by David Bremner, d.g.bremner & co.
At first glance men might feel a little left out compared to ladies in the accessories market. Not true! Options for men’s accessories today have probably never been better this side of the ’60s!
To start, let’s take a well-groomed man in a great fitting pair of jeans and a nice shirt and let’s take him from zero to 100 in just a few steps. I’m going to assume our guy is already on the wild sock and great belt bandwagon that we’ve been on for a few years now.
Turn up the cuffs on the shirt, and add a funky watch and maybe a tasty bracelet. Watches have become almost a forgotten fashion accessory, but seriously, they never go out of style, and can really make an impact. Bracelets are another great option: they’re available in hundreds of styles and colours and can be an inexpensive way to turn up the voltage on a great outfit. If you choose to go that direction, watch and bracelet on the same wrist please.
Sunglasses! Picture our guy in a new pair of wayfarers or aviators! Practical, timeless and fabulous. Have several pairs and take advantage of all the colours, styles and price points that are available today!
Rings. You don’t have to be Keith Richards to rock some great hand jewelry! Don’t we all have a few pieces in the drawer we can pull out and show off? Try it … you’ll be amazed at the comments, and it feels like creating something from nothing. Repurposing an heirloom is a wonderful way to pay homage to the past!
Let’s add a jacket. Today’s wind breaker is a casual sport coat. Dress up or dress down; these are the icing on the great accessory cake!
Not just for dress pants anymore, the modern sport coat harks back to when these were known as hacking jackets … and were meant to be worn outdoors in any weather. Take the sport coat to another level with a pocket handkerchief (or two! don’t be afraid to mix them up!).
Finally, just past the socks are the shoes. You can go at least two ways here. The sneaker has come full circle, as have dress shoes by morphing into the casual environment. Sneakers are not a running shoe – there is a difference! Sneakers are sleek and fashionable whereas running shoes are for running. Depending on the colour, today sneakers will take you from casual Friday to a fabulous dinner out! Again, have several, no … have many! Embrace the variety and all the colours available! Dress shoes are not just for dress clothes anymore: pair them with your best jeans and the whole outfit moves up a few notches. Keep ’em clean – you won’t regret it and with care a good pair will last a long time.
The only rule is “there are no rules” with accessorizing your outfit to match your personality. The trick for most of us is be comfortable with what you choose to wear, and to wear the accessories, not let the accessories wear you.
