Gone are the days of picking black or brown and matching all your “accessory” elements to each other. Men are upping their style game, and to keep up, you’ve got to know how to pull the different elements of your look together. Every day there are more unique shoes, bags, glasses, socks… down to the mix and matching of things like watch straps to fit your outfit of the day.
It’s a good looking world out there… are you part of it?
Watch Straps, Really?!
Okay, mixing and matching your watch strap bands to fit different outfits can feel a bit advanced, but it does point to the fact that there is more to style nowadays than just picking a color leather that you like and wearing it with every outfit you own.
Men's watch straps are becoming a symbol.
If everyone and their neighbor have an Apple watch, what makes you stand out? What keeps you looking professional in the office and not looking like you came straight from the gym?
Watches and stylish watch bands are the epitome of tying together an accessory game that makes you look like you actually know what you’re doing.
But don’t worry, we’re keeping it simple.
Finding the Right Watch:
There are three things you need to keep in mind when determining which watch is right for your outfit: Formality, color, and functionality.
Commit to Your Formality
It’s almost impossible to get away with wearing the same watch for every occasion. You’re not going to be the one guy who found the perfect watch that looks as good in the office as it does on a casual weekend adventure. Unless you’re a chronically formal or underdressed guy, chances are you need watches that work with your different looks.
If you’re not excited about the idea of buying multiple watches, I’d suggest starting with the formal one. You can pull out your phone to check the time at home or out for fun. But every man should own a nice watch to wear to more formal occasions. Even if your work is casual, you’ll be happy to have an accessory that elevates your whole look when it comes to an important meeting, a wedding filled with well-dressed friends, or a date night you’re pulling out all the stops for.
Pick a level of formality that you’re going for and then stick with it.
Pick The Right Color
If you’re going with vintage leather or handmade leather watch straps, you want to keep it simple. These fancy and elegant styles will go with even your most formal of looks. But let’s not forget that leather needs to match. I know I said that style is about more than matching your shoes to your belt these days… but let’s not mistake that for, “your shoes don’t have to match your belt”. Please, please match your shoes to your belt, we’re begging you.
So, whatever color shoes and belt you already have in your wardrobe, that’s usually a great color to go with for your watch.
An alternative to leather watch straps that really step up your accessory game another notch are metal watches. But we’re not talking the chunky, dated, bright silver eye-sores that used to be in. Keep it simple and modern with a watch strap that makes you look like you’re living successfully in the twenty-first century.
Keep Function in Mind
If you’re not going for the most formal watch in the world, then think about when you’ll be wearing it. Does it make sense to spend thousands of dollars on it, or does it make more sense to have a few go-to watches that fit your different looks?
Now, don’t mistake me for meaning that you should get an abundance of cheap watch straps that you can mix and match with every outfit you own because trust me, people can tell. But having a watch that has detachable bands to swap for different styles can go a long way.
Take an apple watch, they’re all the rage these days. An Apple watch can transform from the gym to the boardroom in seconds with a nice metal or leather band. Find the best watch strap brands and get one or two that will fit with your favorite looks.
You’re a busy guy, I can just tell. So choose a watch that keeps up.
Let’s Talk Belts
At this point in life, you’ve probably got your belt situation mostly down. But a strong accessorizing game means potentially amping it up a bit. So let’s cut right to it— here are some easy ways to look great while also keeping your pants up.
Color Counts
An easy way to improve your overall look is to go with a belt that pops against the rest of your look. A lighter or chestnut brown contrasts well against navy. Black is perfect over a light grey suit. Something more unique like a deep red leather belt makes a statement without going crazy and can elevate your look in a really effortless way.
The opposite of choosing a belt that pops is going with a more monochrome look to let another area of your look shine. A black belt over black pants works well if your shirt is the one doing the wowing. Or, going all black can even make you look super bold, and is literally the easiest outfit you’ve ever put together.
People Notice Metal
If you think that no one will notice that the buckle on your belt isn’t the same color metal as a detail on your shoe or a tie clip, you’re wrong. For whatever reason, mismatched metal is one of the easiest things to notice and throws off an entire look. You will quickly go from looking like an accessorizing expert to that guy who tried too hard.
You don’t want to be that guy.
Silver is generally fairly easy to stay consistent with and works with casual or formal looks.
One exception to this rule, however, is with black metal. Black metal is becoming increasingly popular, especially with accessories like watches and bags. Where your briefcase and belt have always been silver, adding in a black metal accessory, like a sharp black metal watch strap can be a quick and easy way to bat with the big boys.
Don’t Go Overboard
Belts are not the place to take risks.
Keep it simple with classic color leathers that either intentionally stand out or blend in, and focus on other areas to make an impression. Timeless accessories like belts keep an outfit together by tying new modern styles with older traditional looks. If you try to venture too far off of the norm with your belt choice, you’ll likely wind up looking just plain silly.
Where to Get Creative
If you’ve got your basics down, it’s time to find fun ways to spice up your look for different occasions. Guys can be stylish too! You don’t have to jump from level 1 to 100 tomorrow, but trying out one of these at a time can allow you to test which you feel good in and how people respond to you stepping out of the box.
Funky Formal
Formal attire is getting more and more fun. There are plenty of ways to amp up a formal look that people actually respect as being a bit off the beaten path.
Firstly, if you match your cuff links to a tie clip, I guarantee you will be the life of the party. You’ll probably even start to get sick of all the compliments you’re getting! Let’s face it, most men are afraid of accessorizing, so it doesn’t take much.
Next, it’s time to talk about your tie and pocket square combo. If you’ve never worn a pocket square, it’s time to start. Pick a square that has a small detail in it that matches your tie, but otherwise has a different accenting color. If your tie is neutral, this is the place to have a little fun. Especially for an event like a wedding, the more unique you go, the more people will love it. Remember, as loud as you feel like it may be, it’s literally just a small sliver poking out of your jacket.
Casual Doesn’t Mean Boring
Accessories and style aren’t just applicable to your more dressed up outfits. You can spice up your aesthetic every day of the week if you want (sounds exhausting to me, but go for it).
If you don’t wear a watch, a belt, or a tie clip on your average day, we’ve got one word for you: SOCKS.
Socks are the easiest and by far the most fun place to improve your accessory game. But we’re not talking a pair of socks with pizza slices or sloths all over them.. Unless you really really love pizza or sloths, in which case… do you I guess.
But socks can still be fun and add an element to your look that makes you seem immediately cooler without any effort at all. You were going to wear socks anyway…. I hope.
Ever noticed a guy sit down and see a sweet sock peep from under his pant leg? Call me weird, but I have a time or two and thought “man, that guy knows what he’s doing”. Meanwhile that guys just drinking a coffee, completely unaware that I’m placing him in the “stylish” category of people in this coffee shop.
If you’re wanting to experiment with socks, feel free to go color crazy, as long as one color matches another piece of your outfit. If crazy colors or patterns aren’t your vibe, even just a heathered fabric or subtle and monochromatic design will really bring your look up to par.
Now Go Out and Accessorize, My Dude!
That’s It. It’s about the best watch strap brand, a simple, yet coordinated belt, and a few creative touches to improve your overall style game. I guarantee if you start to implement a few of these tricks into your wardrobe, people will start to notice.
And if being noticed scares you, then start small and before you know it, those same people will just be silently placing you in the “stylish” category in coffee shops.
Bullstrap Watch Bands
If you’re looking for ways to step up your style game by taking your Apple watch to the next level, visit Bullstrap. At Bullstrap, we know that Apple watches are so popular that it’s becoming harder and harder to make them stand out. With a stunning, yet classic leather or metal watch strap, your watch goes from “just another smart watch” to a part of the reason your friends don’t think twice when they’re asked if you’re a straight stud. Bullstrap rugged metal and handmade leather watch straps take you straight from a try-hard to a no-need-to-try kind of accessorizer. Try one for yourself and you’ll soon be saying, “Ain’t no shame in my accessory game.”
Shop Bullstrap, The Best Watch Straps
