When getting dressed for the day, you know the basics you need before leaving the house - top, trousers and shoes. You might have clothes already laid out from the night before or if it’s a casual, at home day, you might choose to wear something loose and comfortable that you wouldn’t necessarily wear in the outside world. But do you put the same amount of thought into the type of accessories you wear?
You might have a set of basic accessories which make up a staple part of your outfit that you only take off when cleaning or getting your hands dirty. For instance, a gifted watch, a treasured chain or a nostalgic bracelet from times past. While these items are great to wear casually day-to-day, they are likely to be unsuitable for a formal event and inappropriate for a black-tie affair.
Don’t let the huge choice of men’s fashion accessories overwhelm you. Instead, check our guide on what to wear and when to wear it for an easy men’s accessory how-to guide.
Casual
Casual and informal, heading down to the beach with friends or lounging around the house for the day. Casual days are anything goes days, allowing you the freedom to wear as little or as many accessories as you like – although you might look daft fully suited and booted down the beach, so maybe keep that for formal evenings and celebrations.
You might decide to keep your men’s designer accessories locked away on casual days to keep them looking their best for your next formal event. Alternatively, you might feel that the cost warrants getting the most use you can out of your accessories or if they were gifted, you may prefer to keep treasured accessories close to you.
Accessorising a casual look is simply about wearing what makes you feel comfortable. For pointers, consider a plain white t-shirt with a chunky silver chain over the top; otherwise, a black shirt and a gold watch is a look that still remains a casual classic. Cold outside? Silver and gunmetal grey go well partnered with all shades of denim and can add a bit of sophistication to a comfortable appearance. For those with more active lifestyles, they are also durable metals which stand up to lots of activity.
Formal
Do you have an office Christmas party to attend or have you been invited to a good friend’s wedding day? You’ll want a formal look to attend a formal day or evening events.
Coordinating Shoes
First up, coordinating with the suit, standard black or grey suits should be worn with black shoes and a belt of matching colour (your belt should always match your shoes, regardless of the type of event). Navy blue suits are slightly more versatile and can be paired with shoes of black, brown or burgundy – ensuring you have a belt of the same shade. Make sure shoes (new or old) are polished to perfection; there is nothing that takes away from a suit more than scuffed shoes and it will be noticed by other guests in attendance.
Pocket Squares
A necessity for the suited look, pocket squares don’t need to match anything specifically, although they should coordinate with your colour scheme. There are plenty of colours and patterns to choose from but a trusty brilliant white works great with a black suit and if you are stuck on making a choice, choose a pocket square that matches the colour of your tie.
On the Cuff
Cufflinks are not only a great way to accessorise your suit but are practical too, keeping your shirt cuffs together and saving them from flapping around or landing in your dinner. Cufflinks come in a huge range of styles and designs, from classic, timeless cufflinks that work well in all situations, to personal cufflinks that better reflect the wearer’s personal interests and hobbies. Formal events are great for wearing cufflinks that a bit more interesting than your standard plain, face or knotted design, so why not get creative and choose a pair that reflects your personality?
Timeless Watches
A watch is a great way of creating a sophisticated appearance, although chunky, sports watches should be left at home. A suit calls for a high-quality, luxury dress watch - make sure to choose a smart timepiece that isn’t overly flashy.
Tie-ing it All Together
There’s no smoke without fire and no suit without a tie to finish off your look. Formal events (unless previously stated) aren’t the place for the joke, musical or character tie. Instead, choose a thin tie that complements the colour of your dress shirt. Striped suit? Go for a block-colour tie. Plain suit? Now you can rock the patterns. If you do choose to wear a patterned tie with your outfit, stick to a maximum of two colours otherwise it can start to look busy and distracting.
Black-Tie
Black-tie (and white-tie) events are typically the cream of the crop, the highly prestigious events which carry a lot of weight, whether in the industrious or celebrity world.
Around the Neck
Attending a black or white-tie event, you’ll likely be wearing a bow-tie or a standard tie but this time, the colours can stay in the drawer. You’ll want to stick with black, however, that doesn’t prevent you wearing some patterns. Striped, geometric, dogtooth or spotted, as long as it’s subtle and discoverable (rather than busy enough to be noticed across the room), you will be fine. You can always change up the material too - silk or satin are popular options. Choosing a tie over a bow tie is fine, however, you’ll want to invest in a tie pin and choose a broad tie that is no wider than the width of the suit lapel.
Shirt Studs
If you’ve not attended a prestigious event before, you are likely to be unfamiliar with shirt studs. However, they are a basic accessory used in place of the standard button on a dress shirt. If you are wearing cufflinks, your shirt studs should match in both colour and style. Often, you’ll be able to find matching sets of studs and cufflinks available.
No Loose Ties
A very subtle yet important part of men’s suit accessories, the tie clip is used to clip your tie to your dress shirt, preventing it from getting loose and falling in your plate or glass. While designs and patterns are available, a standard silver tie clip looks very effective in the overall look and prevents you needing to match all your accessories.
Lapel Pins
Although not a hugely popular part of men’s accessories, lapel pins are still seen at some formal and black or white-tie events across the world. Often used to denote the fact that the wearer follows a specific cause, such as charity awareness or a personal interest, pins should be subtle and classy. Ensure any lapel pin you choose to wear complements the rest of your outfit.
The next time you are putting your outfit together for a casual, formal or black-tie event, keep your accessories in mind and be the one to turn heads when you walk in the room.