Men’s Fashion Basics – Part 37 – Watches

Wearing A Watch The Right Way

This next topic in our basics series on accessories is a reader request… The Watch.
There was a time when wearing a watch was a purely practical thing. In order for your day to run smoothly and on schedule you need to be able to keep track of the time. Hence, you wore a watch. These days with most people having the time easily available on their mobile, I-pod, computer, work-desk and pretty much everywhere else except their wrist, the watch has started to become a bit obsolete.

However, that doesn’t mean a guy shouldn’t wear one! In fact, now more than ever you really should be. Due to the move from a necessity to an accessory, a watch can become an extremely versatile addition to any outfit you’ve got on. Just like the tie, it’s one of the original accessories that a man has, so it should not be wasted.

When considering to buy a new timepiece it is important to know in your mind what kind of watch you want, when you are predominantly going to wear it and how to wear it correctly. The first thing to bear in mind is the kind of occasions or environments you think you’re going to be wearing a watch in. If it’s for the office then you need to think subtle and classic because you want people to focus on the whole package of you in your suit rather than what is inevitably some pathetic attempt to say you have more money than you really do. I’d suggest a slim watch in silver or gold, or if you prefer leather; brown or black.

When it comes to casual dress then here’s your chance to really go wild. If you like those kind of watches with big faces and lots of fancy options then why not wear one? Or why not try out one that is in an interesting colour, like a red or a blue? I have one particular watch that is completely yellow that I especially put aside for summer to add a shot playfulness into my outfits. And with yellow being a big reference in the recent S/S runways, I may even invest some yellow t-shirt/jumpers to play off it.

The second thing to remember is that watches change seasonally too. In the warm summer months a leather or metal watch is inevitably going to become dirty, sticky and fall apart from the sweat it will be exposed to. So just swap it for a canvas strapped version instead. These tend to be quite cheap as well so why not stock up on a few in different colours so that you have some options?

But other than those few rules guys the rest comes down to personal preference and what you think looks good on you. I myself prefer leather watches over metal ones because they tend to get caught in my arm hair and I’m a little girl who hates pain. I also prefer brown leather over black because I tend to wear brown shoes a lot and I like to match them. But it may be a case that you like metal watches instead although I will always suggest silver over gold.

Remember as always to have fun with it. Try and see what quirky things you can match your watch to. I saw a guy the other day that had a brown leather strap with a red watch face that matched his red socks and pocket square. It was amazing to see and really showed he’d paid attention to the little details but also had fun doing it.

Ways To Wear

Here are just a few ways you can wear a watch:

Editor Addition: Watch Picks

Obviously watches are MASSIVELY personal preference, but with Christmas coming up I thought I would put together a few selections from a variety of online stores who actually stock premium designer timepieces, fashion watches and the classic true watch brands. Nearly all specialised watch shops online now do next day delivery for free and the prices are generally MUCH cheaper than your local H.Samuel, Goldsmiths and major offline jewellers. So take a browse through:

Essentially guys the best advice I can give you is to head out and see what kind of watch suits you. If you have a rough idea of what you’re looking for, still make sure to shop around – online or in town – because you never know what might catch your eye. Remember that if you do buy online (the prices can be much cheaper) and it doesn’t quite fit you properly in the wrist, most shops and local jewellers will have it fitted (pins taken out, extra holes added etc.) for a small fee.

Until next week guys,
Matt Allinson