only. One good pair plus silk knots is enough.
- Tie bar: three-quarters the tie’s width, between buttons three and four, through both layers.
- Lapel pin: left lapel, under 2cm, no text.
- Match metals across everything including your watch
- Two maximum. Preferably one.
— Mr.Wayne
Read next
