This article will guide readers in understanding the significance of suit accessories and provide them with a curated list of five essential accessories to enhance and elevate their suit-wearing style.
Introduction
Carefully selected suit accessories are the key to adding elegance and personal flair to a suit, allowing individuals to express their unique style and make a lasting impression.
A suit serves as the base or cornerstone of any successful ensemble, but it also requires men's suit accessories to enhance the overall appearance. Accessories for men’s suits can build on the foundation of the suit itself while also providing a space for showcasing personal style and self-expression.
How accessories can transform a suit
Accessories for suit designs can help you feel confident and increase the fashion statement you make with your ensemble. It's particularly important when it comes to first impressions, which may serve you well in your personal or professional life.
When you enter a room with the right accessories for men's suits, you can turn every head toward your stylish and self-confident look.
Top 5 essential suit accessories
Ties
Ties can serve an important role in pulling off a classy and modern look. With ties, you have the opportunity to cleanly draw the eye away from the buttons of your shirt and onto a sleeker, more coherent design.
There are several types of ties, such as narrow ties, wide ties, plain ties, striped ties, and more. If you don't want to wear a conventional tie and you are going to a black-tie dinner or a similarly formal event, you might be wearing a bow tie. Casual but still classy events might work well with an ascot tie.
If you pick a traditional tie, then it's up to you to pair your tie with your shirt. You should consider the style of the suit, the cut of the lapels, and your frame.
If you don't have a tall, athletic build, a narrow tie may not be the best choice.
No matter which type of tie you choose, you also have the opportunity to add another level of class and sophistication or casualness to your outfit by mastering your favorite knot.
Common knots include:
The trinity knot
The half-Windsor knot
The Windsor knot
The four-in-hand knot
The Eldriedge knot
The Kelvin knot
Tip: You can even match a tie bar as a functional accessory that clasps the tie directly to your shirt so it doesn't swing around. You can find all sizes of tie bars to match the size of your tie. You never want the tie bar to be wider or longer than the tie. This is a great option if you plan to unbutton your suit jacket or remove it entirely throughout the evening.
Cufflinks
Cufflinks add subtle elegance and come in many varieties and materials. You can pick classic metal cufflinks all the way to personalized designs. On proper occasions, with the right shirt, cufflinks can add a bit of personality to your outfit.
Tip: Cufflinks only work well with French cuffed shirts, so don't use cufflinks if you don't have the right shirt.
Pocket squares
Pocket squares can add a bit of color and elegance to the rest of your ensemble, especially if you pick a color or pattern that is subtle but matches the tie you are wearing. There are several different folding techniques for pocket squares that work well on different occasions, such as the following:
A winged puff with a triangular fold down the center
The three-point, with three points sticking out the top, is ideal for groomsmen
One point, with a crisp corner that is popular for casual events
Presidential, a timeless fold that is flat and perfect for all occasions
Lapel pins
A lapel pin is worn on the lapel of your jacket, and you use this to indicate your personal affiliation with organizations or social causes, but you can also wear ornamental lapel pins like boutonnieres.
When you wear your lapel pins, you place them approximately where a lapel buttonhole is, or would be, located on the top part of your left lapel. Even if you are wearing a double-breasted suit with buttonholes on both lapels, you always put a lapel pin on the left side.
Tip: Only wear one lapel pin at a time so you don't overcrowd the jacket.
Shoe accessories
Your shoes should be polished and well-maintained. The best way to achieve this is to invest in accessories for your shoes that help you store them properly and prevent damage throughout the seasons.
Shoe trees are a great accessory for maintaining the shape of your shoes and their longevity. Always use accessories like shoe horns to prevent the structure of your shoe from being compromised.
Common mistakes men make with suit accessories
Suit accessories can highlight or improve an ensemble, but they can also detract from it. There are many common mistakes made with men's suit accessories.
For starters, people make the mistake of over-accessorizing. While you should have certain accessories for your suit, having a pocket square, a tie, a tie bar, cufflinks, a belt, suspenders, lapel pins, and shoe accessories can, especially depending on the pattern in color, look cluttered. The goal is to look sleek and dignified with a polished touch, not busy and distracted.
Other mistakes are mismatching formalities. Even suit accessories have different levels of formality to them. Casual lapel pins, for example, shouldn't be matched with a formal suit.
In order to avoid these common mistakes made with men's suit accessories, your goal in matching things like pocket squares or tie bars to your ensemble should be quality over quantity.
Summing Up
Suit accessories can go a long way toward elevating your style and making a fashion statement. There's much more to looking great in a suit than simply having a set of well-tailored pants and a matching jacket. But it's always important to find the accessories that work well with the statement you are trying to make and the formality of your ensemble.