Bracelets

Why Are Guys Wearing Beaded Bracelets?

A strand of beads is the easiest piece of jewelry for a man to start with. It has no clasp to work, no jeweler to size it and no metal that has to match a watch, and it goes on over the hand in a second. Wood and stone also sit differently from chain: they read as texture instead of sparkle, so a bead strand passes at a desk, a dinner and a ballgame without changing anything else you wear. Wearing one takes no rules either, since it can sit alone, next to a watch or beside a second strand. That low bar is most of the answer. The rest is that a strand says something about taste without saying much, and another can be added later without starting over.

Choosing Between Wood, Lava and Stone

Wood, lava and stone differ on the wrist more in weight and care than in color. Wood is the lightest bead and matches skin temperature almost at once, so a solid wood strand slips out of your attention by lunch. Black lava is a porous stone, light for its size and matte for good. Dense stones such as jasper and labradorite carry real weight, feel cool for a minute after they go on and can chip against a tiled floor or a stone counter. Choose wood for all-day wear, stone for a strand you want to feel, and lava for a black that never turns glossy. Wood and lava take up water, so they come off before you shower or swim. Strands that mix a stone with wood or lava split the difference, since the lighter beads take part of the weight off the heavier ones.

Sizing Stretch Strands, Cuffs and Bangles

Circle your wrist with a soft tape where the bracelet will rest, snug rather than tight, and read it in inches. Stretch strands are usually sold in paired sizes such as S/M, M/L and L/XL, each covering about an inch of wrist, so read the chart on the listing against your number. When your measurement lands exactly on a line, order the larger strand, because elastic under constant tension loosens sooner than elastic at rest. Cuffs work the other way around: an open brass cuff slips on sideways at the slimmest point of your wrist and is pressed gently closed, a little at a time, rather than bent back and forth at one spot. A closed bangle has to clear the widest part of your hand, so tuck your thumb into your palm and measure around the knuckles; a carved brass bangle with a wide opening is made for a larger wrist. Brass darkens slowly with air and skin, and a dry polishing cloth brings back the shine in a minute, while a gold plated piece only ever needs a soft cloth.

A bead strand looks most deliberate beside something made of the same natural material, which is why the wooden watches in Watches make an easy partner for a wood or lava strand. For the rest of the range, from pearl hoops to 14K nose hoops and anklets, start from Jewelry.