What every man needs to know about elegant accessories?

Regulars of the blog will know that last year I went to the Pitti Immagine Uomo fair. It is the most important, and definitely the most colourful men’s fashion fair during which the number of well-dressed men per one square metre is by far the highest in the world.

During my stay there I was paying special attention to the elements that complemented the entire look. This is why in today’s post I will tell you more about ties, shoes and accessories.

A made-to-measure suit

First and foremost: no accessories will do the trick if the base – the suit – is less than great. I am a fan of made-to-measure suits as only such suits will be perfectly suited to the body, will highlight its best parts and hide any flaws. I know that a suit like this will set you back several thousand zloty so not everyone can afford to have one made. This is why, if you do not want to spend as much money on clothing, consider buying a ready-made suit by a renowned brand that offers customization services(of possible of course) that will adjust the suit to the given body type.

What should you pay most attention to? Above all you need to ask yourself the question whether the suit will be worn on a daily basis or on special occasions only. Size matters in this case, too – the jacket must lie great on the shirt collar, the shoulders ought to look natural and the lapels should lie flat on the chest. Once buttoned, the jacket ought not to display any creases around the button. The sleeves of the jacket should end some 2 cm above the wrist. Of essence is also the length of the trousers. Today, when slim trousers are in fashion, the rule that the hem must reach the heel of the shoe does not apply. The perfect length is up to the upper sole. The fabric the suit is made of is also crucial. Top quality wool fabrics are the best. My favourite fabric type is cashmere.

Ties

I wrote about fun facts about ties in a past post so today I will only give you a few tips on how to match a tie to the shirt and jacket.

Number one rule: colour. The times when an elegant man only wore white shirts are long gone. Today, apart from classic white, we often come across pink and light blue shirts. A well-matched tie should not be lighter that the shirt. It also needs to match the jacket – you can go for a similar or contrasting colour. For instance, an intensively blue (similar) or orange (contrasting) tie will look great with a light blue shirt and navy jacket. The second thing is the fabric. Silk is the fabric to choose for special occasions but I sometimes like to go wild and wear wool ties. Thirdly – the pattern. To me, the best looking ties are plain, covered with a small pattern, or woollen striped ties. The fourth thing is the width of the tie. I opt for the classic look and most often buy 8-cm wide ties but I do have slim ties in my wardrobe too. Bear in mind that the width of the lapels and tie should be similar.

Shoes

Oxford shoes, derby shoes, brogues, monks, loafers, moccasins, ankle boots – the diversity of shoe types is massive. This is why I will write a separate post about shoe wear, so today I will only give you a few basic information.

How to choose matching shoes to a suit? Firstly, the colour – only wear black shoes with black suits, brown, burgundy or black shoes with navy suits and brown or black with grey suits. As regards the type of shoe, my favourites are monks and the classic brogue shoes.

Accessories

Last but not least, a few words about the most important accessory – the watch. I am faithful to classics in this respect. The watch must be the right size for our wrist (it cannot be too large) and simple. The colour of the strap – preferably made of leather – should match the other leather accessories you have on. The dial should be minimalistic in style and not overloaded with indicators.