Men and Jewelry

Recently, I was asked what type of wedding band a guy should select.  You can’t go wrong with something plain and simple was my response.  Something right down the middle; no curveballs, no sinkers, just a big grapefruit across home plate.  I shared with my inquisitor a story of guy who had picked poorly and is now forced to be bejeweled and bedazzling at every meeting in Conference Room A.

For the record, I don’t have any problem with men wearing jewelry; chains, rings, bracelets – go for it.  There was a time in my life when all I coveted was a fat gold chain and a four finger ring.  But given that my rap career never took off (shocking, I know) I’m glad I didn’t invest in any of these pieces though they would have been fitting accessories in the late 80s and would now make for good conversation!

Offering advice on jewelry is tough because it can really never be general.  Everyone has particular tastes and nothing demonstrates that more than in the selection of jewelry.  I have however recently noticed some mistakes made by my jewelry wearing brethren so over the next few weeks, I’ll cautiously offer my advice on some of the main pieces of jewelry most of us wear to work – well the pieces people see.

Cufflinks

No matter how big, cufflinks will never be the main player in your outfit.  They spend most of the day tucked away under the sleeve of your coats but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them to express a bit of your personality.  Sure, you could go with cloth or gold knots but why not let them tell a story about you?  I acquired the pair below from the Brooklyn Flea Market.  They are subtle but a little quirky; kind of like….well anyway. 

There are collectors of cufflinks but you need not be and you don’t have to spend big money on them.  I have about 15 pair but only regularly wear one or two and am pretty sure I haven’t spent more than $20.  If you want to step it up a notch, skip the department stores and visit a specialty shop like Cuffs and Collars in Boston.  They carry an array of unique cufflinks some of which are imported from Italy.  But like other jewelry choices, it is ultimately up to you to decide what to wear and how much to spend.  Try letting your cufflinks speak for you.