You have the 3 piece suit, skinny tie and new brogues.
Now it’s time to set you apart from the herd and find the final flourish to your ensemble. These accessories will outlast your suit and shoes so invest in quality and take care of your gear.
A good selection of suit accessories are a wardrobe staple for every young man, build your collection slowly and keep everything in a safe place- your future self will be thankful.
Cufflinks
Essentially a fancy way of fastening your sleeves at the cuff. They come in all shapes and colours and are a great opportunity to personalise your outfit. From Batman to Superman, Leinster rugby balls to electric guitars you will find something for yourself in Debenhams, Arnotts or Brown Thomas.
If your feeling nostalgic, you can even get cufflinks made from the coins used the year you were born for about €50 here.
Make sure you have a shirt that is tailored for cuff links and always put the featured side of the link on the outside cuff!
Pocket Square
A handkerchief that’s folded and placed in the chest pocket of your jacket. It is an inexpensive way to boost your look. A variety of colours and designs are available so maybe match up your date's dress or pick a colour that compliments your own outfit. Texture is important, a silk one will give a completely different look than a linen one.
There are a number of ways to fold it and it doesn’t need to be perfect, don't wrap it around cardboard. Keep it clean and never use it to blow your nose. Keep a spare in your inside pocket, one for show and one to blow.
Braces
Braces hang over your shoulders and attach to your trousers at the front and back at the waistline. Some braces are crossed or ‘Y’ shaped to prevent them separating but they can also come in 2 separate straps. The strap is usually elasticised at one end and attaches to your trousers with plastic and metal clips or buttons.
Braces keep your trousers in place while eliminating the bunching up of fabric that a belt can cause. They can be more comfortable than the restricting nature of the belt, especially on a larger guy ;-)
Watch
A good watch will last you a lifetime if you take care of it. Most men have a number of timepieces in their collection, mixing and matching depending on their outfit. There are 2 main types of watches available:
Digital- LED or LCD face, time displayed in numeric form.
Analog- Hour and Minute hands, with marks or numbers to display 12 hour day.
Analog watches are considered more classic and traditionally worn to a formal event like your Debs. Try and match your watch with your suit or other accessories. If your shoes and belt are black leather, make sure your watch strap is too. Keep it simple and elegant.
There are so many styles of formal watch available and the price range is vast so don’t rush into buying a watch and find one that feels and looks right.
Hip flask
A hip flask is a compact metallic container with a screw top. It’s an ideal way to pre-drink in style. Fill it up with a good aged whiskey and sip like a boss. Most flasks come with a decorative fabric pouch to match with your outfit. Naggin’s aren’t for the Debs! You will pick up a hip flask in most department stores or if you want to push the boat out, check out the Celtic designs and personalised engraving available here.
Tie Bar
A tie bar is usually a metal bar that secures your tie against your shirt half way down from the knot. It’s neat way of securing your tie and preventing it from swinginging everywhere. There are a variety of styles and colours, matching it with the colours and metals of your watch is always advisable.
Money Clip
If your not using bank cards, forget about the wallet, you can pick up some fantastic money clips on very cheap amazon, you can even get it engraved for as little as €13.
Keep your cash in place with this great accessory. A much cheaper alternative to a wallet.
Zippo
Now, we don’t encourage smoking at all, but it’s always useful to carry a lighter. On the off chance that the hot girl you’ve fancied about all year asks you for a light, you don’t want to be left patting your pockets.
Zippo is the king of lighters, wind resistant and timeless. A variety of colours and designs are available here
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