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Men: The right (and wrong) time to wear your watch
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Last Thursday during a heated rendition of Thieving Secret Santa (inappropriately known as Chinese Christmas), my cousin-to-be received a Ralph Lauren watch, pen, and pair of sunglasses. He was excited to receive the gift, and as his secret Santa, I was delighted to see that my gift was appreciated.
After the game ended, I overheard him and his girlfriend discussing the gift. In his mind, the watch I gave him (pictured above) was for casual attire and could be worn everyday with any outfit, from sweatpants to khaki slacks. Needless to say, his girlfriend emphatically disagreed.
“Well why don’t you just ask Chrissy,” she demanded. “She KNOWS these things! She’s a fashion writer!”
(NOTE: I don’t strut down the street helping fashion victims as if I’m Stacy and Clinton from TLC's What Not to Wear, nor do I consider myself a surgeon of style. You’ll never hear that I came to the rescue of someone sprawled out on the ground in a orange velour hoodie. Believe me, the sentence was just as hilarious to me as it is to you right now.)
I joined the conversation, only because I’m nosy. I gave him my honest opinion.
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The watch I gave him was intended for work or formal settings, not for casual attire. Every man should own two watches, one for informal occasions (like the leather Fossil watch above) and one for formal occasions (like the silver watch below from Radcliffe Jewlers). When a man wears the wrong watch for the wrong occasion, his wrist screams I’M TACKY! I even hate the multi-functional watches, because 9 times out of 10, they’ll either look too dressy or too casual for the occasion- their appearance is never balanced.
Fellas, before you fasten the clasp on that new timepiece, keep in mind these points from male style guru Daniel Billett:
Try A Stainless-Steel Bracelet
Stainless steel is more practical than leather and is certainly more durable. In certain styles (not the style I gave my cousin-to-be, obviously) it's dressy enough to be worn with a business suit and casual enough for other occasions. So not only is it versatile, but it's waterproof to boot. You could always go for gold if you wanted to drop some serious cash, but be careful since it might give off an unfavorable impression.
The Face
Another thing that gets me when it comes to watches is the size of the watch face relative to the wrist that's wearing it. On bigger men a standard watch face can end up looking like a ladies watch. Watch makers are continually coming out with watches that have larger than standard faces. In fact, it has become quite a trend. I personally love bigger watch faces whether you're a big guy or not, it's a great look.
Water Resistance
It's a great feature if you shower or swim with your watch on, but let's be honest, who really does that? I like it because if you get caught in the rain or get your watch accidentally wet, you don't have to worry. And by the way, water resistant can mean several things so be sure you ask to what degree the watch really is resistant. Some watches will resist moisture from accidental splashing, rain, sweat, etc. and others will resist moisture up to certain depths such as 50 or 100 meters.
The Color of the Face and Strap
There is a trend to have dials and straps in exciting colors. I've seen it from cheap to expensive watches. When building a classic wardrobe stick to the tried and true colors that you know will blend and look appropriate in a business or formal setting. Save the trendy colors for a second or third watch if you must.
About the Writer: Christine Epps has been a Baltimore Hon for 22 years. She is the owner of retail marketing firm Epps Consulting. Seen some eye-catching Baltimore fashion recently? Email Christine about it.
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