Whether or not you're a guy who likes the sparkle of men's jewelry, there are functional men's accessories that you need to have in your wardrobe. These are the fashion accessories that may not be flashy but that make your life a little easier. If you need some advice on how to buy accessories that are right for you, then this men's accessories buying guide will help.
This men's style rule is easy to get right: If your pants have belt loops, wear a belt with them. You'll want to have at least three men's belts so you'll have the right belts to wear with all of your clothing:
A black leather belt to wear with black shoes
A brown leather belt to wear with brown shoes
A casual belt -- either leather or cloth -- to wear with sporty shoes
Men's belts come in sizes with numbers, like 32, 34 and so on. Choosing the size of your belts is easy: just choose one size larger than your pants size. For example, if you wear size 36 pants, then choose a size 38 belt. If you don't know your pants size, read the Overstock.com Men's Clothing Measurement Guide to learn how to measure for it.
When you're looking at men's wallets for yourself, you'll want to consider how much the wallets hold and the material they are made from.
Consider what you need to carry regularly and choose a wallet that can hold it all: cash, a few credit cards, an identification card and maybe a few business cards.
You'll use your wallet every day, and leather men's wallets are durable enough to stand up to that kind of wear.
If leather wallets aren't your style, a nylon wallet is a casual alternative.
If you prefer carrying cash, be sure to shop for money clips. Some leather money clips include a card holder, too, which can be very helpful.
Business card holders may come in materials to complement your money clip or wallet, or you can find business card wallets with compartments for cash, credit cards and ID cards as well.
No matter which one you choose -- wallet, money clip or business card holder -- make sure you clean it out regularly to stay organized and to avoid that unattractive bulge in your back pocket.
Keys are an essential for any man to have, and key rings can keep those keys organized. A masculine key ring should be subtle, possibly with just a bit of leather to decorate it, although there's nothing wrong with choosing a key ring made of a fine metal. For a sleek look, try a leather key holder, which hold your keys flat and prevents bulk.
Keep your key collection edited, so only the keys you actually use regularly are on your key chain. For those keys you only use occasionally, keep a second key chain in a safe place.
Men don't wear hats as often as they did in the past, but you'll still want to have a few men's hats around for those times when you need them. Baseball caps are usually adjustable, but check the Men's Measurement Guide for tips on measuring your head for other men's hats.
Cold days: The winter hats for you'll wear for warmth in the winter range from the casual, like beanies or other knit hats, to the classic and formal, like berets and fedoras. Leather hats can be worn for dressier occasions, and lined leather hats will keep the chill away.
Casual days: Baseball caps have long been the favorite men's hats for casual wear, but newsboy caps, fisherman hats and bucket hats are fun alternatives.
For protection from the cold, protection while riding a motorcycle or protection while working, gloves are an important item of clothing. Here are a few gloves you may want to have:
Work gloves: Whether you're working on your yard or working with heavy machinery, the best defense for your hands is a pair of men's leather gloves. Work gloves are made of sturdy leather, and if they have a lining, it will probably be thin so the bulk doesn't get in your way. Deerskin gloves are a reliable choice for work gloves.
Winter gloves: There are two types of gloves for cold weather: sport gloves and dress gloves. Winter gloves for sports will need to be chosen for your sport of choice, but dress gloves should be chosen to coordinate with your winter dress coat.
Driving gloves: Motorcycle gloves and driving gloves both help with your grip, and leather gloves work excellently in both cases. Motorcycle gloves need to be sturdier than other driving gloves to protect your hands from road rash in the unfortunate event of an accident.
Men's scarves are mostly about warmth, but they've become more and more stylish lately.
Wool scarves: Wool scarves are essential in the winter. Choose your wool scarves the way you choose your socks: go with something subtle when you're dressed up and allow for more colors when you're more casual. For real luxury and warmth, a cashmere scarf is the way to go; any man would look stylish wearing a grey cashmere scarf.
Fashion scarves: If you've only thought about scarves as a snow-day necessity, you may want to reconsider. Men's dress scarves can lend an air of old Hollywood glamour, like with a white silk scarf, or they can create a modern pop star look, like with a paisley silk scarf. This can take a little more fashion panache but will always make an impact.
Men's umbrellas are often black, and having a black umbrella is essential when the rain is falling and you're headed to a funeral or a black tie event. For other times, you can branch out to other colors if they appeal to you. An umbrella in a handsome plaid or stripe will brighten up a cloudy day and will be easier to identify when you're leaving a restaurant.
Choose the size of your umbrella based on what would be convenient for you, so you'll remember to use it when the rain falls. A compact umbrella is handy to keep tucked into an office drawer or a glove compartment; they're usually just big enough to cover one person when opened. Larger umbrellas are handy if you'll be taking a date out to dinner on a rainy evening, so you may want to keep one of these stored in your coat closet at home.
Materials
If you're trying to decide between metal and plastic eyeglass frames -- either for reading glasses or general wear -- why not make it easy on yourself and shop for one of each. You'll have a mini-wardrobe of glasses to choose from every day. Just look for eyeglasses which complement your skin and eyes. If you have warm skin tone or brown eyes, gold metal frames and red or tortoiseshell plastic frames would look excellent. If you have cooler tones in your skin or blue eyes, silver metal frames and black or blue plastic eyeglass frames will be perfect for you.
The right size and shape
You may think that you're making your eyeglasses less conspicuous if you choose smaller frames. In fact, smaller frames will just make your face look heavy -- and that's never a good look. If you need to wear optical eyeglasses, then embrace the opportunity to wear an accessory and choose eyeglass frames that fit correctly.
Choose eyeglass frames that are in scale with your face. The frames of your glasses should be as wide as your face. As far as the shape goes, you'll want to pick something that contrasts with the shape of your face. For example, if you have a square jaw and broad forehead, look for eyeglasses that have rounded edges.
I've heard that the leather on my shoes and belt should match, but what about my watch band?
It's true that your black belt should be worn with black shoes and likewise for brown, and wearing a matching wristband could complete the look. Watch bands are not as essential to match up, though. If you want to wear a brown leather watch strap with your black belt and shoes, most likely no one would even notice.
I have cashmere scarves and mittens for winter, but how do I take care of them?
Most labels on cashmere say "dry clean only," and you can't go wrong by following these directions. Dry clean your cashmere scarves and mittens a few times during the winter if you wear them often, and make sure you have your cashmere cleaned before you store it away for the summer. If you're on a tight budget, you can hand wash cashmere with a very mild detergent, but be very careful not to wring it out; just let it dry flat on a towel.
Which men's accessories make the best gifts?
Like with any gift, it's easier to shop for accessories when you don't need to know an exact size. Scarves, wallets and key rings all fit that description, and there are quality styles of each of those that would make excellent gifts. Make sure your gift is worthy of the recipient; look for quality materials -- like cashmere, quality metals and fine leather -- or for accessories that are sold in stylish gift boxes.
The whole look
Men's accessories are just the beginning -- or is it the ending? -- to a great outfit. Either way, men's accessories would be nothing without the men's clothing you wear them with. From tee shirts and jeans to suits and dress shirts, you can find it all here on Overstock.com. Best of all, when you have all of your clothes and accessories shipped together, you'll save with our low, flat shipping rate.
A wintry day
If you're shopping for cold-weather accessories like winter hats, scarves and gloves, be sure to check out the selection of men's coats available here on Overstock.com. We have the brand-name outerwear that you love, and just like our men's accessories, we have it all at low, discount prices.
Every last detail
There's one more accessory that you won't want to overlook:men's shoes. Find the black dress shoes to wear with your new black leather belt, the boots to wear with your scarf and umbrella or the driving loafers to wear with your driving gloves and key ring. You'll find it with help from your online outlet, Overstock.com.
