When I was in the fifth grade, my father bought me my first piece of jewelry; it was a gold nugget ring. He picked me up from school, took by his favorite jewelry store, Kosch & Gray, and had me try on a series of rings. All of the rings seemed to a bit too overpowering for my long, skinny fingers. On the other side of the store, I spotted a nugget ring sitting in the jewelry case, looking back at me. Immediately, I asked my dad if I could try it on. He looked at the price, it was well in the hundreds and much to expensive for a 10 year old; however, I am the youngest and my dad rarely told me 'no'. He nodded at the clerk, and said I could try the ring on. The clerk pulled the ring from the case, polished it with a soft cloth, and placed it on my finger. I said "Daddy, I like this one", he looked at me, smiled again and purchased it. Little did my father know, but he had introduced me to something that would become a part of my life for years to come. I love jewelry, but I'm not gaudy!
As an adult, I've learned that men's jewelry can be rather tricky. Men have to be careful of crossing the line from conservative to gaudy; you have to be extremely careful when choosing accessories and pairing them together. In this blog post, we're going to discuss the proper way for men to wear jewelry. It really is okay to wear more than your wedding band and a watch.
Chains, rings and bracelets are not designed for and by women, and women alone. Historically, men wore lots of jewelry; now, I'm not saying that we need to go out and get 'adorned' like King Herod or Ramses the Great, but I am saying that a few carefully chosen pieces can really take an outfit to the next level.
When it comes to rings, I prefer to keep things simple. If it's not a wedding band, a simple decorative band is all you need. Do not go for the overly jeweled, gaudy, shiny ring; the object is not to draw attention to your hand, but rather it is to cause a woman to glance at your hand and say "my, he sure has nice hands". Men have larger hands, so rather than choosing a lighter metal, experiment with the heavier metals: titanium, cobalt, harsh toned alloys.
Bracelets should only be worn, when you are not wearing a french cuff shirt with cufflinks. Too much wrist candy can be rather feminine. Although I'm a big guy, I have rather thin wrists, so I opt for oversized watches on my left arm and either a thin chain on my right, or a nice ring. Recently, I've really gotten into shamballa bracelets. Shamballa bracelets are really stylized, so I typically mute my other jewelry, when wearing one of my Shamballa bracelets. With bracelets, you have to live by one rule, 'don't go overboard, stay simple'. If you have on a bold bracelet, like a Shamballa bracelet, choose a toned down ring, no watch and perhaps earrings, if you have pierced ears. SPECIAL NOTE: NEVER EVER wear a watch and bracelet on the same arm; that is so 1970's. Here are a few items from personal collection:
When choosing a necklace, simple is absolutely best. Men's chains are already made thicker than womens'; no need to weigh your neck down with the largest, gaudiest piece you can find. A simple leather tribal necklace with a small charm or a simple light-weight chain worn against the chest is all you need. The necklace should be scaled akin to your frame; if you have thick/athletic neck, opt for a chain with larger links and thicker bands. Try to stay between 18" - 24", depending on your height. If you are taller, a 20" or 24" necklace might work best for you. If you are shorter, keep your necklace closer to the neck; 18" will work best for you. Secondly, your skin tone is of paramount importance when choosing a necklace. If you have a darker complexion, opt for a lighter metal necklace, rather than a leather one. If you have a complexion, steer away from tan leather. It's all about contrast. SPECIAL NOTE: Necklaces are to be worn against the skin, not on top of your clothes. The purpose of a necklace, on a man, is to dress the neck/make your chest look nice, when your shirt is unbuttoned at the neck.
These are just a few of the rules that I follow, when choosing jewelry pieces. I hope that this was helpful for you. Tell me what you think, share your finds, and always comment. Until next time, Happy Shopping!
