Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go.

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go. But what to wear?  Is it a shirt and cuff links, or a t-shirt,  and just pretend it’s dress down day every day.  Decisions, decisions.

There was a time when dress code was obligatory, watch any old black and white film, and every man is wearing a hat.  Seen many people wearing a hat lately?  Unless maybe it’s a uniform, hats are out, these days what goes, goes.

Do we lose something in this free for all, anything goes world of ours?  I think so.  It’s something important. It’s the self confidence we feel when we wear clothes that make us feel good, not because it is expected of us by others, but because we expect it of ourselves, the personal feel good factor.

So, yes, I wear a shirt, that’s a given in my opinion.

Cuff links?  Cuff links are a whole different matter.  Not least because they come in pairs, and just like socks, one is always missing, and looking for it just makes me late for work.  Hi Ho, Hi Ho..

Cufflinks-a timeless classic

In a way cuff links can be considered as timeless classics,since These miniature works of art actually predate the shirt. According to the National Cufflink Society, evidence of their use can be found in ancient hieroglyphics in King Tut’s tomb. But cuff links as we know them were first used during the 1700s.During that time buttons had ceased to be decorative and cuff-fastening slits were being cut into clothing. The ribbons or tape ties of the past were replaced with luxurious items, often made with gold or silver and set with gemstones. These were an extravagance reserved for the wealthy classes and were all hand-made.
It wasn’t until the mid 18th century and the invention of the steam-driven stamping machine, electro-metallurgy and the Tour a’ Guilloche machine, which could mass-produce enamel cuff links, that men’s jewelery was opened up to a wider audience. By the 1840s what we now know as the French cuff, or double-cuff shirt became popular – and unlike most fashions it’s remained so since. The middle classes adopted cuff links, but unable to afford the silver or enamel cuff links they used replicas such as fake diamonds and gold-colored alloys with foil backing instead. A hair of a lost loved one was traditionally placed under glass on a man’s cuff links as a sign of grief.
During the 1880′s in America, George Krementz patented a device based on a civil war cartridge shell-making machine that could mass produce one-piece collar buttons and cuff links. Suddenly every US business was commissioning cuff links for advertising or as gift incentives for clients. During the 1920s the enamel cuff link became the most prevalent style. In Russia, the communist revolution forced the luxury artisans of Faberge to emigrate across Europe and often to America, where they taught their enameling skills to others. Their designs often reflected the art movements of the day, but by the 1930s low-cost production of plastics led to a decline in the use of enamel. But these enamel cuff links remain highly collectible; especially the hand-made ones.
Cuff link use peaked in the mid 1960s, when Swank Inc, a popular manufacturer, was making 12 million a year. These days the figure is closer to 200,000. But cuff links are making a comeback, with gross sales having increased consistently over the last ten years, while the French cuff continues to be the most prestigious type of shirt,which have buttonholes on both sides of the cuff.To trace every significant movement in art through the design of cuff links. can be done at the Cuff link Museum in Conway, New Hampshire, which proudly displays over 70,000 pairs.The most expensive cuff links ever sold were a pair given to the soon-to-be King Edward VIII by his later wife Wallis Simpson. These featured diamonds set in platinum and sold at auction for $440,000. So as a whole,cuff links have a long history spanning many cultures and designs which makes it a timeless classic.

Office essentials

It is really important for a woman to have a capsule wardrobe to wear at work, as this will help to simplify her working life, and make choosing what to wear and getting dressed in the mornings much easier.
Clothes should be selected in a few base colours, such as black, white, navy and grey, with splashes of colour that are contrasting and will provide more interest, such as red, green or plum. In the summer, the shades can be lighter and more suited to the warmer weather.
A working capsule wardrobe wardrobe should consist of a number of separates that will work well together. These could be a couple each of skirts and trousers, a few blouses and tops, and a couple of different jackets that will go with everything else. The shoes should be comfortable and smart – two to three pairs of stylish shoes in a dark colour will suffice. They can be different styles and heel heights, and able to match the clothes in the capsule wardrobe. Accessories can be mixed and matched with different outfits to keep them looking fresh. Depending on where you work, the rules on what can be worn may be a little more relaxed.
If these suggestions are followed, dressing for the office should not be a headache, but an enjoyable experience.

The Perfect Office Wardrobe

The essential capsule wardrobe for female office workers consists of several different items of clothing which are kept separate from other clothing. Office appearance is essential as you want to look smart and professional. Your appearance can also help when it comes to promotion, so wearing the right clothes can help on many levels.
A collection of smart blouses or shirts, freshly laundered, is necessary so that these can be changed and washed daily. You can’t have too many shirts as these can be worn either with or without jacket. Shirts should be smart button-ups, plain or slightly patterned. Patterns should be discreet, and not appear too casual. Sleeves can be either long or short.
Another item of capsule clothing is a smartly tailored dark jacket, either navy blue or black. Marks & Spencer and Next have some fashionable ranges and their prices are affordable. Tailored skirts or trousers are perfectly acceptable these days, both looking equally smart.
The last items of capsule clothing are shoes. Slilettos are not a good idea as they become uncomfortable as the day wears on. A pair of well polished 2” or 3” shoes in black or navy finish off the ideal capsule wardrobe for women.