Unite Your Ensemble With Patriotic Cufflinks

Cities and towns throughout the United States are gearing up to celebrate the nation's 232nd birthday this July 4 - hanging bunting and flags, sprucing up parks, and laying out parade routes and fireworks shows.

No matter what your opinion of the current political environment is, you have to admit that the United States is a great country. Why not show your love of country this Independence Day by adding a bit of patriotic flair to your summer wardrobe?

You can go the easy route - i.e., add to the slobbification of America - by donning a message T-shirt and a pair of that all-American staple, blue jeans. You could also channel Abbie Hoffman and wear a flag shirt, or go really nutty and don an Uncle Sam costume.

But, really - how much respect would any of that show to a country that allows you to make a great living, drive a big honkin' SUV, and then dump all over it when every little thing doesn't go your way?

There's no question that a military uniform is the most patriotic of all men's ensembles, followed closely by firemen's uniforms and police uniforms. However, if risking your life and limb for fashion - much less the good of all mankind - doesn't quite fit into your schedule, why not look at adding a little American style into your wardrobe via your accessories?

Women figured out the glory of accessorizing many generations ago. There was a point when it seemed that men were embracing the idea of gussying themselves up with a few baubles - namely, any European royalty in the eighteenth century - but that's long passed by the wayside. Especially in the post-1960s environment, as fewer and fewer men dress up on a regular basis, men's accessories have indeed become scarce.

The thing about accessories, however, is that you can stretch a good ensemble to make many more. Without accessories, a man could really just spend a fortune to buy a lot of well-made suits, or even a lot of really crappy ones. With accessories, however, a man can take one or two great suits and a handful of excellent shirts but give the appearance of owning a wardrobe to rival that of any celebrity of member of the royal family.

Adding patriotic sensibilities to your outfit is as simple as wearing a tie with an all-American pattern such as stars, stripes, or even little flags. Try not to get kitschy with your tie, however. Big old Statues of Liberty, Barack Obamas, John McCains, and flag-waving dancing babies do not belong on your tie unless you want to trigger the gag reflex of every person within your state lines.

One of the coolest guys I know effortlessly adds a little Fourth of July style to his wardrobe during the workweek before with a variety of ties that bring the red, white, and blue color scheme to his otherwise lawyerly ensembles. He has a striped tie that is mostly red with a thin blue and white stripe worked in, foulard and paisley ties in a patriotic palette, and a bright blue tie with tiny white stars all over it. From afar, the starry tie looks like hounds tooth, but close up, you see fifty-plus stars.

A little all-American bling is a good thing, too. In the months right after Sept. 11, 2001, nearly every lapel sported one of those little flag pins. Those are still perfectly acceptable, if a little done. Instead of choosing to show your unity by adopting the same style as millions of other men, why not stand out from the crowd with form-follows-function jewelry that embodies good-old American ingenuity - some patriotic cufflinks?

Paired with a shirt with French cuffs, this is the ideal way to show the world that Americans not only have the ingenuity and spirit to be leaders in the world, but also the style to make the world stand up and take note. You can show your colors with cufflinks in the form of flags, Uncle Sam, and even the U.S. Capitol building! In addition, you could choose to wear a pair that shows your political colors as well as your nationality. There are cufflinks available with the logos and symbols of the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as the names of the candidates of those parties.

Choosing to show your patriotic tendencies with a classic suit and accessories may not have the out-and-out in-your-faceness of an Abbie Hoffman shirt or painting your belly á la those really cold-looking guys at every American sporting event. However, classic styles and class never go out of style, and you'll get much more bang for your Almighty Dollar by adopting clothes and accessories that will last you a lifetime rather than one hot summer day.