Gentlemen, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. The finely tuned details of a wardrobe can be what sets a man apart from all the others. I’m not necessarily referring to ultra-specific things like the stitching on pants or the color of a shirt’s buttons – I’m talking about accessories.
Before you get the wrong idea, let me clarify. Accessories are not limited to “man-purses” and fedoras, nor are they reserved only for men with a strong taste in flashy garments. They can be worn by all men who indulge in style, and can be used to subtly increase the aesthetic value of an outfit.
I only advocate the use of an exclusive family of accessories. That’s to say, I’m picky when it comes to which accessories to wear, and more importantly, how much. It’s important to realize that accessories, like everything else, can be overdone. Unfortunately, they are overdone often and have given most men the wrong idea about what it means to accessorize with dress wear.
The best way to avoid overaccessorizing is to limit each area of your body to one accessory and to make sure those accessories benefit the look of the outfit.
When I say each area, I mean each of the limbs, the head and the torso. There are some exceptions, with the obvious one being a left-wrist accessory and a ring on the left hand. I’m referring more to things like wearing multiple wrist accessories (like a watch and a bracelet) or wearing a necklace with a tie. It might seem obvious, but even some major icons have gone too far with accessories. (Google “Johnny Depp accessories.”)
Once you’ve thinned out your accessories, it’s important to make sure they add something to your look. Certain things don’t work with dress wear, just like certain things don’t work with casual wear. It’s fairly straightforward, but I fear that I will continue to see people wearing athletic sunglasses with button-down shirts, or bulky sports watches with suits. If you don’t plan on going for a run in your lace-up oxfords, then leave the streamlined, bulky, plastic accessories at home with your sweatbands.
Mismatching aside, there are still many accessories that work magnificently with formal wear. First and foremost, having even one necktie can transform your entire wardrobe. A tie is a man’s opportunity to add some visual flair to his look without going over the top. The tie has to match the outfit within reason, but a man has more freedom in his tie choice than just about any other garment. Feel free to add some contrast with your tie; there aren’t many other opportunities to do this with formal wear.
