Manly!
Monday, November 29th, 2010By La Petite Acadienne
Men and accessories…
It’s SUCH a fine line, isn’t it? I really feel kind of bad for men — their options for accessories are much more limited, and they can really only wear so much before looking like a cast reject from a 1970’s Vegas movie.
Of course, some men can get away with less subtle accessorizing, just due to sheer force of personality.
Other men wear little to no jewelry or accessories at all. Personally, I think that’s a bit of a shame, as there ARE some very, very handsome items out there.
So, whether the fellows in your life are totally minimalist, gaily festooned, or somewhere in between, there are plenty of options out there for gifting. (The delightful Mr. Henry at Manolo for the Men has also talked about men’s accessories on many an occasion, so feel free to pop on over and check him out).
1. Nice gloves.
Unless you live in a very warm climate (in which case, my freezing-cold self doesn’t really want to hear about it, thanks), gloves are a nice gift for even the most minimalist man. Getting the right size can be tricky, though. If they don’t already own gloves so that you can sneak a peek at the size label, you may need to estimate. Most guys I know don’t like tight gloves, so a size large is usually a safe bet. These gloves are lined in cashmere, making them warmer and more luxurious.
2. A casual watch
Even completely non-jewelry guys don’t mind owning a watch. Some men even have an entire wardrobe of watches. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with a classic style and a slightly retro feel.
Ooh…this is a tricky one, isn’t it? Rings for men tend to fall into two categories: wedding bands, and bespangled large rings depicting the cab of an 18-wheeler. However, there are some other options out there. There are classic signet rings, funky rings, or birthstone rings. I like this wood and sterling silver ring, and The Stonecutter (a non-jewelry guy if there ever was one) admired it as well.
4. Cufflinks
I know. There are a lot of guys out there who will never take the opportunity to wear cufflinks, even if they do wear suits and dress shirts. And that is a shame, frankly, because there are some GREAT cufflinks out there. From elegant to kitschy to everywhere in between, cufflinks can really add so much personality to a basic dress shirt. So why not buy the man in your life a set of cufflinks (and the dress shirt that takes them, so that he doesn’t have to hunt around for one)?
Fun fact: a LOT of little boys dream of becoming pilots. And a lot of grown men dream of it as well. These cufflinks can help your guy mentally escape a boring meeting by envisioning himself as a cross between Chuck Yeager and Maverick.
So…what are your thoughts on men and jewelry? Should they just avoid it altogether? How much is too much? And what would you add to my list?
Bisous,
LPA