Cufflinks - leave in or take out?

[JermynStreetBoy]

Hey all,

I am new to SF and dress shirts that are not off the rack at polo and brooks brothers, so this may be a dumb question. When you hang your french cuff shirts after wearing / washing, should you leave your cufflinks in? Especially when they come back from the dry cleaners and the french cuff isn't folded... it it better to put something in there to help the cuff take shape or should I just dump all of them into my new cufflink box?

Thanks.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Always take them out when the shirt is not being worn.

 

[JermynStreetBoy]

Originally Posted by Sanguis Mortuum

Always take them out when the shirt is not being worn.

I believe you, and I did take them out, but I am wondering about your rationale?

- JSB

 

[jobro]

Do you do up the laces on your shoes when you're not wearing them? The buttons on your shirt? Leave the belt in your trousers?

Iron the cuff flat, do not iron a fold into the cuff.

 

[Roger Everett]

I don't leave cufflinks per say in, but do have a bunch of the little plasti buttons that came with french cuffed shirts and tux shirts, that I put. That way I can have them prefolded and hold their shape.

 

[jobro]

Your cuffs will become flat and lifeless if you have them 'prefolded'. The only time your french cuffs should be folded is when they are being worn. Do you think they would just sew them in place if there was a need to 'prefold'.

 

[JermynStreetBoy]

Fair enough - what is your take on starching shirts made with egyptian cotton... or the various high thread count offerings from the different tailors?

 

[jobro]

Starch will lower the lifespan of the shirt. Do it if its your thing. I prefer my shirts w/o starch.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Originally Posted by jobro

Do you do up the laces on your shoes when you're not wearing them? The buttons on your shirt?
Yep shoe tree then lace. Top Button on a hanger. Take the cuff links out...I wash and press my own shirts the cuff links would put a crimp in my style.

 

[GBR]

They should be removed at the end of the day when you take the shirt off.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by JermynStreetBoy

Fair enough - what is your take on starching shirts made with egyptian cotton... or the various high thread count offerings from the different tailors?

Do Not Starch.

 

[6up]

I'd take them out before wash/laundrying. My machines eat enough of my socks, cant imagine what it would do with cufflinks!

 

[unjung]

Take them out. My main justification for this has less to do with creasing or some sort of accepted practice, and more to do with the fact that I have a variety of CLs and a number of FC shirts, so I rotate things around.

In addition to that, I do think the extra weight might cause the cuff or even button hole to hang oddly in the closet and become deformed.

Originally Posted by 6up

I'd take them out before wash/laundrying. My machines eat enough of my socks, cant imagine what it would do with cufflinks!

 

[DerekS]

Originally Posted by jobro

Your cuffs will become flat and lifeless if you have them 'prefolded'. The only time your french cuffs should be folded is when they are being worn. Do you think they would just sew them in place if there was a need to 'prefold'.

jobro I may have to add you to my favorite poster list.

 

[Rolex Luthor]

Originally Posted by JermynStreetBoy

or should I just dump all of them into my new cufflink box?

Not only would I not leave the cufflinks in, I also wouldn't just dump them into a box. Call me OCD, but I would carefully store them so that they don't get dinged up.