When you want to dress up your outfit, small details can change the whole look. Cufflinks and decorative button covers both add interest to your shirt or a blouse, but they attach differently and work with different types of clothing.
If you’re looking for shirt accessories that work with the buttons already on your favourite pieces, here’s how to tell them apart.
How do cufflinks work?
Cufflinks fasten shirt cuffs with matching buttonholes on both sides, typically French cuffs or convertible cuffs. Rather than covering an existing button, a cufflink passes through the holes to hold the cuff together.
They’re often associated with formal shirts and are targeted towards men mostly. Their designs range from understated to playful.
How do button covers work?
Decorative button covers clip over existing buttons. They change the appearance of the button without replacing it or requiring sewing.
Refined by JV clip-on button covers add a jewellery-inspired detail to shirts, blouses and cardigans with compatible buttons. You can use them to highlight sleeve buttons or add an accent to the front of a favourite piece.
Can you wear button covers instead of cufflinks?
It depends on your shirt. If your cuffs already fasten with buttons, compatible button covers let you dress up those buttons without changing the shirt.
If your cuffs have only paired buttonholes and no buttons, button covers won’t fasten them. You’ll need cufflinks or another suitable fastening.
Think of them as two different approaches: cufflinks fasten a cuff, while button covers decorate a button that’s already there. Which means button cover can also go on front of the shirt or blouse. Every Refined By JV set includes a pin to convert button covers to a pin/brooch to be able to accessorize more of your favorite layers than just a shirt such as sweaters, blazers etc.
Shirt accessories for everyday styling
You don’t need a formal occasion to add a finishing touch. Decorative button covers can bring interest to a work blouse, refresh a classic button-up shirt or add a personal detail to a cardigan.
Choose a subtle design for an understated look, or a more expressive shape when you want the detail to stand out. Before choosing, check the button-cover measurements against the buttons and fabric on your garment.
Which should you choose?
Choose cufflinks for a shirt designed to be fastened with them. Choose decorative clip-on button covers when you want to refresh compatible existing buttons with no sewing required.
Explore Refined by JV’s Button Covers collection to find a finishing touch for your favourite shirts and blouses.