Some days back, David Beckham – in his usual fashion - had us gushing over how dapper he looked in the outfit he wore to the Royal wedding. Aside the fact that it always appears like whatever he wears look like gold on him, we can’t overlook the brilliance at which he paired the accessories in the first picture below.

Accessories are that touch of elegance that can take your outfit from, “just there” to “dapper”

But you have to note that Accessories are like spices, too much can be too loud, a too less can be too bland. We just need them in the right proportion to make the right impression.
Below are accessories I think every classy gentleman should have to revamp your style.

Pocket Watch
This is one piece of accessory I hardly find on men these days. Just incase you were wondering what that dangling chain attached to David Beckham’s waistcoat is, that is a Pocket Watch.

The pocket watch is an evergreen accessory and it never goes out style. It was first produced in the 16th century by Peter Heinlein because of the need for portable watches since time pieces were made to be very heavy at the time but it was worn as a pendant around the neck. Charles II of England eventually adopted this accessory and changed the approach to wearing it by wearing it in the waistcoats of a Three piece suit. Hence the emergence of the trend of wearing it in the waistcoat and hanging the penchant in button hole of your waistcoat.

The pocket watch might not be so ideal to wear to a workplace, especially in the cooperate world, but it is very appropriate to wear when going for a wedding, a black tie event or an expensive dinner date where you are expected to look dapper.

Cravats
According to Merriam Webster , Cravats are: “a short, wide piece of cloth that is worn around the neck by men with its ends tucked inside the collar of a shirt or sweater”

But not all cravats are worn tucked inside the collar of a shirt, some, especially the Silk ones with little or no patterns are worn like you wear your regular neckties – these are the types you are most likely going to find in event like a wedding.

The cravats are a breath of fresh air from the regular neckties we are all used to. You can wear wear them to work on Fridays and style in such a way that gives you this smart casual look – just make sure the collar of your shirt is very prominent.

Check the picture below for better pictorial representation..

Bow Ties
A couple of us restrict bow ties to formal dress codes alone. But I disagree, while there are bow ties that are most appropriate for some events, I still feel there are some you can wear with your casual attire and still look good.

Now picture this:
A red polka dot bow tie on a white shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black dress loafers, and let’s just say instead of wearing belts, you wear suspenders and you roll the sleeves to give it that casual flair. Then adorn your wrist with bracelets that matches to the colour of your tie.

Great right? Now you see bowties are not restricted to formal attires alone.

Suspenders
Just in case you were wondering what suspenders are when I mentioned it while creating a picture of how to wear your bowties, I got you.

Suspenders are basically straps used for holding up your pants. While suspenders are considered as “old skool” I greatly disagree. Suspenders can be worn on almost anything and everything. You just have to know that there are two types of it; the clip-type and the button-type.

The clip type are informal and are appropriate when pairing it with something casual while the button-type are more formal, these are the types you found James Bond wearing in his classic movie or Barnum – the lead actor in The Greatest Showman.

Boutonnière
These are just a special kind of lapel pins, only that they have a flowery finish – basically a bunch of small flowers clustered together into one.

It is a classy piece of accessory that you can use to add a touch of elegance to outfit. They are most appropriate for weddings and black-tie events.
Whatever you do, never wear it to work, it is just too extra and inappropriate for work.

Waistcoats
This is what some people call “jackets” well, if you call it that, you are very wrong.

They are just a sleeveless garment worn over a shirt. And that’s exactly what the grey-coloured garment David Beckham was spotted in, in the first picture below.

Recently, we have seen that waistcoats that are of a different color from the jacket gives your outfit a sort of variety and class. Hence, David Beckham chose a grey-coloured waistcoat over black – which is the colour of his jacket. The same way I will advice someone to match his blue jacket with a tan waistcoat (tan is a shade of brown). Why? Just to spice up things a bit and not look regular.

Waistcoats are also appropriate for almost any dress code. So if you are looking for something to add a bit of variety and class to your wardrobe, why not get some waistcoats and do get them in different colours.

Pocket square
This also not common among male folks on here. Or when they do, they match it blandly to their tie always – while they can be matched to the shirts instead.
Pocket squares are that piece of clothing that are used to adorn the upper pocket of your jacket or even your waist coat – that is when you aren’t wearing a jacket on it.
They come in different colours and patterns and can be styled in different ways. So, just in case you are looking for something to spice up your regular office wear, why not try investing on getting more pocket squares.

Collar Pin
Many guys will find this strange, some may have not heard or seen anything about it.
They are very essential to bring the collars of your shirt close especially when wearing a necktie with it, to elevate your knot and to give you look a smart finish.

Tie Clips
Like the name implies, they are used to clip your ties to your shirt. This keeps your tie from flying about and helps to make you look smart.

Bracelets
Some men consider this piece of accessory as too feminine. Which I find laughable.
I once worked in a fashion house some years back and this was one accessory I noticed we had issues selling. I had to make personal effort to convince our clients about the essence of adorning your wrist with bracelets and informing them on the right type of bracelets for a particular dress code.

They come in varieties too like other accessories like: Nautical, gold, silver e.t.c .
You should just make sure when pairing, it matches with your outfit and also ensure you are wearing it in the right amount considering the occasion you are dressed up for.

There are other accessories like the Sunglasses, neckties, socks e.t.c that are not discussed in this piece. I just feel I should make more emphasis on the ones discussed above since they are not so conventional.

I hope you learnt a thing or two from this piece.

Stay stylish.

Happy Sunday.

#Accessories