In the world of watches, the word complication doesn’t mean something has gone wrong. It simply refers to any function beyond those of a three-hander, which tells the hours, minutes, and seconds.

There are dozens of possible complications and some of them are wildly elaborate: perpetual calendars that account for leap years, “tourbillons” that counteract gravity, minute repeaters that chime the time on demand. At the highest end, watchmakers compete to stack as many of these feats of engineering into a single case as humanly possible.

But for most men, those aren’t the complications that matter.

The vast majority of watches you’ll encounter and realistically consider wearing feature a couple of common, practical complications. They add useful functionality, distinctive character, and a certain mechanical charm that stands out in a sea of smartwatches.

Here are the five most common watch complications — and why you might choose a watch that includes one or more of them.

The Date

The date window is the most ubiquitous complication in modern watches. It’s simple, useful, and unobtrusive. If you routinely sign documents, schedule meetings, or just like having the date visible without pulling out your phone, it’s handy to have.

It’s also a complication that allows for a bit of variety and personal style. A small date window at 3 o’clock adds a touch of modern utility; a larger display near the bottom makes a bolder statement.

The Chronograph

A chronograph is essentially a stopwatch built into your watch. It allows you to measure elapsed time — useful for exercising, grilling a steak, or calculating speed when paired with a tachymeter bezel.

Chronographs undoubtedly add visual interest, but can also veer into busyness. You may run into multiple subdials, pushers on the case, and extra markings, which can give the watch an overbuilt, tool-oriented feel. Whether you like that or not comes down to personal preference; if you appreciate mechanical ingenuity or want a watch with a bit more presence on the wrist, a chronograph certainly delivers.

The GMT or Dual Time

Originally developed for pilots, GMT watches allow you to track a second time zone simultaneously. It could be a fourth hand that circles the dial once every 24 hours or a small separate dial.

If you travel frequently, work across time zones, or have family overseas, this complication is genuinely practical. It also carries a subtle air of adventure and the romance of global exploration.

If your life is firmly rooted in one time zone, it may simply be a perfectly acceptable aesthetic choice.

The Moonphase

Few complications are as poetic as the moonphase. It tracks the lunar cycle, displaying the waxing and waning moon through a small aperture on the dial.

It’s certainly not necessary, but often beautiful and just plain fun.

This is a complication that’s less about utility and more about tradition and craftsmanship. Long before modern calendars and digital displays, watchmakers devised moonphase complications to track the lunar cycle for navigation, agriculture, and religious observance, making it one of the oldest features of horology — the science, study, and art of measuring time. Because early watchmakers had to mechanically replicate the moon’s 29.5-day cycle using gears alone, the moonphase became a showcase of both technical skill and decorative artistry.

The moonphase complication thus connects modern wearers to centuries of horological heritage. If you’re drawn to watches for their romance and history, this complication may speak to you.

The Power Reserve

On mechanical watches, a power reserve indicator shows how much stored energy remains before the watch needs winding. It’s especially practical if you rotate watches; while a daily-worn watch is either continuously wound (automatic) or regularly wound by habit (manual), one worn only occasionally can unexpectedly run down.

A power reserve also adds a subtle technical character to a watch — a reminder that what you’re wearing is a human-engineered machine.

Choosing What Fits You

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you should choose a watch based on its complications. But the truth is simpler: pick those that align with how you live and what you think looks nice.

If you value clean design, a simple three-hand watch may be your best companion. But depending on your tastes, one or more complications may be exactly the fit for your life and your personal style.

A watch is one of the few pieces of gear you’ll wear every day. Function matters, but so does the way it looks and feels. A watch’s complications should serve your daily life while also bringing some subtle satisfaction each time you glance at your wrist.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Having a signature scent is a great way to express your personality, but no single cologne is ideal for every situation, or even every time of the year. Just as your clothing changes with the seasons, your fragrance “wardrobe” can too. In fact, fragrance experts suggest having three go-to colognes: one for spring/summer, one for fall/winter, and one versatile scent you can wear year-round. Different fragrances mix more or less well with the distinct atmosphere of each season — both its literal weather and its intangible mood — and choosing the right one ensures your scent acts as an ideal complement to the time of year.

Below, we break down what to look for in each seasonal category, plus a bonus pick for the holidays.

Spring & Summer

When the temperature rises, heavy colognes can turn sour fast. Heat both amplifies and breaks down fragrance, which is why richer scents often smell muddy in the heat. So in the warmer months, you want something light and clean.

Look for citrus, herbs, green leaves, or a hint of floral. Those give off a fresh-air brightness that fits the season.

Spring & Summer Fragrance Notes to Look For

• Citrus: bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, neroli
• Greens & herbs: basil, mint, green tea, violet leaf
• Light florals: lavender, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley
• Marine notes: sea breeze, salt, wet wood

Spring & Summer Fragrances to Try

• Bluegrass by EastWest Bottlers. This is my personal spring/summer signature scent. Smells like a fresh field after mowing, with a dash of mint julep.
• Acqua di Giò. Citrus and ocean air. A summer standby since the ’90s.
• Tom Ford Neroli Portofino. Smells like stepping off a sunlit terrace on the Italian Riviera. Starts with a bright burst of citrus and orange blossom, then mellows into a green wood note. It’s crisp, clean, and effortlessly elegant.
• Nautica Voyage. A long-time favorite for its crisp apple, green leaves, and marine notes.

Fall & Winter

Cool weather calls for richer, deeper scents that would be too strong in summer but now feel just right. Think of the cozy, robust smells of autumn and winter: warm spices, wood smoke, leather, and amber. They project better in cold air and last longer on heavy winter fabrics, enveloping you in a seasonally on-point aura.

Fall & Winter Fragrance Notes to Look For

• Spices: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper
• Woods: cedar, sandalwood, pine, vetiver, patchouli
• Leather & smoke: tobacco, birch tar, incense
• Amber & vanilla: tonka bean, amber resin

Fall & Winter Fragrances to Try

• Sportsman by EastWest Bottlers. My personal signature fall/winter scent. Has notes of leather, musk, flint stone, red clay, and pine. Outdoorsy but still polished.
• Tom Ford Oud Wood. Smoky, dry, refined.
• By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela. Sweet chestnut, smoke, and vanilla. Smells like sitting by the fire after coming in from the cold.

The Year-Rounder

Every man needs one scent that fits any season. One that’s balanced and dependable. An option B for when you don’t feel like wearing your seasonal scent and want to mix things up.

Your year-round fragrance should open clean and end warm. Nothing too bright, nothing too dark. Think citrus or aromatic herbs up top, and woods, musk, or amber underneath.

Fragrance Notes to Look For in a Year-Rounder

• Top notes: light citrus or aromatic herbs like bergamot, lemon, lavender, or sage; keep things bright and open
• Heart notes: green florals or soft spices to add texture without heaviness
• Base notes: woods, musk, or amber; gives your year-rounder a masculine backbone that works in any weather

Year-Round Fragrances to Try

• Bleu de Chanel. Grapefruit, cedar, and incense. A modern classic.
• Dior Sauvage. Crisp, peppery, and easy to wear anywhere.
• Old Spice Classic Aftershave. Clean, spicy, familiar. Easy to wear year-round and immediately recognizable.
• Rich ’90s Dad by Ranger Station. This has been my go-to year-rounder. I discovered it this year. Bergamot and lemon give it a fresh opening, while lavender, sage, and geranium add sophistication in the middle, all grounded by a rich base of musk, sandalwood, and amber. Plus, the name is great. I love how this cologne doesn’t take itself too seriously yet still delivers a quality fragrance.

Bonus: A Holiday Scent

Not required, but nice to have. Around Christmas, reach for something that smells like the season: pine, spice, and smoke, with a hint of sweetness.

Holiday Fragrances to Try

• Burberry London. Port wine, cinnamon, and leather. Smells like a Fezziwig party.
• Angel’s Share by Kilian. Cognac, vanilla, and oak.
• By the Fireplace. Already mentioned as a fall/winter scent, this one’s especially good around the holidays.
• Stetson. When I think of Christmas and cologne, I think Stetson. And it’s all because of its epic holiday commercial campaign from the ’90s. Easy for you.

Fresh scents when it’s hot. Warm scents when it’s cold. Something steady you can wear year-round. That’s an ideal set of fragrances for a man.

Whichever colognes you decide on for your signature scents, make sure to apply them correctly!

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

When it comes to personal style, an oft-overlooked aspect is your fragrance. But fragrance is part of the impression you make — it influences how people perceive and remember you. Our sense of smell is much more sensitive than our sense of vision, and smell triggers memories better than any of the other senses.

Picking out a signature cologne can help set you apart from the pack. It could be one of Grandpa’s drugstore colognes, one of the colognes favored by history’s famous men, or something that’s unique to you (I’m a fan of Sportsman, myself). Whatever fragrance you select, you want to make sure you apply it right in order to optimize the results. The above guidelines will help ensure you don’t overpower people with your cologne, while allowing folks to smell the full range of scents in your fragrance. 

For more insights on colognes for men, check out our in-depth article on the subject. 

Illustrations by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

“Looks like I gotta go commando.”

We all know what that phrase means. 

It means you’re going to wear pants without underwear. 

But why do we call the act of not wearing underwear beneath pants “going commando”?

Did commandos actually go commando?

AoM investigates.

Where Did the Phrase “Going Commando” Originate?

Doing some sleuthing into the deep corners of the internet on sites produced by passionate amateur etymologists, I discovered a lot of debate about the origins of “going commando.”

The first theory is that the phrase started appearing on college campuses in the 1970s as young American soldiers returned to civilian life from Vietnam. According to this theory, the phrase can be traced to the fact that soldiers deployed to Vietnam faced hot and humid conditions. This was particularly true of special operators, or commandos, who had to crawl through water and hide in the jungle brush. Tight-fitting underwear would cause chafing and irritation and eventually develop into a fungal infection called “crotch rot.” One of the remedies for crotch rot (besides talcum powder) was ventilation. So off went the underwear. Commandos, and then rank-and-file soldiers too, started calling not wearing underwear under their uniform “going commando.” When they came home, they brought the phrase to their communities and colleges, and it spread. 

That’s one theory on the origin of “going commando” and the most popular one.

Another theory is that the term originated among Royal Marine Commandos deployed in the Falklands War of 1982. These special operators were tasked with making an amphibious assault on the Falklands Islands, and in the course of their mission, they ate some bad food and contracted some terrible diarrhea. To save a little time with the constant pants-dropping required to take care of their, er, business, the commandos stopped wearing underwear. One less layer to worry about. They started calling not wearing underwear “going commando.” The phrase made it back to the UK, crossed the Atlantic to the States, and found its way into common usage.

Another theory is that the phrase arose amongst the American and British commandos of WWII who had to navigate both water and land. Not wearing underwear would reduce the chafing and irritation that can occur when close-fitting underclothing gets wet. 

So we have three different theories on the origin of going commando. All of them conclude that commandos did indeed go commando and skip the wearing of underwear.

I’ve read many books about military history over the years, and some of those texts mentioned the phenomenon of soldiers forgoing underwear to avoid chafing and irritation. You see these references in books about the Pacific Theater in WWII and about Vietnam – history’s hot and humid battlegrounds. 

In the war documentary Restrepo, you’ll find firefight scenes with soldiers wearing only a pair of PT shorts and some body armor. They were probably going commando. Since they were fighting in dry, sometimes cold Afghanistan, the soldiers going commando in Restrepo weren’t likely trying to avoid crotch rot. Going commando was probably more of a matter of convenience. 

While both the American and British militaries require enlistees to wear underwear as part of their uniform, the standards are loosened on the battlefront, where the exigencies of combat trump the stringency of dress rules. A soldier training at boot camp would likely get docked for going commando at inspection; a soldier going commando in the middle of an unexpected firefight in Afghanistan would probably get commended for his promptness and responsiveness to the attack. That famously happened to a soldier in 2009 who engaged in a firefight in his pink boxers. He didn’t get demoted; he earned praise from his superiors.

So it appears commandos did and do go commando. As did and do more rank-and-file soldiers. Civilians go commando as well, because some dudes just like how it feels not to wear skivvies sometimes. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

I’ve owned my share of expensive sunglasses over the years. 

I had a pair of Garrett Leights that I purchased back in 2013. I loved them. I felt like JFK checking out Saturn moon rockets every time I wore them. 

Because my Garrett Leight shades were so pricey, I took extra good care of them. I had a temple piece fall off its hinge a few times, but I was always able to get it repaired. By treating them with kid gloves’ caution, they lasted four years. But then one day, my four-year-old got a hold of them. They ended up on the ground and stomped on because happy-go-lucky tykes have no concept of $300 eyewear. My Garrett Leights snapped right at the nose piece. Not salvageable, so out with the trash they went.  

My next pair of sunglasses were less expensive than the Garrett Leights, but still pricey. I bought a pair of Ray-Ban Clubmasters at Tulsa International Airport before catching a flight for a family vacation to Vermont. They set me back $160, but I felt super dope in them. Again, like JFK. This time on a yacht off Nantucket.

They didn’t make it home with me. Lost somewhere in the Green Mountains. I hope some hearty Vermonter found them and is wearing them to the local co-op to buy oats in bulk. 

It occurred to me at this point in time that maybe sunglasses were too “disposable” to be worth investing much money in. Being small in size, inherently fairly fragile in construction, and worn precariously perched on one’s snoz, no matter how well you take care of them, they’re going to get left at a restaurant, dropped off a boat, or smashed by someone’s behind before you get a chance to pass them down to your grandkids. Given that expensive designer sunglasses and bargain sunglasses typically have the same functionality — offering the same UV protection — it just seemed like life was too short for shades you have to treat delicately and worry about having to periodically replace. 

So I decided that moving forward I would just start wearing cheap sunglasses. Really embracing that philosophy fully, I bought my next pair at a gas station. They cost me $20. But, while they kept the sun out of my eyes, they made me look like the kind of middle-aged dad who lists “The School of Life” in the education section of his Facebook profile. Which is to say, I didn’t look cool. And life is also too short not to feel cool.

I needed a pair of sunglasses that were functional, affordable, and cool. 

Thankfully, around this time our good pals at Huckberry launched their own pair of in-house shades. They call them the Weekenders. I call them the perfect pair of sunglasses.

Note: While we are affiliates of Huckberry, this endorsement was neither paid for nor solicited. I am a genuine wearer and appreciator of HB’s Weekenders.

Why Huckberry’s Weekenders Are the Perfect Pair of Sunglasses

They block the sun. Polarized, scratch-resistant lenses that cover your whole eye mean you get maximum glare and sun blockage — especially handy for when you’re driving west at sunset. 

They feel great. Weekenders are super lightweight and fit snugly but not too tightly on your face. I don’t even notice when I’m wearing them. 

They can take a beating. The materials and design are made to take a beating. You don’t have to baby your Weekenders. I’ve had pairs sat on in the car, stepped on by children, and smooshed inside of a backpack during a hike and they still came out unscathed. 

They look cool. The Weekenders are based on the classic Wayfarer design, but updated to look a bit sportier. I feel like JFK . . . well, I’ve run out of sunglasses-wearing JFK analogies. I just feel cool wearing them and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments from people (even random strangers, not just Kate and my mom) about how my Weekenders look on me. So there. Case closed. I’m cool. 

They’re inexpensive. A pair of Weekenders will set you back $35. While I do my best to take care of them (I’m not a careless spendthrift), I don’t fret over potentially losing or breaking a pair. I never would have worn my $300+ Garrett Leights to go tubing down the White River in Vermont, but have no problem wearing my Weekenders to do the same. There’s a big difference between dropping $300 and $35 in the water.

If you’re looking for a pair of adventure-ready sunglasses that can take a beating, look great, and won’t break the bank, pick up a pair (or two) of Weekenders from Huckberry. Slide ‘em behind your ears with suave smoothness, put on a pair of City Slippers and a fresh tee, and you’re all set for summer. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

When it comes to wedding rings, much of the focus inevitably ends up on the fiancee’s engagement ring. Come wedding time, the bands for both bride and groom end up as more of an afterthought. A couple decades ago, there simply wasn’t much variety in men’s rings. The options basically came down to a simple band of gold or silver with, perhaps, a decorative flourish or gem. That was about it. 

Recent years have seen an explosion of options for men hit the marketplace, which means you have more to think about — in a good way! The looks and materials available for men’s rings have never been more stylish, frankly. With that, of course, comes plenty of chintzy options made with bizarro materials and/or very niche/unique designs. To help guide you grooms-to-be through the options and selection process, below we go over everything you need to know to pick the perfect men’s wedding band.

Big thanks to the guys at Manly Bands for providing some info and pictures. This is NOT a sponsored article; I simply relied on their expertise in figuring out the types of things a man should consider when choosing a ring. 

To Match or Not to Match?

The first question you’ll need to consider in choosing a wedding band is whether you and your soon-to-be spouse want to have matching rings or not. Traditionally, the bands of man and wife did match, as they were a symbol of their unity and partnership. But that tradition has very much loosened up today, and the choice of whether to have matching or distinct bands is entirely up to you. Matching bands continue to offer a potent symbol of oneness, but getting distinct bands allows each partner to choose something that speaks to their own personal style. 

If you like the idea of coordinated rings, but don’t want to choose identical bands, consider getting rings that are different and yet complementary — being made of the same material or with the same gem, used in different ways. Or engrave the same saying on the inside of each band. 

Your Personal Style

When it comes to your wedding ring, what’s most important is simply your personal style. There are no options that are necessarily better or worse; you just have to browse and decide what sort of thing you genuinely like. 

Beware of going with a design or material that seems really cool at first blush, but may end up feeling gimmicky in a decade or two. Sure, you may love baseball, but do you really want a ring that has red baseball stitches engraved on it, for the rest of your life? You need to think about your future self too. 

That said, men’s rings are a little different from women’s engagement rings and you can certainly trade out later if your personal style changes (as mine has in my 10 years of being married). More on that below in the “Budget” section. 

Though some guys may shrug off the ring choice — “Oh, I don’t care, just get me whatever” — I encourage you to put some thought and time into it. Get something that you’ll be truly happy to wear for the rest of your life. 

Material

When it comes to wedding rings for men, there’s quite a lot of variety in material and color options. Beyond just your classic precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) there are also modern metals like tungsten and titanium, as well as more unique materials like wood, meteorite, and even antler/dinosaur bone. Rings made with silicone are also growing in popularity. Let’s look at each of these materials, first considering whether you want a diamond or gem of some sort. 

Diamonds/Gems 

In this option, the diamond is surrounded by rose gold, with a meteorite inlay.

One of the first questions to consider when it comes to materials is if you’ll want a diamond or gem of some sort incorporated into the ring. In a woman’s diamond engagement ring, the gem is often set above the ring itself; the point is for the diamond to be the star of the show. In men’s rings, diamonds are set within the ring itself as more of a complement to the overall look rather than the focal point. Diamonds (and other gems) obviously boost the price quite a bit, but it can be a really sharp and classy look if you have the budget for it. That said, diamonds can feel a little too flashy for most grooms, and are certainly still in the minority when it comes to men’s wedding rings. 

Precious Metals

A traditional gold men’s wedding band.

Gold (yellow, white, rose). The most traditional option and almost certainly what your dad and granddad have/had. Can be resized more easily than other materials since it’s a “soft” metal; that also means it scratches somewhat easily, however. Price generally remains pretty high unless it’s utilizing gold plating or is a lower carat.

Silver. The other classic option for wedding ring material, though it’s not as common anymore. As with gold, it’s a softer material that will wear and show its age after a decade or two. It’s cheaper than other precious metals. Most of the silver-colored rings you’ll find on the market today are actually made of white gold or a hard metal (see below). 

Platinum. Platinum is the most expensive of the classic metals, but is super durable — a platinum ring will likely last and look the same your whole life. Platinum also has a nice natural shine. 

Modern Metals

These materials are getting the “modern” moniker not because the materials are actually modern, but because their use in wedding rings is. These all have similar looks and are often paired with inlays of other materials like carbon fiber, turquoise, a precious metal, etc. 

A titanium ring with a turquoise inlay. 

Titanium. The hardest natural metal available, which also means it’s hard to resize. It’s mostly scratch-resistant (though not entirely) and quite lightweight. More affordable than the above precious metals.  

Tungsten. The hardest, most durable material for rings. This man-made metal is silver in color (though it can be mixed with other materials to make other colors) and pretty much unbreakable. That also makes it nearly impossible to resize. It’s denser than the other metals here, making it just a touch heavier — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the ring will just feel more noticeable on your finger. 

A few other metals you’ll find include cobalt, steel, and tantalum. When considering these metals, it’s really just a matter of your style and your budget — all of them are durable and, on their own (that is, without inlays or gems), pretty affordable.   

Unique Materials

There is a growing range of more unique materials that don’t fall into the metals category:

Ceramic. Though it’s basically clay, it’s super-hardened and nearly as durable as the hard metals described above. Ceramic retains its initial luster longer than other materials and is quite affordable. It also has a more unique look and comes in more color options. Again, though, it’s difficult to resize and can shatter with an especially hard impact. 

A ring with a wooden inlay flanked by sturdy ceramic on the sides.

Wood. It might seem strange to go with a wooden wedding ring. Won’t it break down? Be more susceptible to the elements (including sweat)? Well, in fact, most wooden rings aren’t typically made entirely of wood (though 100% wood rings do exist); instead, just the inlay is made of wood, and this inlay is then protected by more durable materials, like the metals listed above, on the outside or interior of the ring. A ring with a wooden inlay offers unique variations with colors and patterns, and ages with more of a noticeable patina than metal. It may also chip/scratch a little easier, especially if it’s an all-wood ring. That said, a wood ring is still very durable, just less so than one made entirely of hard metal.  

Meteorite/Antler/Bone. When you find a material that seems a little gimmicky, it will almost always be reinforced by metal (as with the wood). In my opinion these materials tend to just drive the price up (though not always) and they don’t necessarily offer a totally unique look (you might know you’re wearing a dinosaur bone on your finger, but no one else is likely to realize that). But, if you’re super into space and you want a meteorite on your finger, you can sure as shoot do that. 

Silicone rings, like this one, come in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures.

Silicone. This rubber-like material is quickly becoming a more popular choice for wedding rings, particularly as a “back-up” ring for when you’re adventuring, working with machinery, lifting weights, on vacation, or in any scenario where a more expensive, traditional ring could get lost, damaged, or be a target for theft. But some gents do choose a silicone ring to be their primary wedding band. It may not feel as nice or meaningful, but some guys like that it represents their more laid-back, unostentatious approach to life.

Silicone rings are incredibly affordable (as in, under $50!), replaceable, comfortable, and becoming more and more stylish with each passing year as the market grows. Basic options abound, but there are some companies, like Enso, which fuse silicone with a little bit of metal to make a better looking and more unique ring (while still coming in at under $50). 

Ring Width 

The same ring at 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm wide.

The width of your wedding ring is likely to make a bigger difference in its overall look and feel than you’d think. Most rings will be between 4 mm and 8 mm wide, though outliers on either end do exist. Many men gravitate towards the upper end of that range; 4 mm and below tends to look a little dainty (though not always), whereas an 8 mm ring just looks more bold and durable. 

When thinking about how wide to get your ring, the first thing to take into account is your own hand and finger size. If you have small-ish hands, an 8 mm band might be too big and stick out a little too much. I have small-to-average hands and wore an 8 mm ring for a long time before trying on a 6 mm ring — the latter looks a lot better and more proportional on my finger. On the flip side, a small 4 mm ring looks rather out of place on a man with meaty hands and fingers. 

The other main factor when it comes to ring width, as with all these other categories, is your personal style. A wider ring is a bolder choice and inherently a little more noticeable. A thinner ring is more understated and naturally blends in a bit better rather than standing out.  

Fit/Size

There are two options for how the ring fits on your finger — standard and comfort. Standard, as you can imagine, is how every ring used to fit and simply means that the inside of the ring, the part that comes in contact with your finger, is totally flat. Standard fit is a little harder to get on and off over the knuckle and may slide around on the finger a little more. 

The vast majority of rings these days are comfort fit. This means that the inside of the ring is slightly domed, which makes it more comfortable, easier to get on and off, and ensures the ring stays put a little better.  

Sizing up your finger for a ring is pretty easy these days. Most companies, especially here in the age of COVID, offer to send you a free or very cheap ring sizing guide, which is basically just a keychain of different ring sizes for you to try on. There are also apps that’ll do the trick. 

Budget

While the average engagement + wedding ring combo for a woman is well over $6,000 (yowza!), the average wedding ring for guys comes in at about $500. But, you can find options well above and well below that number. If you have the money and desire, you can easily spend $2,000-$3,000 — and higher — with a combination of unique materials, inlays, and/or gems. On the flip side, there are a lot of really nice, durable, stylish rings that will come in at around $200 or even less. 

The big question, really, is how to determine a ring budget in the first place. Those rules about monthly salaries have always been bunkum — in fact, the 2-3 month’s salary rule was created by De Beers because they wanted guys to spend more money on engagement rings. Unfortunately, there’s no real formula. You have to look at your current financial situation, determine what you (and your fiancee) are comfortable with, and go from there. While a diamond engagement ring may be forever, in the world of men’s rings, it’s pretty darn easy to trade up after a handful of years (or a decade or two) if your first ring was budget-friendly (though you may become sentimentally attached to the rings you exchanged at the altar).

You’re now equipped to make an informed choice on the ring that, hopefully, you’ll be wearing ‘til death do you part — and not even then, since you’re likely to be buried with it!  

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

I’m always looking for ways to really get to know famous men from history. It’s why biographies are one of my favorite genres of books and why some of my favorite trips are visiting the homes of famous men long dead. I like to uncover the small details of their lives. 

What did they carry in their pockets? 

What books were in their library?

What sorts of items did they keep by their bedside?

What was their daily routine like? 

Such small details, stitched together, can really give you an idea of who the person was. 

There’s one biographical peculiarity about a dead person that can particularly bring them to life for you: what they smelled like (you know, when they were still alive). 

Smell is one of our most potent senses and is strongly connected to our memory. The cologne or fragrance a man chooses to wear, consequently, becomes part of his immortal identity. If you want to know what it was like to stand next to Winston Churchill, just take a whiff of the cologne he wore. 

Below we highlight eight famous men and their signature fragrances. Knowing what cologne they wore will give you an idea of what it was like to be in their presence. It also might give you some ideas for fragrances to add to your own collection; nearly all of those we list below are still made and available today.

George Washington: Caswell-Massey Number Six

Founded in 1752, Caswell-Massey was the first personal grooming and fragrance company started in the United States. George Washington was known to wear their fragrance Number 6. He liked it so much that he gave it as a gift to friends. Number 6 opens with the scent of citrus, neroli, rosemary, and amber. As it fades, you’ll start smelling rose, musk, and myrrh.

George III: Creed Royal English Leather

Whilst King George was trying to manage unruly American colonists, he was likely wearing Creed Royal English Leather. At least according to the perfumer who still makes the stuff. Creed is a perfume house that started in England in 1760. According to the in-house legend (also known as marketing), Royal English Leather was the first scent that founder James Creed created, and he made it just for King George. The cologne was designed to be applied to the king’s gloves so that whenever His Majesty rested his chin in his gloved hand, the rich scent of the fragrance wafted into his nostrils (and disguised the scent of the not-so-hygienic courtiers and plebes he was surrounded with).

The base note has leather, of course, along with sandalwood. The top notes consist of orange and lime.

Napoleon Bonaparte: Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne

What does conquest and empire-building smell like? It evinces top notes of citrus and rosemary before fading to cedar, vetiver, and musk. Or at least that’s the fragrance that French commander and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte wore during his campaigns and political maneuvers. Known as Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne, it’s a nice fragrance to sport in warmer weather due to its fresh scent.

General George Custer

Besides being a commanding Army officer during the American Indian Wars, General George Custer was also a dandy. He wore a fancy uniform, a bright scarf around his neck, and his curly, golden hair below his shoulders, which made him stand out from other military officers. His foppish hair became such a trademark that the Lakota took to calling him Pahuska, or long hair.

To keep his golden locks shiny and smelling nice, Custer would comb cinnamon oil through his hair — which, though not a cologne per se, certainly became his signature scent.

Winston Churchill: Creed Tabarome

The British Bulldog smelled of cigars and brandy, but he also smelled of Creed Tabarome, his go-to cologne. The scent starts off citrusy with bergamot and tangerine, fades to ginger, and then to a subtle sandalwood, ambergris, tobacco, and leather scent. 

A great fragrance to wear while leading your country through its darkest hour. 

Ernest Hemingway: America One 31 by Krigler

Papa Hemingway favored the masculine, musky yet floral fragrance of America One 31 by Krigler. The cologne got its name because it consists of 31 different scents mixed together. It starts off citrusy and floral and then fades to a manly musk. It’s a very classic masculine fragrance. 

Errol Flynn: Cuir de Russie by Creed

Want to be debonair like the swashbuckling Errol Flynn? First, grow a pencil mustache. Second, splash on some Cuir de Russie by Creed. It starts out lemony and then fades to sandalwood and leather. Unfortunately, this is the one cologne on the list that’s no longer available (at least you still got that pencil mustache), but the smell of Cuir de Russie was said to be reminiscent of standing in the boot section of a western wear store. Giddyup!

John F. Kennedy: Jockey Club by Caswell-Massey

A sporty, dashing U.S. president should wear a sporty, dashing cologne. JFK was such, and wore such — specifically, the sporty, dashing Jockey Club cologne. Made by the favorite American fragrance company of U.S. presidents, Caswell-Massey, Jockey Club is a bracing, masculine fragrance. It starts off citrusy and has sandalwood base notes. The perfect cologne to wear while you’re strolling around Cape Cod in your Wayfarers. 

If you need help choosing your own legendary signature scent, check out our guide here, and if you’re looking for a fragrance that may not be epoch-making, but is cheap and accessible, here are 6 great drugstore aftershaves and colognes.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Imagine a man in a tuxedo at a black tie event.

He has poise, style, and a posture that grabs everyone’s attention.

He casually lifts his hand to check the time . . . on a Casio calculator wristwatch with a rubber strap.

Cue the record scratch.

This is the power of a wristwatch, gentlemen. Like your belt, it’s a small accessory that can either break or build your get-up.

Since men wear limited jewelry, a watch is a singular expression of their personality. Most men prefer to own more than one so they can wear the appropriate timepiece to complement their outfit and the formality of a particular occasion.

How do you best make this pairing between your watches and your clothes?

Below you’ll find 6 guidelines for making your watch an elevating, complementary addition to your wardrobe rather than an off-note distraction.

#1. Match the Formality of Your Watch With the Formality of Your Outfit

The overarching principle for pairing your watch with your clothes is to have the formality of the former match the formality of the latter.

To understand how to do this, you first need to understand the different types of watches that exist.

Watch Types

The two broadest categories of watches are analog watches and digital watches.

Digital watches have a LCD display or LED face that shows time in numeric form. The straps are typically rubber/plastic. This is your sport/fitness tracker type of watch which pairs with athletic wear. You don’t really need to worry about matching this kind of watch with your clothes, beyond never wearing them with anything dressier than your most causal duds!

Instead, we’ll be concentrating here on analog watches. These have a face with hour and minute hands and either markers or numbers that display a 12-hour cycle. These watches are considered more classic and formal, making them suitable for business and formal events, as well as casual everyday wear.

Within the analog category, there are 5 main types of men’s watches:

• Dress – Sleek, simple, and sophisticated, the dress watch with a plain white face, no complications (the features/extra functions on a watch), and a thin black leather strap is as formal as it gets. A face with hash marks, Roman numerals, or no numerals at all adds another touch of elegance.   
• Dive – Originally designed for underwater diving, these watches feature deep water resistance, metal bands, and a medium-sized face with bold, easy-to-read Arabic numerals or hash marks. Typically includes a date-only complication or none at all.
• Racing/Driving – Medium to large in size, with a large dial sporting clear Arabic numerals, and often bright, contrasting colors. Always includes a chronograph, and sometimes a date complication as well. The case is stainless steel; the strap is metal or leather.
• Pilot – Made for the cockpit, the pilot watch is medium to large in size, with an oversized dial, clean, legible numbers, luminous hands, and a date and sometimes a chronograph for the complications. The strap is typically leather.
• Field – Born from the trenches of WWI, field watches are rugged, functional, versatile timepieces that are tough enough for active duty. Small to medium in size, with a leather or canvas strap, and a face with easy-to-read Arabic numbers. Includes a date-only complication or none at all.

For more detail on the different types of men’s watches and how to choose between them, click here.

Matching a Watch Type to a Level of Dress Code Formality

Once you know what the different watch types are, you can learn which goes with which kinds of dress codes, and their corresponding outfits:

• Black Tie/White Tie – Traditionally, you weren’t supposed to wear a watch to a black tie affair at all, and if you did wear a watch, you weren’t supposed to publicly check it. A formal event is a time out of time, and you should lose yourself in the occasion. That said, a simple, classic dress watch with a small, minimally embellished face and black leather band will be considered appropriate by most everyone these days.
• Business Dress – For business wear, go with a simple, classic style gold or silver watch with a thin dial and limited or no complications. A dark conservative suit is best paired with a classic dress watch. Some feel a suit should never be paired with a dive watch, but a less formal/conservative suit certainly can be, if you make it one with a leather strap.
• Sharp Casual – Here we’re talking button-down shirts, khakis, dark denim, sport coats (no tie), leather shoes, etc. The kind of things you’d wear to a more (but not totally) casual workplace or on a date. Once you’re in this territory, large watch faces and watches with more complications become appropriate, and while these kinds of duds can be paired with every kind of watch mentioned, they’re best complimented by the more casual pilot, racing, or field watch.
• Casual – With your most casual clothes — polo shirts, chambray button-downs, jeans, tees — all the watch types except the dress watch will work. If you’re going to be engaging in physical activity, you’ll want something that can take a beating, like the field watch. 

A note on smartwatches: I’m not a fan. Wearing a smartwatch is essentially like wearing a phone on your wrist, and isn’t more distraction, so close at hand (literally right above one’s hand), the very last thing any of us need? Nobody needs to be that connected. Studies say that even the presence of a smartphone on a table inhibits conversation because people don’t want to go very deep if they may be interrupted; one would think a smartwatch would have even more of this stultifying effect. Add to this the fact that smartwatches, even when made in a classy, dress-watch-esque style, never look quite as elegant as the real thing. I would thus suggest never wearing one for social occasions, and if you feel you must wear one for business, keep it to situations in which a sharp casual or lower dress code prevails, and never check it while talking to another human being. For more formal business dress, a more formal watch will look better (and keep you focused).

#2. Match the Formality of the Watch Strap to the Formality of Your Outfit

Once you know the general type of watch that will pair best with the formality of your clothes, you can narrow down things further in terms of the material of the watch strap.

There are two guidelines here:

• Leather watch bands (at least ones that are sleek) are considered more formal than metal bands
• Black leather is more formal than brown leather

While gold or silver metal bands aren’t appropriate for the most formal of events, they can be appropriate for dressy occasions when they complement the rest of your outfit.

Rough, rugged, worn-in leather straps (such as what you’d see on a field watch) are an exception to the leather-is-formal rule, and should be paired with casualwear, like jeans, rather than a suit.

#3. Leather Complements Leather

When wearing a watch with a leather strap, the material and color of your shoes is a suitable reference for the choice of watchband. 

You should start by matching your belt with your shoes. Then match your watch with both.

A black watchband should be worn with black shoes and belt; a brown band with brown belt and shoes. The watchband doesn’t have to be the exact same color as these accessories, but should be a similar tone (light vs medium vs dark). 

#4. Metal Complements Metal (And Your Clothes/Shoes)

The metals used to make the watch’s case (the frame around the face) and/or its band include steel, gold, silver, platinum, and titanium. The color of the watch’s metal should complement the metal accents of your other accessories — rings (wedding ring excepted), cuff links, shoe buckle, belt buckle, etc. — so that all your accessories are either gold or silver.

The colors don’t have to match exactly. For example, a rose gold watch can be worn with a yellow gold belt buckle — it’s close enough.

#5. Metal Bands Look Better With Certain Colors of Shoes/Clothes

When a watch has a metal strap, it can go fine with either brown or black shoes. But certain colors of metal do go better with certain colors of clothes/shoes.

Silver watches match best with clothes and shoes in black, gray, and blue shades. 

Gold watches go best with browns, beiges, tans, and other earth tones.

#6. Heirloom Watches Bend the Rules

Heirloom pieces represent a legacy. They are usually worn as a good luck charm or as a memory of the original owner. An heirloom watch is not worn based on the latest trends or fashions; it is a reminder of family history and culture. Heirlooms therefore allow you to bend and even violate the rules mentioned here. They serve as great conversation pieces and make you memorable. 

_______________________________________

Written By Antonio Centeno

Founder, Real Men Real Style

Click here to grab my free ebooks on men’s style

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Belts are worn for both function and style. A seemingly small accessory, they can have a surprisingly large impact on the impression you make. They can be a piece that pulls an outfit together, or end up becoming a distraction that sabotages its overall effect.

Unfortunately, many men don’t know anything about belts, besides the fact that they go around their waist.

So today we’ll talk about when to wear one, the different types, when to choose one kind over another, and how to buy a quality belt that fits you right.

This is a man’s complete guide to belts.

What Is a Belt?

Let’s start by defining what we’re talking about.

A belt is a cinching system that goes around the waist using tension to hold up a person’s pants. Even a piece of string can be a belt!

A belt can be used for carrying things. Look at Batman and his utility belt, or a gentleman who decides to conceal carry.

However, most belts are purely decorative.

Simple. Now let’s start getting into more of the details of belts.

Anatomy of a Belt

The vast majority of belts (once you’ve moved beyond the simple string) have two parts: the buckle and the strap.

Many belts also have a keeper loop and/or an end tip (the end tip is usually metal, or leather on cloth belts). The end tip protects the end of the belt from being damaged/frayed and can make it easier to buckle. After the belt is buckled, the keeper loop stops the free end from flapping around.

In some belts, the strap and buckle are permanently joined together; in others, they can be taken apart and the buckle switched out. The part of the buckle that joins it to the strap is called the chape.

When Should You Wear a Belt?

In general, you should wear a belt with all pants (including jeans) that have belt loops. That’s what the loops are for! Leaving it off can look sloppy. Certainly with formal outfits, when your shirt is invariably tucked in, belts are essential. With more casual get-ups, when you’ll be wearing your shirt untucked, you can get away with skipping a belt, but you may still miss its functionality; remember that belts aren’t purely decorative — they help keep your pants up!

To maintain this function in the absence of a belt, you can choose suspenders as a stylish and fun alternative. Suspenders are a great way of dressing well for larger men — they’ll hold up your pants more effectively and reduce bulk at the waist. They also make a short guy look taller (or at least, they don’t make you look shorter by breaking the line of your body the way belts do.)

The one thing you don’t want to do is wear a belt and suspenders; it looks as if you either don’t know what you’re doing, or are just really, really worried about your pants falling down.

Formal vs. Casual Belts

Belts can roughly be sorted into two categories: formal and casual. Let’s dig into how these belts differ, and how to wear each type well.

Formal Belts

Formal belts don’t differ much from each other and share certain characteristics without many exceptions.

Buckle Type

Almost all formal belts include a frame-style style buckle, in which the strap goes through the frame. The prong of the buckle goes through holes in the strap to fasten the belt.

The buckle of a dress belt is usually shiny and sleek, gold or silver in color, and smaller and flatter than those found on casual belts.

Strap Width

A dress belt should be 1-1.5 inches wide, with thinner belts being more formal. A belt on the 1” end of things is suited for a smaller man, with a waist under 34”.

Strap Material

Leather is the only suitable material for dress belts (or a really good imitation leather if you’re vegetarian).

Cowhide. The most common leather used for belts, and comes in a few variations: full-grain leather is the best looking and most hardwearing, while calfskin is the softest and most supple. The highest quality formal belts will be full-grain calfskin.

Ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator. These skins are all technically more casual belt materials, but can work as formal in a dark color.

Ostrich belts are a bold look, dotted with pockmarks from the feathers. They tend to fetch a high price.

Crocodile and alligator belts are even more upscale and have a subtler pattern and texture.

Faux leather is made with polyurethane on a fabric backing. It’s durable and low-maintenance, and the best faux leathers look realistic, although they don’t develop the same patina as real leather. Cheap fake leather looks, well, cheap and fake.

Strap Color/Pattern

A formal belt should be a subtle and understated addition to one’s outfit. Its surface should be solid and smooth, often with a sheen, and only have a subtle pattern at most. Black and brown are the most traditional colors for dress belts; some other colors you might see towards the smart-casual end of formal belts are oxblood, tan, navy, gray, and white for summer.

Matching a Formal Belt with Your Outfit

When you’re wearing a formal belt, be careful to match your leathers and match your metals: the strap of your belt should not only be the same color but also the same level of shininess as your shoes and other leather accessories, and the buckle should be the same color as your other metal jewelry and accessories (with the exception of your wedding ring, which can contrast with the other metals you wear).

Casual Belts

Casual belts come in many more types, styles, and colors than formal belts, and can be used to show more of your personality and individual style.

Buckle Types

Frame-Style

• Not only a buckle style for formal belts, the frame-style — usually with a bigger/thicker profile — can fasten casual belts as well

Plate-Style

• Usually detachable — paired with snap belts (straps without buckles)
• Plate is usually decorated — e.g., in cowboy and biker belts
• Hook goes through the front of the strap
• Throw (distance from chape to hook) adds to the length of your belt

Box-Frame

• Box is hollow, metal and open-ended
• Post presses the strap against the inside of the box
• No need for holes in the strap

O-Ring/D-Ring

• One or two rings form the buckle
• Belt is fastened by threading through them
• Casual, used with braided, webbing, and canvas belts

Snap

• “Male” and “female” ends snap together like a seat belt
• Very casual and functional, often used by those engaging in outdoor pursuits
• Not to be confused with snap belts

Micro-Adjust

• Uses a ratchet-style track system that requires a special type of strap
• A folding piece of metal presses the “teeth” of the track system into the strap
• No need for belt holes — allows minute adjustments

Strap Width

A casual belt will be 1.5-1.75 inches in width, with wider being more casual. A belt around 1.5” in width goes well with denim, chinos, and heavier fabrics. A belt wider than that is more unusual, suits jeans and casual trousers, and can be paired with classic and “statement” buckles.

Strap Materials

Leather

Full-grain leather. Broader, tougher, and stiffer than leather dress belts, leather casual work belts are usually made from the outer layers of a cow’s hide. Some even include marks from scars or brands that the cow acquired during its life.

Some leather belts are made with a snapped loop that can take different belt buckles, making it a customizable piece, and ideal for men who like to collect and show off different belt buckles. 

Braided leather. Used with a frame-style buckle to make very adjustable belts: you can put the prong in any hole in the braid. Braided belts are a good option when you want to keep things simple and unobtrusive; they add a little texture without making an overwhelming statement. They’re also easy to find, and often quite cheap.

More casual than a flat strip of leather, braided belts should not be worn with suits, but can work with a sports jacket.

Multicolored braided belts are even more casual, and are sometimes worn with summer ensembles for an east-coast prep look: khaki shorts, a light polo or button-fronted short-sleeved shirt, and boaters, with the bright belt holding down the center of the image.

Tooled leather. Decorated by “tooling,” a stamping process that leaves patterns on the leather, which are often then stained to make them stand out. Most are designed for interchangeable buckles.

Tooled belts work well with simple outfits, such as a pair of jeans and a basic button-down shirt. As they tend to be visually “busy” pieces on their own, the look starts to get overwhelming if you pair them with too many other patterned/textured items. 

Suede. Often used for casual belts, it’s less durable than full-grain leather, but usually has a full-grain leather backing for extra strength.

Other Materials

Leather-backed ribbon. A casual material that allows you to stand out with bright colors and bold motifs. These are usually paired with a frame buckle. Leatherback ribbon belts go perfectly with sailing, golf, and boat shoes.

Canvas. A staple of uniforms from the Army to the Boy Scouts, canvas belts with metal buckles are a plain, functional style. Most have a flat box buckle containing a sliding peg, which pins the strap in place at the desired position.

The most common styles of canvas belt are plain monochrome and monochrome with a single contrasting stripe running horizontally around the middle of the belt. Both have been in men’s casual wardrobes for the better part of a century.

Webbing. Another functional material, good for outdoor pursuits. It can be found in fun colors and patterns, and most often comes with a D-ring buckle.

Rope. Mostly a women’s fashion, but worn by men in nautical circles. Often fastened with a knot and loop rather than a buckle, they’re a bit preppy but durable and easy to clean, and can take a soaking better than leather.

Vinyl. Cheap, colorful, bold, and alternative. Vinyl belts are a young man’s style and can look tacky on older men. Really, outside maybe a concert, it can look tacky on a man of any age.

Strap Colors/Patterns

Brown is the most popular and versatile color for casual leather belts; black belts don’t pair well with jeans and khakis. With casual non-leather belts, colors can really run the gamut to every kind of pattern and hue.

Accent Piece or Centerpiece?

A big consideration to make when wearing a casual belt is whether you want it to be an accent piece or a centerpiece.

An accent piece is subtle, low-key, and complements the rest of your outfit. It’s usually in coordinating or neutral colors.

A centerpiece demands attention, and contrasts with the rest of your outfit.

While dress belts are pretty much always accent pieces, casual belts can be accent or centerpiece accessories.

There’s nothing wrong with either approach. You just want to dress appropriately for the effect you want.

A good accent belt should share some of the characteristics of the other pieces in your outfit. Similar or matching colors is an obvious choice, and how most men generally select their belts and shoes. A casual belt should still match your metals, but you’ve got more leeway on the leathers — brown with tan or tan with white is fine. Of course with casual outfits, you’re often not wearing leather at all — either in your shoes or in your belt. You don’t need to match the color of a casual belt of leather, or any other material, with the color of canvas/cloth sneakers. Just let the color of the belt work with your overall get-up; when in doubt, go with brown.

Centerpiece belts, on the other hand, are there to provide deliberate contrast, and provide a sharp, divergent punch of color or style compared with the rest of your get-up. They work best when the rest of the outfit isn’t too filled with colors and patterns. One or two bright elements are enough — more just looks too gaudy and busy.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to wear an eye-catching statement belt if you’re not confident about drawing attention to your waist!

Formal or Casual?

We can summarize the differences between formal and casual belts this way:

Formal:

• Smaller, sleeker buckle
• Thinner strap width
• Thinner, softer, sleeker, strap material, sometimes with a sheen
• Always leather

Casual:

• Larger buckle
• Broader strap width
• Tougher, thicker, stiffer, more rugged, often matte strap material
• May be leather, or different materials

Just as with shoes, there’s overlap between dress belts and casual belts. Dress belts are largely for wearing with suits and business attire, but can sometimes be paired with more formal sports jackets/ blazers and trousers. Conversely, casual belts are largely worn with jeans, khakis, and shorts, but can work with nicer chinos and more rugged sports coats.

But when an outfit clearly falls into one category or the other, you should choose the belt that best pairs with your clothes. If a dress belt is worn with casual pants, its proportions and materials will make it look too delicate, quite nerdy, and generally out of place. Conversely, wearing a casual belt with a suit will look jarring and throw off the formal effect you’re trying to evince. 

The Top 3 Go-To Belts for Men

If you’re having trouble deciding which belts to add to your wardrobe, we suggest these 3 as your basic essentials:

Dress belt — for business and evening wear

• 1-1.5-inch strap
• Only about 0.1 inch thick
• Black or brown leather
• Usually shiny
• Undecorated — maybe a little broguing or hand burnishing
• Small, plain, polished buckle — normally frame style
• Match leathers, match metals

Casual belt — for jeans/khakis

• 1.5-inch strap or wider
• Can be thicker than a dress belt
• Tan or natural leather
• Matte, rugged and can be braided, textured, or decorated
• Can have a larger and/or more decorative buckle — plate, box, or frame
• Doesn’t have to match leathers exactly (e.g. brown with tan, tan with white)

Webbed fabric belt — for summer casual

• 1.5-inch strap or wider
• Choose a strap color that goes with your wardrobe
• Strap can be patterned
• Usually has a double D-ring buckle
• Wear with chinos or shorts

How to Choose the Right Size Belt

Your belt size should be 1-2 inches longer than the size of your pants waist. So if you take a 40 in pants, you want a 41-42 inch belt.

Alternatively, you can work out the size of your new belt from your old belt. Measure from where you always buckle it to the opposite end of the strap, and get the closest size to that.

When buying a plate buckle, remember the throw (distance from chape to hook) adds to the length of your belt.

If you love a belt that’s the wrong size (or your size has changed since you bought the belt) DO NOT be tempted to gouge a hole in it with your pocket knife or kitchen scissors. It will be obvious, and the belt will end up breaking. Take it to your local cobbler to get a hole made properly.

Dress belts should only have a short tail end. You just want a few inches of leather to the left of the buckle when it’s fastened, long enough to tuck through the first belt loop or the loop on the belt itself if it has one.

Err on the side of shortness if you need to, rather than wrapping a long tail of leather around your hip a second time.

Casual belts can have a little bit more of a tail, although too long will still look awkward. Military-style canvas belts with brass buckles traditionally get their tails docked right down to the buckle.

How to Find a Quality Belt

Your casual belts can come and go, and you may actually like their being replaced every few years, so you can try some new styles. But with a more formal belt, you want something that you can use and enjoy for a long time. A quality belt can last for years if not decades, so it’s worth investing in a top-notch piece that looks good and wears well.

Very similar-looking belts sometimes vary widely in cost. The quality of the leather is one common factor: calfskin is the most common material used for belts, and a good belt will have a soft, supple leather. Flex the belt to make sure it hasn’t turned brittle or started to crack. Another good test of leather is to score the back very lightly with your fingernail — if a faint line appears, the leather is still soft and fresh. Old, hard leather will resist your nail.

Construction is the other major factor affecting the price of a belt. Look for small, tight stitching with no loose ends wherever the leather has been sewn. Buckles attached with a snap on the back of the belt can be changed out, while a buckle stitched in place is the only one you can wear with the belt; some men may find the flexibility of a snapped belt worth paying more for, especially in good leather. Belts can be custom-cut at some leather goods stores.

Brand names, in my opinion, are NOT worth paying more for when it comes to belts, because nobody’s likely to notice where your belt came from! If you’ve got a little extra to spend, invest in quality construction instead.

_____________________________

Written By Antonio Centeno

Founder, Real Men Real Style

Click here to grab my free ebooks on men’s style

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Some watch styles have become menswear classics that will never go out of style thanks to their heritage, their craftsmanship, their handsome good looks, and, let’s not fool ourselves, their price tag. Never underestimate the power of luxury to make something a classic.

If you’ve got $3,000 of disposable income, a classic luxury wristwatch is something you might consider adding to your wardrobe.

But what do you do if you like the look of some of those classic luxury watches, but don’t have the money to buy one (or you do have the money, but can’t stomach spending that amount of dough on a timepiece)?

Buying a counterfeit knock-off of a luxury watch is just gauche. Not only is it unethical, it just comes off as desperate and insecure to try to pass off a fake as the real deal. It shows that the wearer doesn’t value the heritage or craftsmanship of the original luxury watch, just the status cache that comes with it. Plus, studies have shown that wearing a knock-off product actually causes you to act in more dishonest ways — no kidding; Scientific American reported that “‘Faking it’ makes us feel like phonies and cheaters on the inside, and this alienated, counterfeit ‘self’ leads to cheating and cynicism in the real world.”

Instead of buying a knock-off of an original luxury watch, consider picking up an “homage” to it. An homage watch is one made by another company that takes design inspiration from a classic wristwatch. They’re not exact replicas of the originals (so you avoid the issue of wearing a counterfeit watch), but they look pretty dang similar and evoke the same classic style cues. And they’re affordable. Instead of a few thousand dollars, an homage watch will only set you back $100. Not dirt cheap, but certainly more affordable. While these homage watches don’t have the same amount of craftsmanship or attention to detail as the originals, they’re accessible alternatives for the man who only wishes for his watch to look good and accurately tell the time.

And if you’re worried about losing cred by opting for an homage watch, note that many watch aficionados that own an expensive classic luxury wristwatch will often also have an homage version of it to use as a “beater watch” — a timepiece you wear on a daily basis or when you’re doing things that might result in it getting knocked around. They’ll only bust out their original classic for important events.

If you’re in the market for a new watch, below we highlight six luxury watches and their more affordable, homage alternatives.

The Expensive Classic: Cartier Tank ~$2,500

Affordable Alternative: Seiko Men’s SUP880 ~$95

Introduced in 1918, the Cartier Tank’s design was inspired by the Renault tanks that Louis Cartier saw on the Western Front during World War I. It’s a mechanical watch, which means it’s powered by a hand-wound mainspring that allows the second hand to move in a smooth, sweeping motion around the watch’s face. Its simple design has made it a classic dress watch worn by men like Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and John F. Kennedy. With a price tag of $2,500, though, it’s not cheap.

An affordable alternative is a dress watch put out by Seiko. The SUP880 has the same long, rectangle shape of the original Tank and some versions have the same Roman numeral numbering as the Tank as well. Rather than being a mechanical watch like the Cartier, the Seiko is a quartz-powered watch which uses electricity from a battery, and causes the second hand to make a tick-tock sound and move in a jerkier motion. (You can read more about the differences between watch movements and how to choose a watch here.) But quartz watches are more durable than the mechanical variety, and are obviously much more affordable.

The Expensive Classic: Rolex Submariner ~$8,000

Affordable Alternative: Invicta Men’s 8926OB Pro Diver ~$85

The dive watch is probably one of the most common watch types you see men wear. And we likely have James Bond to thank for that. Ever since Dr. No, the cinematic 007 has been sporting a dive watch of some kind or another. In the early Bond films, 007 often wore a Rolex Submariner. When a man says he’d “like to buy a Rolex,” he’s likely talking about this specific kind. The Submariner looks both sporty and classy at the same time, but, it also costs $8,000.

Luckily, there are lots of homage watches of the original Submariner for a fraction of the cost. One such watch is the 8926OB Pro Diver from Invicta. It looks almost identical to the Submariner, but only costs $85. A perfect choice for the sophisticated 00 on a budget.

The Expensive Classic: Omega Speedmaster ~$3,000-$5,000

The Affordable Alternative: Timex Ameritus Stainless Steel Chronograph ~$60

The Omega Speedmaster is pilot’s watch that was used by Gemini and Apollo astronauts in the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, it was the first watch on the moon: both Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were sporting a Speedmaster during their famous jaunt on the lunar surface. If you’d like to wear the same watch that Apollo astronauts wore, look to spend between $3,000 and $5,000.

If you don’t have that much money, but like the look of the Speedmaster, check out the Timex Ameritus. I’ve seen several homage Speedmasters, but this one looks the most like the original. Like the Speedmaster, it’s a watch that has a chronograph and tachymeter (check out our article on how to use those features), so you can measure speed and distance. Unlike the Speedmaster, it has a quartz movement and hasn’t been certified for lunar landings. But at $60, who’s complaining?

The Expensive Classic: Breitling Navitimer ~$6,000

The Affordable Alternative: Rotary Chronograph ~$150

Breitling was the first watch company to put a chronograph and tachymeter on a watch, setting the standard for all pilots’ watches thereafter. In 1952, they took the pilot’s watch to the next level with their Navitimer. Besides the chronograph and tachymeter, the Navitimer also has a circular slide rule that can be used to calculate things like airspeed, rate of descent/climb, fuel consumption, and flight time. Not only is the Navitimer a navigation computer you can keep on your wrist, but it looks incredibly dashing. The computational power and good looks come with a hefty price, however.

For you aviators on a budget, there’s the Rotary Chronograph. This quartz movement watch has the same romantic look of the Navitimer, but only costs $150. Like the Navitimer, it has a circular slide rule that you can use to measure the fuel consumption and flight time of your (real or imaginary) plane.

The Expensive Classic: Omega Seamaster ~$2,000-$4,000

The Affordable Alternative: Seiko Men’s SKX007K Diver’s Automatic Watch ~$200

While the early 007s were Rolex Submariner men, Pierce Brosnan turned James Bond into an Omega Seamaster kind of guy. The Seamaster is a dive watch that’s been a favorite of sporty, well-heeled men since 1948. Joe Biden and Prince William are both fans of the Seamaster. But at $2,000-$4,000, it’s likely out of reach for most average Joes.

If you like the look of modern Bond’s favorite watch, but can’t afford to spend a month’s paycheck on it, check out the Seiko SKX007K Diver’s Watch. It has a similar look and feel to the Omega, but only costs $200. And unlike the other affordable alternatives on this list, this Seiko diver watch actually has a mechanical movement to boot.

The Expensive Classic: Tag Heuer Carrera ~$3,000-$4,000

The Affordable Alternative: Casio Edifice EF-547D-1A1VDF ~$105

Tag Heuer has made a name for itself as the go-to watch for race car drivers. The Carrera is one of their most famous racing watches. It features a chronograph and tachymeter so drivers can gauge speed and distance, and a flashy watch face that oozes accelerated sophistication. But with a price tag starting at $3,000, if the only race car you can afford is a 1999 Chevy Cavalier, it’s likely not an option.

The Casio Edifice has the same sporty, driving watch look as the Carrera, but only costs $105. So you can wear it while cruising to the bank to make another savings deposit.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.