A KEY TO MASTERING WRISTWEAR
In the most recent years, male jewelry has enjoyed the spotlight with it not only becoming more mainstream but also trendy. Previously, the only adornments you'd see on a man would have been a wristwatch and wedding band. The odd neck chain appeared as did identity bracelets but the choice of men's jewelry has exploded.
One particular item that has seen a surge of popularity is wristwear. The range of men's bracelets is huge and there is something to suit everybody.
Men's bracelets add something to your overall look. What that something is, depends on what you want it to say about your personality and image. How successful that is will be down to your choice of bracelet and how you wear it.
Let's take a look at various types of men's bracelets with some guidance as to wear them.
Beaded Bracelet
Having become one of the hottest accessory trends of the early 21st century thanks to being worn by celebrities like David Beckham, Johnny Depp, Jason Mamoa, and Cristiano Ronaldo, beaded bracelets are one of the most accessible pieces of male jewelry.
As well as being easy to wear, there are many different styles and colors. The range of bead bracelets is, in fact, immense. They can be made from any material from semi-precious stones to metal, plastic, wood, and crystal.
This flexibility of type also extends to how they can be worn. They can be elegant and sophisticated or cool and casual. Beaded bracelets wear equally well with a t-shirt and jeans as with a full suit. They can be worn on the non-dominant hand alongside a wristwatch or on the other arm. Bead bracelets are also a favorite in the mix when layering bracelets.
Link Bracelet
Link or chain bracelets are a chain of links fastened by a clasp. The links can be plain or fancy shapes and can be uniform or different sizes, as well as all the same links or different links in combination - such as in a Figaro bracelet. They can be very fine or chunky. They can be made from gold, silver, tungsten, stainless steel, and other types of gold or silver-tone metals.
A handy feature of chain bracelets is that they are easily modified to get the right length.
Although there is no rule of thumb to guide how to wear link bracelets and there is no reason they can't be combined with others when layering, they are best worn as a solo piece of jewelry.
Leather Bracelet
Leather bracelets are informal and manly. They can be a simple plain leather band or they might be sculpted or engraved. They might be personalized with a name.
Leather appeals to men who are maybe trying wristwear for the first time. If they have worn a watch with a leather wristband, a leather bracelet is not going to feel alien.
If being worn with a watch with a leather strap, it is best to match the band colors. If the watchband is metal, there will be a clash of colors.
Although the trend of layering bracelets is still fresh, there has still been time for a classic combo to come to the fore. This combo is a beaded bracelet with a leather bracelet and maybe a bangle or a string bracelet.
With its easy casualness, a leather bracelet looks good with tee shirts and casual blazers, although no one would raise an eyebrow if you chose to wear it every day with your work suit.
Leather is also used to make wrap bracelets and cuff bracelets.
Wrap Bracelet
This is a long bracelet in one piece that wraps around your arm more than once to give the effect of multiple bracelets. They are usually made from leather, cord, or beads or a combination of cord and beads or leather and beads although you may find wrap bracelets made from metal, wire, or thread. They may feature extra details like metal accents or gemstones.
There is no set number of how many times it will wrap the arm and can be anything from three to six.
The beauty of a wrap bracelet is that it is easy to create a stacked look with just one piece of jewelry. They can still be combined with other bracelets if you wish. Think about the overall look. For example, do you want a single beaded bracelet if you already have a beaded wrap bracelet, and consider how your wrap bracelet looks with your watch, particularly about color, if you are wearing them both on the same arm A wrap bracelet looks good on your right hand if you wear your watch on your left (non-dominant hand.)
The details of a wrap bracelet are best seen so wear with short-sleeved T-shirts to create a visual impact.
Cuff Bracelet
A bracelet cuff is an open bracelet with an opening that wraps around your wrist. It is open-ended and is held in place by being pushed together to 'cuff' the wrist.
Size matters with cuff bracelets so they are mostly made from metals that are malleable enough to be adjusted by a small amount of pressure to close the gap between the two ends.
Cuffs can be simple or ornate. Cuff bracelets made from other materials such as wood, leather, or plastic are not adjustable so it is a case of finding one that fits on your arm correctly. These may not be so successful as men's bracelets as you need the extra space to put the cuff on, but then it doesn't rest snugly against your arm. Small wrists farewell with cuffs that are not adjustable.
How you wear your cuff is down to choice. If being worn adjacent to your watch, consider the material and color choice. You want complementary, not clashing.
String Bracelets
If you want something delicate, string bracelets are a good choice. String bracelets began as a symbol of traditional belief in Kabbalah and Buddhism but after being worn by stars like Madonna, they became part of the jewelry wardrobe. As a religious symbol, they are red, worn on the left hand, and should contain seven knots.
String bracelets, also known as cord bracelets, are available in many, many colors and maybe a single strand or a small number of narrow strings braided together. Fastening methods are various and they may feature small motifs. Most friendship bracelets are a form of string bracelets.
Because they are delicate, string bracelets are easy to wear. They are suitable for either hand and can be worn solo, with a watch, or with others when layering.
Sports Bracelet
Their name does point to the fact that sports bracelets are popular with athletes but college students and health nuts like them too. The term also encompasses rather a few different types.
A sports bracelet might claim to have health advantages such as negative ion and magnetic technology, a smart bracelet with fitness technology (such as a Fitbit or the Apple fitness tracker), or a simple bangle made of silicone.
Sports bracelets are mostly designed to be able to be worn during a workout but it is best to check if you want to wear them while swimming or doing other water sports.
How to wear a sports bracelet depends on the sort it is. For the wearer using it as a fitness tracker, styling it is not the main issue. Mostly, they look best with a t-shirt and jeans and other casual outfits.
Recap
So, there are some rules but they tend to be about the physical aspects of wearing men's bracelets rather than questions of style. Wearing a bracelet, like any other piece of jewelry should be a pleasure.
There are many ways to wear and style a bracelet whether you're wearing it as a solo piece or with others. It should be comfortable to wear and it should add to your overall look.
