High street shopping is an inescapable commodity for the everyday dude – cheap and affordable is difficult to argue with. As much as you may loath the idea of being caught in the same outfit as someone else, the lure of affordable fashion is altogether too hard to resist. However, how can you avoid the trap of wearing the same outfit as another guy? Something which is particularly pressing at this particular time of year [Editor: Article produced before Christmas but still relevant now] when festive parties are in full swing and when you are rubbing shoulders with someone at a party you may well be rubbing shoulders with a guy in exactly the same shirt as you.

One way you can avoid this situation is of course by visit one of the many vintage haunts scattered around various shopping areas all over the country or by vintage shopping online. Usually vintage shopping is the one fail safe way of ensuring your outfit is unique, however, vintage has one big flaw. Those guys who are larger, skinnier, shorter or taller than average will routinely find that after rummaging through the rails of clothes to find those one-of-a-kind blazers, shirts, jackets and other such gems… they do not fit. Whilst high street stores cater for all shapes and sizes, if that vintage jacket you hanker for is the wrong size then you must unwillingly place it back on the rail. However, one more dependable way of ensuring you stand out from the crowd is accessorising.

High street stores have an abundance of affordable jewellery often in many different styles. This is a great way of achieving the layered look. Stacking up necklaces and bracelets is instantly intriguing and impossible for someone else to recreate. The layered look is a hippy-esque throwback that looks youthful and exuberant without being expensive; mixing different metals, watches, leather, fabrics and beads will make you look effortlessly eclectic. There is also something quietly romantic about small trinkets and charms nestling on your neck or wrist… think back to charm bracelets and lockets when people wore jewellery because it symbolised a special memory.

If this look is too sentimental then you can opt for a snazzier, slicker look by investing in shiner, more reflective jewellery that can help to pull your outfit together. If you prefer to wear metal jewellery then slightly duller, muted tones are better for a more understated look rather than an outdated, super shiny look. Titanium and black coated metals are two very popular forms of metals for jewellery right now because of their more subtle “manly” colourings which I think look far more expensive than the super shiny silver you get down the local half price jewellers.

By investing in accessories and pulling them together creatively you can make your accessories the main focal point of your outfit and steal attention away from your high street purchases that might be seen on someone else. So take a look at the sort of jewellery the high street is offering online and get creative in stacking up your bangles, necklaces and jewellery.

EDITOR ADDITION: How The Celebrities Do It

As you can see from the images at the top of the article and above, this is a look that a lot of famous males like to do in order to stand out. Beckham (main picture – far right) is often seen wearing multiple bracelets including a mix of coloured beads, and woven ropes. He shys away from multiple necklaces in most of the photos I have seen, instead often opting for one statement piece instead. Orlando Bloom is quite the opposite and I often see him wearing multiple chains around his neck. He always varies the lengths and I think this is imperative if you are layering jewellery. He also mixes rope chains with metal necklaces in order to give the contrast and variety… this is what makes the look individual.

Perhaps THE ambassador for mixing accessories though is Johnny Depp. As you can see above, he mixes ANYTHING and EVERYTHING together. Multiple chains of different lengths, different styles of pendants and different materials for the actual chain. No-one I have seen does it better than him, and it just reinforces his overall hippy/pirate/new earth dress sense. On his wrists he mixes chains, beads, ropes and even bandannas to create what should be a total clash of items… however he pulls it off. He just OWNS this look; part of it is attitude but the other part is that he knows who he is and what his personal style is. That is one of the most important rules of fashion. Don’t go for this look if it is not YOU… by all means experiment with stacking accessories but it has got to feel right in your mind and be congruent with who you are. Please don’t ever try to be someone else, it will come off awkward and try hard.

This is a great look for those who have an eccentric style, surfer types or are real free spirits. You can rock the beads, woven ropes and pendants easily within any look, and even if you just throw a plain t-shirt on with them you will still stand out and will have created an individual look to those who haven’t accessorised (see Johnny Depp). For those wanting to pull of the rocker look I would suggest dark metals and leather cuffs/bracelets as it is a slightly darker approach often associated with the great rock bands and indie scene.

Fashion Necklaces and Bracelets

There is so much variety around right now that you need to take a look through the shops online to see something that works for YOU… whether it be colours, styles or material. Below I have put a variety of necklaces and bracelets that can be used for this style. If you click the images you will go to the actual category on each site so you can take a quick browse through and see what catches your eye.

Topman

All Saints

ASOS

Burton