I very often am asked about accessorizing outfits. After pulling an outfit together with the main custom-made pieces of a top and bottom and perhaps a third piece for layering, how do you finish off an outfit with the right accessories that look relevant and modern without relying on the classics?
Finishing an outfit with the right accessories, I feel, is a very important part of styling. Particularly in menswear as you can take a pretty normal outfit and give it a styling twist without it becoming too much of a statement. Many menswear brands that I look at for inspiration focus a great deal on accessories from shoes and belts to bags building large businesses from a simple complimentary category.
I feel that when a J.Hilburn guy is accessorized correctly and his outfit is finished, he feels the difference and we are not leaving it up to a random last-minute choice in his closet as he dressed, but rather we have thoughtful helped him solve his outfit dilemmas, with a clear direction on how to accessorize.
When finishing an outfit with the right accessories, take into consideration accessories he may already have. Most guys own a black shoe, a black belt, and a brown shoe, and a brown belt. These should be replaced as they wear through, and I see them as an essential in any man’s wardrobe and use these pieces he already has when adding new accessories to his closet. They can be seen as a bit boring so focus on the metals buckles, hardware, and stitching to create more detailed interest in the “basics.” The next important feature of accessories is to think of texture as another option to add interest in putting accessories together (i.e., suede and leather, braiding, pebble textures).
Don’t be afraid to mix these up using a single color as a connector, creating interest and layers that add sophistication.
If you believe that perfectly matching accessories (meaning a belt, a shoe, and perhaps a bag) are made in exactly the same leather and color, you will easily get very frustrated as all of these items use different unique grains and qualities specific to these sub-categories in accessories. For this reason, I always advise to coordinate rather than to match as a better approach to adding the finishing touches.
Color is essential, and apart from black and dark brown, don’t be afraid to mix different tones of cognac and different tones of navy blue – between a belt, a shoe, and a bag. We chose our colors quite carefully to work together in a coordinated manner and hopefully help you connect the dots. Greys and taupes work together well, both being lighter, but avoid mixing cognac with taupe as this can be a tricky combo to navigate around.
When I put an outfit together, I immediately think of the accessories to pull to finish it. Depending on the season, the lifestyle, or the look itself, I will feel inspired by different groupings of accessories.
Another way to finish an outfit is to connect color to the outfit. For example, a navy head-to-toe outfit probably needs cognac accessories to contrast and pop the solid look, which could also work subtly with brown. Currently, I love brown suede with navy as it feels grown u and sophisticated with a casual edge. However, if you wore a navy top with khaki pants, I think a navy shoe connecting to the top looks better. I then may use our woven belt in navy with cognac trim to coordinate rather than match. I can then throw in a cognac bag or accessory as adding a blue bag may just be too much blue in one outfit.
There are really no rules, but good taste and common sense should always prevail. You can play around and start to figure out your own way of adding accessories to an outfit in a style that you feel comfortable with.
Keep accessorizing!
