Accessories to Complement a Suit

A well fitted suit may make a man look sharp, but it is not all he needs to look well put together and stylish. Accessories can make or break an outfit and are very important to completing the look of a suit. They help ass flair and personality to the outfit.

Here is a list of accessories that complement a suit and tips on how to wear each of them.

• Ties

As mentioned in a previous post, ties are the most important accessory to complete the suit. They come in a variety of fabrics, designs and patterns. A solid coloured tie is a safe choice and complements all shirts whether plain or patterned. A patterned tie can be a bolder and more stylish option which may even perk up even a dull suit. You can mix various patterns of shirts and ties to experiment further.

• Jewellery

A necklace is a redundant piece of jewellery on a suit. Watches, rings and cufflinks are the only jewellery needed while wearing a suit.

Wear a watch that matches the undertone of the suit and your other jewellery. The colour of the strap of the watch should match your suit. Black and brown are great options that go with everything. Metal finishes also look very elegant and complement everything.

Rings in gold, silver or platinum make great accessories but make sure they are traditionally cut rings and are not flashy or inappropriate. Also keep the number of rings to a minimum. Additionally you can also match the stone of the ring to the colour of your suit or tie to add that extra dash of coordination.

Cufflinks are a small but necessary detail that makes a big difference to the look of the suit. These sleeve fasteners are worn with French cuffed shirts and have become a must have for men on special occasions. Stick to metallic cufflinks of silver or gold as the plastic ones look cheap.

• Scarves and Pocket Squares

A smart scarf knotted or left hanging loosely classes up any suit. Scarves come in many patterns and designs and can brighten up your outfit. Coordinate the scarf with either matching it with your suit for a sober and mature look, or contrasting it with the suit for a younger look.

Pocket squares are accents to a suit which can also double as handkerchiefs. Always coordinate your pocket square with your tie.

• Belt, Wallet and Bag

A minimalistic leather belt with a classic buckle is best suited for a suit. Always remember the fashion rule of matching your belt with your shoes.

A genuine or faux leather wallet is the best choice for a suit. Leave wallets of other fabrics for more casual wear.

A bag is necessary if you carry a lot of documents. Invest in an elegant leather one which is suave and not too obtrusive. Neutral colours are safe bets that go with everything.

It is recommended not to wear all the accessories together at one time. They should be mixed and matched according to the suit, occasion and the look you are aiming at.

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Silk: Yet Another Invention We Need To Thank The Chinese For

It is well known that silk is one of the best materials for clothing – it has a look of richness that no other materials can match. However, very few people know when, where or how it was discovered.

As a matter of fact, the discovery of silk can be dated back as early as 3500 BC when Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) came into power in China. There are many legends about the discovery of silk; some of them are romantic and others mysterious and a few both romantic and mysterious.

However, a channel or route was needed to spread this invention throughout the world. The world famous, Great Silk Road was built up at the cost of losing many lives and treasures. It is a monument to human inquisitiveness, intrepreneurship, and unquenchable thirst for ever new knowledge and a desire to go beyond. It started from Chang’an (now Xi’an), across Middle Asia, South Asia and West Asia. Many countries of Asia and Europe were connected.

From then on, Chinese silk, along with many other Chinese inventions, were passed to Europe. Romans, especially women, were crazy for Chinese silk. Before that, Romans used to make clothes with linen cloth, animal skin and wool fabric. Now they all turned to silk. It was a symbol of wealth and high social status for them to wear silk clothes.

Today tourists can trace the footsteps of ancient caravan traders with tours along the Silk Road. There are many ancient sites and cities within China whose history dates back to the time when trade thrived overland. Tour operators often have Silk Road itineraries. Taking a Silk Road tour can be a fascinating way to see and understand China’s ancient history and ties with the rest of the world.

 

Just how far should you roll your sleeves!

You just got to work and everyone is in frenzy. Everyone looks haggard and stressed. Of course, you need to maintain you’re cool. You take off your blazer and slowly unbutton the cuffs of your sleeves to get ready for business. In today’s economic times, this scenario is all too common. Part of staying cool is looking cool as well.

Surprisingly, the most attractive way to dress is actually to show less and make people think more; leave something for the imagination. When you roll your sleeves just twice and they lay flat across your forearm, it actually accentuates your hands in an appealing way (you often hear women talking about men with strong hands, or the size of his hands, etc.). The Italian way of rolling your shirt sleeve is simple. The fold never goes past your elbow. And the fold is tight and flat; no bulk.

• Unbutton the cuffs at the bottom of your sleeve.

• Flip your cuff up, pull it towards you until it reaches mid elbow.

• Take the fabric outside of the cuff and fold once or twice over depending on how thick you want your fold to be.

Make sure that everything is flat.

You’ll notice what you don’t see up there “to look dramatic”. Forget the Hollywood boardroom drama idea that executives take their jackets off and roll their sleeves up when they’re engineering big corporate takeovers or mass layoffs. Rolling your sleeves up in a meeting is just going to make you look sloppy. Save it for when you’re working with your hands or when you want to signal that stakes are lowered and attitudes can relax a little, not for when you want everyone to focus and care. If at all you need you roll your shirt sleeves in the business workplace, please do so respectably-keep it neat, tidy, polished. Wearing a tie? Please don’t roll your sleeves at all. Keep them cuffed and polished.

What To Look For In A Tie?

A neck tie is perhaps the most important piece of clothing accessory in a man’s wardrobe. Wondering why? Well there have been surveys which say that women first look at a tie to judge a man’s personality. Neckties speak a lot about a man’s personality providing just the perfect finishing touch to the whole look.

Hard as this may be to believe, tie-wearing is on the upswing, even among young men. They also make a popular choice for gifts. However, buying a tie can easily turn out into a failure, especially in a case you are unaware of some simple & basic rules that are a “must” when buying a new tie. To find a great tie at a value price, you have to pay attention to the details.

Here are some pointers that will help choosing the right tie:

Make sure the length of the tie is right for your height.
The entire length of the tie must be neither very long, nor too short. If you have a tall stature, you need to buy a long tie. The best measure of length, however, is how it falls on your own body. The tip of a properly-tied necktie should reach just past the trouser waist.

Make sure the tie is not too wide.
Knowing the right size of the tie will serve you well whether you’re buying handmade Italian imports or off-the-rack at supermarkets. Fashion has widened and narrowed ties back and forth over the years.  Don’t bother keeping track. A good necktie is right in the comfortable middle.  3 1/4″ is ideal for most men (the width is measured at the widest point, before the tapered tip if there is one).

Choose the right fabric or material to suit your needs.
Length and width are easy to judge with a ruler and a few minutes in a dressing room. The real difficulty between buying good ties and buying great ones at a value price lies in your ability to judge the fabric and construction. The highest quality made ties in the world are made from fine silk. Synthetic fabrics give a similar sheen but none of the rich texture and straight drape of silk.
Check to see if the silk has been cut “on the bias” — across the bolt of cloth — by draping the tie over your hand.  If it hangs straight it was cut properly.  If it curls and twists to one side or the other it was not cut on the bias, and is not going to hang as neatly.
The texture of the silk is also important.  Rough silk that catches on your skin as you slide a hand over it indicates a cheaper product.  The fibres are already stiff, and will break and lose their lustre quickly.  Look for smoothness and flexibility in the surface.

Be aware to the tie care/maintenance demands.
It is important to read the care labels on every tie so you could know what will need to be done in order to keep your tie looking clean and new, as some materials require spot cleaning, dry cleaning or even special laundering.

Get creative with the tie(s) you pick out.
Opting for solid colours gives you greater flexibility in pairing the tie with different shirts, and choosing a patterned or multiple coloured tie can give a plain suit a pop of colour and looks great against a solid white shirt for a hot of style.