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I love to collect things, particularly things that I can eventually pass on to my son. So I have a small collection of vintage watches, signed baseballs, a small library of American novels, and some cufflinks. Guys don’t have as many ways to express their individual taste and style as women do, since we don’t have the option to decide today if we want to go to the office in a skirt and blouse, a dress, a suit, jeans, a sweater and leggings. Well, one guy in my office expresses himself that way, but I keep my interaction with him to the bare minimum.  For guys, it’s shirt, suit, tie. Or shirt, slacks, sportjacket. Or shirt, khakis, sweater. Always a shirt, and thank the Lord for that, because approved male toplessness in public has still not passed the House Subcommittee Studying Matthew McConaghey ‘s Impact on Men’s Fashion. So if you’re going to wear a shirt every day, you can punch it up, stand out, separate from the crowd and still look classy and cool.
Cufflinks. Most guys don’t bother with French cuff shirts. The cuffs are kind of formal, but much less so now days, meaning when you wear one with a set of cool links, people will notice. They may never say a word, but they notice. And what I love about cufflinks is that they can match your mood.
- When I’m feeling like honoring my Dad, I put on one of two pairs of cuff links he made when he was in high school.
- When I’m really feeling like my wife can do no wrong and I’m digging her big time, I wear the typewriter cufflinks I had made with her initials (they were $25; how’s that for a good deal?).
- A dressy event? I wear the platinum Tiffany links my wife being got me a few birthdays ago, engraved with my initials. Understated and elegant.
- When I feel like dialing up the spirit of my wife’s honored uncle, I reach for his old round links with a raised impression of a crab – we both share July birthdays. Or I wear the sterling silver knots that used to be his. Or the throwback buffalo penny links featuring pennies from 1901 and 1902. Love those.
- In a New York mood, I wear the subway token cuff links I also had made (also $25).
 When I’m feeling downtown, my wife got me these vintage deco sterling silver intertwined squares that have a real hipness to them…at least I think they do.
The point is that whatever your passion – basketball, gambling, cocktails, golf, the stock market, fishing, astrology, art, politics, or just looking different from the pack – cuff links are a great way to do that. They can range from $10 for a set of silk knots up to many thousands if you want serious jewelry. But along the way are many expressive links at price points that won’t kill you. And if you ever have a son, you’ve got something to pass on to him. And creating a legacy is part of what being a man is all about.
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Your Clothes 
