Manners maketh the man, or so the saying goes. You could probably get by without them but, even if you were perfect in every other way, ill manners would mean you wouldn't get very far. I believe the same is true of accessories; they maketh the outfit. You could be wearing a razor sharp suit, a pair of jeans that fit you like a glove, or the very finest knitwear, but get your accessories wrong and you'll end up looking wrong or, at the very least, not quite right.
And the beauty of accessories is that you don't need to spend a fortune to look like you have. We've got a range of products over at Stuarts London that suits all budgets.
Let's start at the top, because that's never a bad place to start. I don't think enough men wear hats. A decent hat, be it a beanie, bobble or bowler really can complete a look. A fedora probably isn't necessary or practical for most of you, and would probably be grossly impractical when riding the tube, the same cannot be said of these flat caps by Barbour. Pleasingly practical, yet incredibly stylish in an outdoor pursuits sort of way, these caps are perfect for this time of year - when the tweed blazer or quilted Barbour jacket is on, and you need to keep some of the heat escaping from your head, but it's no quite cold enough to justify a hunter hat.
Moving below the head, let's talk scarves. Too many men simply throw the first thing they see round their necks. Now that's fine if you live in the tundra and you simply need to keep warm. It's less fine if you're not from the Tundra, but from Twickenham, and Arctic snowfalls aren't a common occurrence. A scarf should compliment an outfit. If you're dressing down, think about a chunky knitted scarf like this one from Pringle. 100% wool, and made using a cable knit design, it's chunkier than a KitKat of the same name and will keep your neck toastier than a freshly browned crumpet.
If, however, you're dressing up then your scarf should do the same. This paisley scarf by Crombie is an integral part of any well-dressed gent's wardrobe. It's dapper to the level that Beau Brummell would've been proud of, and the perfect way to finish off a tux or smart suit. It's also of a design and quality that'll last a lifetime, so think of it as an investment your neck will appreciate.
Now no good suit, or blazer for that matter, is complete without a good pocket square, and no one does a pocket square like Liberty London. Stuarts have a range of Liberty pocket squares. Each of the ones we've got comes in a different, distinctive Liberty print, and each of them will make your outfit stand out from the rest of the fashion pack. And they're incredibly affordable too, allowing you to buy into one of the most recognisable and historic brands in the country.
Heading down to the bottom of the body now, let's talk socks. I don't want to start listing the socks we've got in store, as there are quite a few. But what I will say is that there really is no excuse for bad socks. I'm not saying that you have to go all out and stick on a pair of bright red toe-warmers, simply that if you're the sort of guys who's put a lot of time and effort into about your outfit, and the image that outfit projects, don't ruin it with poor socks - that's like putting bad tyres on top of the range sports car, it'll undermine the performance.