Socks, Shoes, Watches, and Belts
Episode #8 of the course Men’s guide to grooming and style by Eddy Larkson
In this lesson, we’ll talk about using your socks, shoes, watches, and belts to make your outfits complete!
Let’s start with watches.
Watches
Watches are a great way to add a nice accessory and style piece to your outfit. But what really makes a watch stylish is the band. Common trends include leather or metal chain watch bands.
If you are looking for more of a classic and traditional look, go for a watch that has a light brown handle and a clock background of white or beige. If you want something more bold, spring for a metal chain band with a black or dark navy clock background.
If you are a minimalist, go for a simple watch that doesn’t have numbers or anything at all on the actual face of the clock and has either black or white bands for simplicity.
Belts and Shoes
A popular trend is to wear a pair of leather brown shoes with white shoelaces, which offers a great contrast with jeans, and match it with a leather belt of the same color shade. This adds a simple yet irresistibly stylish addition to your appearance.
A classic look is wearing sneakers with jeans and a casual shirt. Safe bets for shoes include white or grey colors. You can also go for navy sneakers, but they can sometimes look too matched with your jeans, so it’s better to wear those with your khaki pants.
More formal events should call for a black belt matched with black shoes, but if it is a nice dinner that is both slightly casual and slightly formal, you can be safe with a dark leather brown belt and dark brown non-sneaker shoes to match.
Also look out for reversible belts that are dark brown on one side and black on the other for the most bang for your buck. This cuts down on items you have to purchase for formal or casual events.
Most guys choose between a braided or smooth belt. As guys mature and get into their teens, 20s, and 30s, they choose to go with the smooth belt. A new trend is wearing ratchet belts that don’t have traditional holes. Instead, it “clicks” into the exact tightness you choose. I highly recommend checking these out, as they’re great if you are between sizes in your belt and can’t find that perfect fit.
Socks
Socks are a great way to express yourself without having to wear a flamboyant shirt or jacket. Public figures from Ryan Seacrest to Mark Cuban have embraced the crazy sock trend, choosing socks that embody their interests and personalities without being overly distracting from the rest of the outfit.
For formal occasions, choose socks that have black or white as the base/background color. These socks can then have red, blue, green, or even purple elements in the pattern. For example, some popular trending choices include black socks with stripes or dots in these other colors.
For casual environments, go with socks that have bolder patterns or even famous figures on them. For example, many socks now contain things like movie quotes, illustrations of famous basketball players, or Harry Potter characters.
Key Takeaways
Accessories are a great way to add personality to your outfit. Choose your watches, belts, and shoes considering the occasion and level of formality. To make your task easier, look out for reversible belts with different colors on different sides, and wear a ratchet belt if you cannot find the perfect tightness between traditional belt holes. Use socks to express your personality. Even in formal environments, you can wear socks that have colorful stripes or zigzags.
Tomorrow, we will discuss the athleisure movement and how to wear sweatpants like never before.
Recommended reading
A Man’s Guide to Wristwatches: How to Choose a Watch
Recommended book
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