These days a man isn't fully dressed without a little accessory at the end of his shirt sleeves. Along with the nostalgia for more formal menswear, the French cuff has started a comeback against the barrel buttoned-cuffed shirt.

Wraparound antique versions are sold at Joseph Orlando in Downtown and Kozloff & Meaders in Shadyside. In the past few years, both stores report that sales of vintage cuff links have increased as more button-down shirts are made with French cuffs.

And you don't need a suit to wear them. At Larrimor's on Fifth Avenue, the Oxxford line of creative and colorful buttoned shirts are often worn with casual pants or jeans.

Shop owners agree that cuff links are sophisticated and cool personal touches to menswear. They add a finished touch to a look that can normally be sterile and uniform. Many reputable designs from England have become more flamboyant and luxurious, including Tateossian of London, Duchamp and Duncan Walton.

However, memorabilia still rates highest on websites like www.cufflinks.com. John Radzwilla is a national sales manager with Cufflinks Inc., who says that cuff links are less about the brand and more about the novelty. The most popular pieces on the website are related to favorite sports teams as well as Superman.

"It says something about your personality. Cuff links say something about who you are," he says.

At Kards Unlimited on Walnut, the best-selling piece of jewelry is the Pittsburgh railway token set. Larrimor's sells a line from New Orleans designer Indigo Designs that are made from old stamps with baseball legends in them. If you want a piece of the G-20 Summit that took place in Pittsburgh in 2009, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts sells the exact same ones given to the attending dignitaries, made of glass.

First Published: March 16, 2011, 8:00 a.m.