Cufflinks may only be a very small accessory, but they are nonetheless the perfect way to express yourself. Despite the fact that attitudes around dressing for work have changed over the last few years, with many men now foregoing ties, a surprising number of them still wear cufflinks. Indeed, there are quite a large number of cufflink manufacturers in the UK who just produce cufflinks and nothing else, running businesses that are well-established and profitable, so there has to be a large market for them.

Of course, men in the public eye must look smart in order to command respect, which is why most of our politicians – the men anyway – wear smart suits with ties and cufflinks. After all, you are hardly likely to vote for somebody who walks around in a T-shirt and trainers, and our MP’s know and understand that.

It is not just politicians who wear smart suits with ties and cufflinks. Many of the directors of businesses do as well, for much the same reasons. They have to be seen to be outstanding and important by their shareholders so that those shareholders vote for whatever proposals they may make at the annual general meeting.

When it comes to both ties and cufflinks, there is an almost endless choice. If you are an MP, tie colour is important. This is why you will usually see Jeremy Corbyn wearing a red tie as red is the colour associated with the Labour party. Similarly, many of the Conservatives wear blue ties, and no doubt if there were any Green party MP’s other than Caroline Lucas, they would very likely wear green.

Of course, the choice of tie patterns and colours is huge, and they can be made of a number of different materials with silk ties being a smart, and also expensive, accessory. The same thing applies to cufflinks as well, with a huge choice of patterns and materials.

Cufflinks can be made of stainless steel, which – depending on the design – has a clean, almost industrial look. It has a no-nonsense look about it, and because of its’ colour it will match with virtually anything. You can also get cufflinks made of titanium and platinum, both of which are high-class materials, and as with stainless steel are easy to pair with any coloured shirt. Sterling silver is another one that is outside the colour wheel and has a warm lustre. Choose sterling silver rather than pure silver as it is shinier and brighter and retains its’ shine longer.

Gold cufflinks stand out with their bright yellow look, and gold is, of course, associated with status and prosperity. That is because gold is an expensive metal and therefore makes you look important. Gold cufflinks would be the ideal to wear to any function at which you need to impress, or at something like an interview.

You can also get copper cufflinks, although these are not so common as other metals. Copper has a dark reddish colour and tends to develop a patina over time. So does bronze which falls somewhere between gold and copper when it comes to colour. That also develops a patina. Both need some thought when it comes to pairing.

Of course, you can also have cufflinks set with semi-precious or even precious stones. These are not going to be cheap, and because of their colours they do need careful pairing. However, rubies, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and so on, are most definitely going to make a man stand out from the crowd.

Not all cufflinks are made of metal. You can also find them in wood, in silk, and in other fabrics, in a wide choice of colours.

When it comes to patterns and designs on cufflinks, the world is your oyster. You can have designs that pay homage to your country, such as the Scottish thistle, English oak, Welsh dragon, and also North American cufflinks displaying things such as the American Eagle, the head of George Washington, and so on.

Then there are cufflinks that look like a pair of revolvers, gold cufflinks that look like a watch, others that look like a cigar, military cufflinks, aeronautical cufflinks, and more. Some manufacturers will even make personalised cufflinks for you, so you can incorporate any design that you wish.