• Men's Fashion Basics

Men’s Fashion Basics – Part 40 – Jewellery

So I thought I would save the final article on men’s accessory basics for something really special and that has been on my mind for awhile now. It’s something that I’ve tampered and dabbled in every now and then but I have always been too cautious and reserved to go full on and dive into it. Men’s jewellery has always seemed to be just too daunting and elusive for me to grab a hold of. But over the Christmas holidays I really started to sit down and have a think about investing in a quality piece of jewellery that hopefully I would have for a long time and maybe even be able to pass on. I knew what I was looking for but I wasn’t sure on how to pull it off, so I set about creating some easy to follow rules that would mean no matter what piece I wear it should always look appropriate.

Now the first thing that I want to outline with this article is that personal preference always takes precedent! What I mean by this is that there are a lot of different types of jewellery out there for guys with all kinds of weird and wonderful pendants and symbols to top it off. So make sure that you have a firm idea of what you want in your mind before you start. Secondly, these rules apply for the majority of jewellery out there. So that includes bracelets, rings, ear rings, necklaces and whether they’re in silver, gold, metal, wood, whatever, it all still applies.

How To Wear – General Rules

So here they are:

• Slowly But Surely – one of the things you want to make sure you do when you first start wearing jewellery is making it seem like a natural progression. So start small with a bracelet or a cuff or maybe even a ring. Then build up towards getting a necklace or some more chunky statement pieces. The last thing you want to do is suddenly turn up at the pub one day looking like Mr. T.
• Man Up – If you are going to start sporting jewels in your every day looks then make sure it gives off a masculine vibe. Try to avoid things that are too shiny, bright or blingy – it just looks a bit silly. In order for it to look personal to yourself it needs to look like you’ve had it for awhile, so something a bit more rugged and tough is ideal.
• Own It – you want to make sure that you’re the one wearing the jewellery not the other way around! The key to that is making sure that you are comfortable wearing it and that you feel yourself with it on.
• Get An Attitude – At the end of the day, it is all going to come down to how you wear it and whether you have the confidence to pull it off. Even if someone does point it out and say it looks weird, just shrug and say you like it. After all, that’s what counts right?

So there you have it guys, four easy rules on how to wear jewellery like a man. Of course these are just rough guidelines and I would recommend feeling it out yourself too. Often making the mistakes is half the fun. Just try to remember that the most common mistake is to take jewellery to extremes, as it wasn’t meant to function that way. Build up a few key pieces that you like and enjoy wearing and soon they will become recognisable trademarks of ‘you’.

Until next week guys,
Matt Allinson

Matt Allinson

Matt graduated from Leeds University in 2009 and is currently studying for an MA in Multi-media Journalism at Bournemouth University. He is in charge of the Men’s Fashion Basics section which provides you with a step by step guide to becoming a stylish individual in any situation.