Side Street Style: Five Classic Men's Accessories

John wearing his white vans with Pink RL socks and Bape Watch

It’s not just women that like to use accessories to finish off their outfits. Men’s accessories can complete a style and really add a touch of class to a look which you are trying to achieve. In fact, you don’t even necessarily need to change your clothes in order to re-invent your look. Some well-chosen accessories can do the job just as effectively, often with a far reduced cost.

Shoes

It’s been shown time and time again that men are actually just as fussy about their shoes as women are, with large numbers owning nearly as many pairs as their female counterparts. The great thing about shoes is that so many different looks can be achieved, depending on the type of shoe you are wearing. Even if you are wearing the same pair of jeans, your style can be instantly transformed by replacing your pair of Converse trainers for some Brogues for example.

Clarks paired up with YMC to create these lovely loafers

Bags

Carrying a bag is no longer seen as uncool for a man. In fact, it is now rather trendy to carry a ‘man bag’ over your shoulder. There are a number of great styles with high quality finishes which can help to complement your look. Not only that, bags are highly practical and mean you can bring far more around with you than if you were just using your pockets. Why else would women carry a bag around with them all the time? They are particularly useful these days if you want to carry something like your iPad around with you, as these fit seamlessly into a satchel with very little added weight.

John using his Asos Satchel bag for work

Watches

Unlike bags, watches have always carried a certain status symbol with men, and expensive watches are generally in high demand with exclusive sellers basing their whole business around them sometimes. Rolex, Tag Heuer and Swatch brand watches are all examples where the name helps to push up the price tag, though that isn’t to say that the extra quality that is placed within these items isn’t worth the money that they demand. You can buy a Chronoexpert pre-owned watch at very reasonable prices but offer you a timepiece you can hand down from generation to generation. They also offer professional advice and help their customers ensure they are buying an authentic watch which is really important when investing in a watch.

John is a fan of the Retro Swatch watches

Hats

It used to be standard for all men to wear hats when they were outside, and although this isn’t the case these days, they are certainly seen as more of a trendy item than they perhaps were just a few years ago. Again used to complement a look or style, these can change depending on the formality, occasion or the passing season. From baseball caps or Trilbies for the summer months, to trapper or woollen hats for the winter, or smarter items for use at formal dinner parties, many people create their own look and identity by their wearing of a distinctive hat.

John wearing his very distinctive bucket hat at a festival earlier this year

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are one of those items which have a couple of purposes - not only do they protect your eyes from harmful UV rays produced by the sun, they can also enhance your look, especially during the summer months. While it’s possible to find shades that do the job of protecting your eyes, it’s also possible to find ones which demand high price tags due to the popular and well-known makes such as Oakley and Armani.