Accessories 101

One of the biggest, ongoing trends in mass market men's fashion of late has been the attention put on finishing touches -- that is, accessories. You'll see this continuing in upcoming seasons, as well, so it's a good idea to invest now.

Adding a few accessories to your apparel can enhance or change your outfit's mood dramatically. A few bracelets can make a generic-looking t-shirt and jeans combination look unique, playful, and classy.

One reason accessories might work is because they suggest, subconsciously, that caring about bracelets, necklaces, cool belt buckles, and the like means that you actually spent some time putting your outfit together -- and conversely, that you didn't just roll out of bed and jump into the first thing you found on your floor (though that might be the case.) Without fail, great accessories make a great outfit even better.

If you're in the market for accessories, I'd try to avoid the sort of things that you'd find at an Abercrombie or Hot Topic -- think classier, silver or dark metal jewelry, not fratwear. Leather looks good in moderation -- lean toward black leather, and avoid Conan-sized wrist braces or hulking East Village-type punk rock spiked bracelets. They're out like a NJ governor. Instead, check out some of guyshop.com's silver jewelry offerings.

Tiebars. You'll need them with a suit (and, ahem, a tie) or risk looking a tad weird. Check out some of our Fashion Week coverage and you'll see -- the tie bar is back and is everywhere.

Cufflinks -- they're not stodgy anymore. Shirts with French cuffs and slick cufflinks work not only in the office, but still work wonders for a night on the town. Don't be afraid to mix dress shirts and denim, by the way -- wearing cufflinks and a great French cuffed shirt and designer jeans out on a Saturday night. You'll look sharp, and like you know it (without seeming like a pretentious jerk.)

So, get yourself some great, modern-looking cufflinks. I like Pink's selection:
Mens Cufflinks