I have a friend who pays rather close attention to Chinese astrology and he told me that the Year of the Dragon brings success, happiness and great fortune. He even went so far as to have a pair of gold & diamond dragon cufflinks made to bring him good luck!

So, I’d like to wish a very happy, successful and prosperous year to all!

Showing alongside the classic designs traditionally made by Deakin & Francis, will be the Spring/ Summer 2012 collections. These collections feature designs to wear throughout a ‘Summer in the City’, designs inspired by ‘Great British Icons’ and brand new designs to add to ‘The Sportsman Collection’.

The recently launched Autumn/ Winter 2012 collections will also be available at the show. These include the long awaited additions to the original Deakin & Francis skull design cufflinks and a host of colourful cupcakes & sweets.

Be sure to visit us to see our full range of silver and 18ct gold cufflinks

Founded in 1786, Deakin & Francis designs and manufactures the world’s finest cufflinks from its workshops in Birmingham, England.

The brand collections on show at Pitti Uomo will include
·    The Businessman
·    The Eccentric
·    The Gentleman
·    The Adventurer
·    The Connoisseur
·    The Sportsman

The AW2012 Collection includes the much-anticipated new skull designs. Made out of silver and enamel, they are the latest additions to the original Deakin & Francis skull cufflinks designs.

Also within the collection is an array of colourful cupcakes & sweets, speedboats, spitfires, silver hares and wellington boots.

Inspired by classic designs, many muddy hunting trips and delicious treats, these eye-catching cufflinks are bound to attract attention.

Visit us on stand 7 in the central pavilion to see the full range of cufflinks.

But what about the men? Is it assumed that we are all style gurus, confident in knowing exactly what to wear to any event? Or perhaps we don’t care about these things as much as our female counterparts? From my own personal experience, I can tell you that neither of these is true!

This year I am determined to compile a ‘What to Wear this Party Season’ guide for men. Something to show the women that we too can get excited about our outfits for the Christmas parties…sort of

All men should have the staple party attire already in their wardrobes, a well fitted, timeless dark suit, a white dress shirt and of course, dress shoes that match your suit. A recipe for success in almost any situation.

…But wait, this is what we wear all year round I hear you cry! Indeed you are right. So here’s how to liven it up…

The key factor for creating a classy yet festive look is to accessorize without going over the top. Avoid party shirts, novelty Christmas ties and sequin jackets at all costs!

I find that the Christmas party season is a brilliant opportunity to wear one of my silk ties. My favourite is a royal blue, pure silk tie that looks amazing against the crisp white of a fitted dress shirt.

Once you have chosen your tie, find some cufflinks to go with it. The ideal cufflinks should either match the tie or compliment it. This year I have bought some enamel gold cufflinks with diamonds and sapphires. They add the perfect amount of glitz to my outfit without making me look like a Christmas tree!

If you are going to a party where the dress code is more casual, take the opportunity to have fun with your cufflinks. I have some penguin cufflinks that are great for these types of parties.

If you are really determined to wear something festive, I’m sure you will be forgiven for wearing Christmas socks, just make sure they are well hidden!

This year though, I have decided to do the majority of my Christmas shopping online! I’ve found the perfect gifts for those who enjoy shooting, for cooking enthusiasts, for horse riders and even tennis players.

The best part about shopping online is that I can do it all whilst drinking a glass of home made mulled wine & eating a warm mince pie, far more enjoyable than wandering in and out of shops in the cold!

My top tips for shopping online are;
·    Give yourself plenty of time- you can end up spending hours trying to find the right gift.
·    Start with an idea of the type of gift you want to buy. For example, a good gift to buy for any loved one is jewellery- necklaces, earrings & rings for the women and cufflinks, watches & bracelets for the men.
·    Remind yourself of the persons’ interests & hobbies before you start looking- this can help at lot!

Recently I was looking for a gift for a good friend of mine. Knowing that he loves American Baseball after living there for many years, I bought him some American Baseball Glove Cufflinks engraved with his initials! I knew they’d be a hit as they covered all bases… if you’ll excuse the pun.

As I loaded my prized 12-bore, side-by-side Purdey, my cartridge bag and various other essential shooting items (including my lucky pheasant tie and matching cufflinks) into the back of the Bentley, my thoughts turned to the keeper managing the shoot. Whilst he is an amicable enough man, get on the wrong side of him or catch him at a time when the shoot seems to be going slower than expected, and you’ll wish you could fly as fast as the bird that your neighbour just missed.

I’m not saying that this man is bad at his job, in fact, quite the opposite. He is an excellent keeper, one of the best that there is… he’s just not very sociable. He has been known to shout down the line at a particularly selective Gun “This one’s for you!” in a bid to try and get them to spend some cartridges. This sort of behaviour often costs him tips from the lesser-seasoned Guns, a terrible shame as I have never once attended a bad shoot run by him.

The etiquette of a shoot is often just as important as the shooting itself, so for those who don’t already know, here are some things to keep in mind;

•    First and foremost, shoot safely. Never swing your gun in the direction of fellow Guns.

•    Shoot sportingly- you should know which birds to shoot and which would be a better shot for your neighbour.

•   Avoid being over selective, don’t wait for the best birds & ignore the rest. This reflects badly on your host & his team who are working hard to keep a steady steam of birds sailing past you.

•     Don’t try for a bird that is at a range so close that it would be ruined for the table.

•   Ensure that each bird you’ve shot is accounted for and collected, either by yourself and your gundog (if you have brought one with you) or the pickers-up.

•    At the end of the shoot remember to thank the keeper and his team. This includes handing a tip to the Keeper.

•   It’s good form to send a thank-you note to the hostess. Without them, we wouldn’t be fed and watered. They always put on a good spread.

•    If you have imbibed a tad too much after the shoot, get a lift home, engage a driver or find somewhere to stay.

•    Always accept the brace of birds that is handed to you at the end of the day.

•    Finally, enjoy yourself!

As far as I know this involves a LOT of food. On our menu we have; roast pecans and butternut squash soup for starters, roast turkey for the main with various sides including, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, meatballs, and any other traditional Thanksgiving Day dish that we think of. I have also selected a wonderful French wine to accompany the meal;  Beaujolais Nouveau, which I believe is a favourite choice for Thanksgiving and is only released on the third Thursday of November each year.

Once we have worked our way through the main meal we will then attempt to eat dessert, which will be taken from a selection of apple pie or pumpkin cheesecake, accompanied by a sweet dessert wine.

Thinking of all this food is clearly affecting me and I’ve noticed that whilst packing to go to the US, a lot of my cufflinks seem to be food related. I’ve packed hamburger cufflinks,Orange wedge cufflinks and shrimp cufflinks…

Thanksgiving Day isn’t all about the food though! To recover our appetites in between courses we will be going to watch the 85th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade where hundreds of giant balloons, marching bands and floats travel through New York.

We also have the game to look forward to in the afternoon, where the Miami Dolphins take on the Dallas Cowboys. I’ll be supporting the cowboys this year with my silver Stetson cowboy hat cufflinks!

I’m rather looking forward to my first Thanksgiving Day!

This year I have decided to compile my very own gift guide in the hope that it will help the well-meaning women who are buying gifts for their partners, friends and relatives this year. So before wandering into a shop and buying more gifts that will inexplicably fall behind dressers, disappear into the recesses of a wardrobe or never make it out of their original packaging, please take note!

Cufflinks, I think, are the only gifts worth buying and there is a pair for every personality, passion and interest. You’ll never be stuck for great gift ideas again!

Here is a short list of great gift cufflinks for Christmas,

•    For the stylish gentlemen, these White Gold Onyx Cufflinks with a Diamond Border will look great with double cuff and French cuff shirts & stylish suits.

•    Instead of buying that 25-year old whisky gift set, get these 18-carat yellow gold crystal enamelled whisky glass cufflinks with a cigar shaped fitting. Guaranteed to last a lot longer than the bottle!

•  For the hunters, some gold enamel pheasant head cufflinks would make the perfect accessory to wear with any Purdey.

•    If you are looking for a gift for a golfer, a pair of Golf Club cufflinks would be ideal.

•    Or if you know someone who is a bit of an adventurer, let them discover some silver Hermit Crab Cufflinks beneath the Christmas tree.

I go for the racing mostly, there’s nothing quite like the fast cars, the fine yachts and the fabulous girls. Not to mention the thrill of the danger. The Circuit de Monaco runs along the streets of Monte Carlo and is renowned for being a true test of a driver’s skill.

If ever there was a time for wearing cufflinks, it is when one attends the after parties of the Grand Prix. I always find myself taking note of what everybody is wearing. Naturally, the women look gorgeous but it’s just as interesting to see what the men are wearing. Of course there’s the obvious black tie ensembles, but it’s the cufflinks that really tell you about a chap.

The real racing enthusiasts can be spotted a mile off, usually by their racing car cufflinks. The connoisseurs are often found enjoying a glass of the finest wine and a cigar, whilst the businessmen can be found wearing their exquisite gold cufflinks.

I usually opt for something a bit more eccentric, last year I went with my 18-carat white gold shark cufflinks, which caused a stir. Although thinking back, they might not have been the best choice of cufflinks to wear on a yacht…

I was particularly excited when I discovered James Watt was going to be on the new bank note because from 1777-1790, he lived in the building that now houses the Deakin & Francis® workshops!

There have been many speculations that the boardroom was once his sitting room and could have been one of the meeting places of the famous Lunar Society. This always brings to mind that saying, “If these walls could talk”…

James Watt & Matthew Boulton were two of the leading figures of the Industrial Revolution. They became partners in 1775 and began working on the use of the steam engine within the cotton industry, revolutionising the manufacturing processes. Following this, Boulton also established the Soho Mint in Birmingham, where he produced possibly the first ever mass produced items with the aid of the new machinery- perfectly round coins

The next time I go to spend a £50 note I think I’ll definitely pay more attention to the portraits on the back!