The Northampton Gent’s guide to bracelets
Yes gents, bracelets. Now we know what you may well be thinking: “jewellery is not for men”. Well, it is a somewhat controversial trend and when done incorrectly, it can look somewhat terrible. When worn correctly however, this can become a gent’s go-to accessory. With our guide, we may have you rethinking your notions of bracelets as appropriate attire for the modern gent.
Over the last few years bracelets have become a popular men’s accessory and have been seen adorning the wrists of many stylish gents. There are a huge range of different styles available, from leather cuffs to wooden beads and much more. We have covered two of the most popular styles below that will be ideal for this spring/summer look; nautical themed bracelets and beaded bracelets.
Nautical Themed Bracelets
You can be sure that now the spring/summer months are upon us, nautical themed clothing will prove immensely popular. A look inspired from the Riviera, nautical fashion is guaranteed to remain consistently stylish throughout the warmer months. Nautical style consists of lots of stripes, such as the well known Breton stripe, and nautical themed colours such as whites, cream, blues and pale greens. Iconic Riviera pieces of clothing associated with the nautical theme include boat shoes, chinos, tailored shorts, striped t-shirts and navy blazers.
In keeping with the nautical trend, many designers and high street brands have applied it to men’s accessories, in particular men’s jewellery. A variety of bracelets are available with different types of fastenings, ropes and nautically themed emblems. When including a nautical themed bracelet into an outfit, be sure to observe what colours best work with your current look. As most nautical themed bracelets consist of navy, whites, creams and reds, there is little chance of your bracelet clashing with a nautically inspired outfit. Just be sure to observe what colours complement. With the hotter months approaching, a bracelet might be the perfect finishing touch for your Riviera style.
One of our favourite collections of nautical bracelets is the Miami-based Miansai collection. Founded by former model Michael Saigar and available from Mr Porter. These understated bracelets are ideal for adding the perfect nautical finishing touch to an outfit. One of our personal favourites is the particularly eye catch Miansai woven-cord and rose gold hook wrap bracelet. A subtle piece that uses rope and the gold plated anchor as a fastener, this bracelet uses the key nautical colours of white, red and navy.
Another brand that is well known for their male, nautical themed bracelets is Kiel James Patrick available from Opumo.com. Based in Rhode Island in the USA, the brand is renowned for creating high quality belts, bracelets and clothing. This sophisticated ‘Tom Cypher’s Phantom Bracelet’ from their “Quatermaster Collection” is handmade and uses authentic nautical cord with high quality leather cord and is finished off with a gold plated anchor. The dark brown tones of the bracelet make this piece highly versatile and can be easily incorporated into many different outfits.
This style is not just available from high-end fashion designers, as a range of high street brands are also offering the style at more affordable prices. ASOS stock a range of Icon Brand bracelet which continue using the nautical rope and anchor theme. Our favourite is this navy and deep red bracelet which when paired with a pair of light chinos, white Oxford cotton shirt and navy blue blazer, would add the ideal finishing touch to create the ideal Riviera style.
ASOS also produce an in-house range of men’s bracelets, including this assortment of brown, leather bracelets which again uses the anchor motif to tie in to nautical style.
Perhaps our favourite nautically themed bracelet available on the market can be found at trashness.com, using white and navy blue rope with a gold plated skull anchor, this bracelet would work perfectly with a white and blue Breton t-shirt, shorts and boat shoes.
Purchasing a nautical themed bracelet will prove an excellent investment for the future as the Riviera look in one that consistently proves popular throughout the spring and summer months. By observing what colours best complement your outfit, these bracelets will add the ideal finishing touch for any maritime inspired outfit.
Nautical themed bracelets:
Beaded Bracelets
Proving to be one of the most popular styles in men’s fashion at the moment, the beaded bracelet is a versatile accessory that comes in a wide range of different and diverse varieties. With such a wide choice of options available, there is something to suit everyone. From high end designer beads using interesting materials such as agate, crystal, onyx, glass and ebony to the high street fashion options using bold colours to grab attention, there are many ways that these beaded bracelets can incorporated into your look.
At the Northampton Gent, we are normally strong advocates of less is more, especially in the accessory department, however beaded bracelets are one of the exceptions. They lend themselves perfectly to being stacked and combined with different options. By pairing different styles and beads together, you can create a look that is completely unique and distinctive to yourself. Do not be afraid to add beaded bracelets to your look if you are wearing a watch as well, just be sure that the two do not clash and there are not too many different looks going on. If wearing a watch, we would personally recommend no more than a couple of beaded bracelets as well.
Smart looks
As a rule of thumb, bigger beads and more colourful options are better suited for more casual looks. This is not to say however that these cannot be used in smarter attire as well. For example, if wearing a black suit, opting for a black and white monochrome pair of beaded bracelets can be a welcome addition, adding an understated element of individuality to the outfit. For smarter, more tailored looks, we would suggest to stick to beads made from stone and high quality woods such as ebony with a darker colour palate such as brown, blacks and greys rather than more colourful, plastic options.
Brazilian jeweller Luis Morais, sold by Mr Porter, is well known for creating high quality beaded men’s bracelets, using materials such as sandalwood, gold and ebony. A particular favourite of ours is this ebony and white gold beaded bracelet . Paired with a monochrome watch or by itself, this statement piece is able draw attention to the wrist without being garish.
On the more affordable end of the beaded bracelet spectrum is this monochrome pair from Trashness.com, made from polished gemstones. Paired with a black suit and white shirt, these smaller beads would work well to add a distinctive touch of character.
Casual looks
As previously mentioned, beaded bracelets work marvellously well in casual outfits and can be used to add or tie in splashes of colour into outfits. With casual looks, do not be afraid to experiment depending on your outfit. The entire essence of these is to be creative and unique. Match bigger beads with smaller beaded bracelets and perhaps leather bracelets to achieve a look you are happy with.
In terms of colours, beaded bracelets can be used to tie in another colour used in your outfit; try pairing yours with your shirt, blazer or tie. In the spring and summer months, go with brighter colours such as red, yellow, greens and blues. Be brave and confident with your colour choices but be sure that they do not jar from the rest of your outfit so as to make them stand out for the wrong reason.
Ethnic-inspired wooden beads are a very popular style of beaded bracelet at the moment and work well to inject a natural, outdoor element into your casual outfit. These can even be used in smarter outfits, juxtaposing the smarter look with a natural, African-inspired statement piece.
These bracelets tend to stick to earthy tones such as greens, browns and reds.
Final thoughts
And so, with all the above, we hope we’ve been able to sway you to the notion if introducing some bracelets into your look (or at least made you toy with the idea.) We are sure there are still amongst you who are indignantly snorting terms such as “poppycock”, “balderdash” and the like, but for those of you who are converted, remember these key points. Go for smaller beads and more subdued colours with more formal outfits and be adventurous with casual outfits in terms of different styles and colours. For those of you looking to create the perfect Riviera style ensemble this summer, the nautical-inspired bracelets are a charming way of completing the look.
As this is a rather controversial topic, we’d love to know what you gents think.
Do you wear bracelets?
If so, how do you wear them? Only casually or do you incorporate them into more formal outfits?
Are you unconvinced by the notion of bracelets on men?
As always, let us know below.