Who can forget the Friends episode where Joey buys Chandler a bracelet, which Chandler unaffectionately dubs, “the woman repeller”. Yes, the wrong style of men’s bracelet can be an eyesore. For some women, especially those with a little too much jealousy, this might not be a bad thing. But if you’re really looking for a gift he’ll love, it makes sense to know what looks good on most men. There are three things to watch out for.
One of the biggest mistakes men (or their significant others) make when buying a bracelet is going too masculine. Giant hunks of steel or thick barbarian-esque bands of leather on a man’s wrist are not only too obvious, but tend to make him look self important. Confidence is a good trait, but overconfidence is a turn off.
Alternately, you can certainly go the other direction and choose something too feminine. If a bracelet is too thin, it tends to look odd on a man’s wrist.
The third mistake in the bad bracelet trifecta is woven yarn. The 90′s are over. Put the hacky sack down and stop strumming your guitar on the beach sir, or we’ll have to call the bad taste police to come take you away before you do something you really regret…like getting a tribal tattoo.
The best options for men’s bracelets are those which find a balance between simple and stylish. Too much “stuff” going on is not good, while too plain defeats the purpose. Stick to no more than two colors of material, whether gold, steel, leather silver. If a man is a little older, say, beyond 35, he’ll probably appreciate a flat fitting bracelet more than a chain link style or rounded metal style. If younger, resist the temptation to include excessive gemstones (diamonds, in most cases). While they look appropriate on an older man, they can be feminizing on younger men.
Most of all, make sure it fits his style. If his belts are gold colored or brass buckled, yellow gold is a good option. Otherwise, stick to silver, white gold, steel or black.
