Four Simple Guidelines When Choosing Accessories

1. Accessories add flavor to your clothing, but even great accessories cannot help a poor foundation –  If you haven’t read Building a Wardrobe Parts I and II, please do so.  I do not want you to form the impression that accessories stand alone – they do not.  Think of them like a spice; they can only bring out the best in a dish that starts with quality ingredients.
2. Quality is good, meaning is great, finding an heirloom that embodies both is perfect –Some accessories are special in that they have lived a life before you, and within them is a sense of history and quality impossible to find in something new.  It’s a very lucky man who finds himself with his grandfather’s watch worn through World War II or a hat that was witness to Martin Luther King Jr. marching at Selma. Wearing a piece of history is special; it can give the wearer the strength to go out and create a bit of history himself.
3. Use the accessory you purchase, and use it often – The writer Alan Flusser says it best in that the most expensive items a man owns are the ones he never uses.  Ensure that the accessories you purchase for your wardrobe are ones that will stand the test of time and that you’ll find occasion to use.  A handsome tie clip is wasted on the man who never wears a tie.
4. Function first, style second….but not distant second– Most timeless men’s accessories serve a purpose – pay attention to performance first.  If you have to pay a little extra for style, weigh your options and then take the plunge.  You want something that not only works, but looks great doing its job.