Saturday, August 7, 2010

The Cufflink Invasion

By Patrick McMurray




In the 1960's American media labelled the influx of British pop bands as the British invasion, as waves of new music and dress trends flooded across the Atlantic. It was the first time that England had produced a sound style uniquely original.

But this was not just a mere awakening for the English music scene; moreover a holistic conversion from what America forced upon the populations of music lovers the world over. The hair styles, clothing, and language that all surrounded the new wave of Beatles music. An infusion led to the natural introduction of other memorable bands. And there seemed to be an endless diversity of sounds within this genre. The Hollies, Eric Burden and the Animals, Moody Blues, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Kinks, Tom Jones, the Troggs. All of whom were distinctly recognisable.



America had no answer to the Brits invasion and could do nothing better than to capitalise on their style by mass producing it. Record companies soon realised there was an awful lot of money to made through marketing bands that had the right sound and individual personalities, even though their musical talent lacked lustre.

Moving away from the music scene, there has been a more subtle British invasion taking place for decades: A diverse group of designers have been branding a range cufflinks as distinct as day and night.

The wave began about two decades after the demise of cufflink manufacturing in America. Designer Manufacturer Swank was producing twelve million pairs of cufflinks per anum, which peaked in the late sixties.

The English flavour was less on mass production and more on bespoke, exclusive, funky, and flamboyant. It seemed in contrast to the countries gloomy out look reflected by its grey skies and rising damp.

Those who take an interest will identify the Brit designer brands.

Men began to reinvent the dandy styles that were introduced by Beau Brummell. George Bryan Brummell (Beau Brummell) was the arbiter of men's fashion in Regency England and a friend of the Prince Regent. He established the mode of men wearing understated, but fitted, tailored dark suits and full-length trousers, adorned with an elaborately-knotted cravat.

Beau Brummell is credited with introducing and establishing as fashion the modern man's suit, worn with a tie. His style of dress is often referred to as dandyism, even though Brummell himself would have never agreed to that description.

He bathed and shaved every day and spent many hours grooming and dressing for the occasion. Polished boots, clean fingernails, quick whit and principles all helped shape the gentleman as defined by principles.

Cufflinks began to appear around 1715 and the rest is history. The dandy man continued through mods, glam rock to modern times. The suit, and silk tie, cufflinks and lapel badge remain as prominent in everyday dress as ever.



Purveyor of finely crafted Designer Silk Ties and handmade silver cufflinks

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