Style Guide: How To Wear Bracelets For Men [The Right Way]
So you want to wear a bracelet, or multiple bracelets, but you are not sure how to style your look.
In this guide we’ll teach you:
- How to choose your bracelet
- Popular bracelets types and trends
- Bracelet meanings and healing powers
- How to choose your bracelet size and fit
- Which bracelets to wear for different occasions
- How to wear your bracelet
- Bracelet and jewelry care
- And finally top 5 reasons to wear a bracelet
Let’s get started!
How to choose your bracelet
Choosing the right type of bracelet can be hard.
You could wear a leather, chain, beaded, string, cord or even bangle bracelet.
All stylish and acceptable for men with the right look and on the right occasion.
Ultimately the bracelets you choose should reflect your personal style, your personality and should complement your wardrobe.
Men have worn watches, sunglasses and other accessories for years.
Now men are wearing more jewelry than ever before, to peacock, to complete a look and to dress up an outfit.
Let’s look at popular mens bracelet types and trends right now.
Popular bracelets types and trends
Mens leather bracelets and cuffs
One of the most searched for bracelet types, leather bracelets for men are nearly always in trend.
This one by N’Damus London is very stylish.
Mens chain bracelets
The current trend for chain bracelets is street wear jewelry and boho.
This silver scale bracelet by Serge Denimes is very on trend for the street wear aficionado.
Our Bhoma Balinese braided chains are also very popular and trending.
Beaded Bracelets For Men
Beaded bracelets always look great with a nice watch or stack with other bracelets.
This Bhoma beaded bracelet with signature sterling silver 925 bead is a classic black and white bracelet for men.
String Bracelets For Men
String or sometimes cord bracelets are nice and can be good with a more casual look.
This Nialaya mens evil eye string bracelet is really nice.
Evil eye charms are trending in the last years and are featured as charms by many prominent jewelry brands.
Bangle Bracelets For Men
These mens bangles from Nominal are expertly crafted.
They are one size fits all and can stretch and squeeze.
Types of Bracelet Materials and Metals
Popular metals and materials for mens bracelets are as follows.
Mens metal bracelets
- Sterling silver
- Gold 14k and 18k
- Also yellow, white, gold and rose gold colorings
- Stainless steel
- Gold plated
- Titanium
- Tungsten
- Copper
Other materials
- Rope
- Stone
- Leather
- Wood
- Fabric (including multi-strand or woven homemade bracelets)
- Rubber (including sports bracelets)
- Cable
- Metal bracelets (including magnetic or health and wristwatch bracelets)
Bracelet meanings and healing powers
Different bracelet charms and types have different meanings.
The precious gemstones you use in bracelets give the wearer different powers and support.
You can learn all about bracelets with meaning and healing powers of gemstones in our detailed guide here.
How to choose your bracelet size and fit
Getting the right bracelet size can really impact if you enjoy wearing the piece and find it comfortable.
To measure your wrist size:
- Place your hand so the palm is facing upwards
- Wrap your measuring tape around your wrist
- Read the size on the measuring tape, preferably in inches or centimeters
Check out our bracelet size guide here to see a video on how to do this even if you don’t have a measuring tape or sewing tape.
How should a bangle bracelet fit?
Measuring your wrist size for your bangle is just 3 easy steps.
- Close and touch your fingers together like you were sliding on a bangle
- Wrap your measuring tape around your hand at the widest point
- Read the size on the measuring tape, preferably in inches or centimeters
How should a cuff bracelet fit?
Cuff bracelets should be tight enough not to move around your arm. We’d advise measuring your bracelet size and adding ½ an inch to get a good fit.
Then check the cuff size option from the brand you are buying from.
How to measure for macrame bracelet?
Most macrame bracelets are one size fits all and can be adjusted easily.
They have two strings you can pull to open and close.
They therefore make a great gift for those who’s bracelet size you don’t know 😉.
Which bracelets to wear for different occasions
Gold and Silver for Formal Events
Gold and silver bracelets have a more formal feel.
Wear these to weddings, special dinners and parties.
They can be paired with a suit or shirt and your best chinos.
Typically they look great with a real pair of mens shoes, rather than sneakers.
Having said that, luxury macrame beaded bracelets can be great with a suit and nice watch. They’ll have you standing out in the crowd.
String & Beaded Bracelets
String and beaded bracelets are a little more casual and can be used when dressing down.
However, if you want to wear those posh track pants, but still look sharp, add a sports jacket and a nice beaded bracelet.
You’ll be 90% of the way there to dinner wear and still comfy.
Chain Bracelets
Great in the club, the party or on a vacation.
Chain bracelets add a little bling and dress up a tshirt jeans combo well.
How to wear your bracelet
Which hand should you wear a bracelet on?
Here is a very common question.
Do men wear bracelets on the left or right hand?
Typically watches are worn on the left or non-dominant hand.
Therefore if you’d like to wear just one bracelet on one hand, we’d recommend wearing it on your dominant hand. For most people (90%) that is your right hand. For the 10% of lefties (go lefties!) that is your left hand.
Also the crown of the watch or the little winding handle on the side also shows which hand the watchmaker wanted you to wear the watch on.
As the knob is supposed to be used by your other hand and therefore should sit on inside of your hands.
How do you wear multiple bracelets?
For wearing bracelets as men, we have a simple rule.
Two numbers, 5 and 3.
You should never wear more than 5 bracelets at once.
And you should never have more than 3 bracelets on one wrist.
Now of course this doesn’t include rings, necklaces and watches. Or even brooches for those who are more adventurous.
But this is a great rule of thumb to follow if you’re unsure of how many bracelets can you wear with a watch.
Should Bracelets Be Loose?
For formal occasions bracelets are better to be loose, so they don’t move around and distract you.
Loose bracelets also have a more casual feel and are often used when dressing down or chilling.
Do heterosexual men wear bracelets?
Men have worn bracelets since ancient times and in no way do they indicate sexual orientation.
Gladiators wore leather cuffs, so that kind of answers that question…no?
Which way should a bracelet face?
If you believe in energy and luck from jewelry, we recommend to wear the bracelet on your left side. The left side of the body is about yourself and healing. Keep yourself from bad energy and absorb good luck by wearing good luck charms on the left side.
If you want more info on how to wear bracelets, and how to pair them with watches, check out our detailed guide here.
Should you wear a bracelet with your watch?
The short answer is yes, of course.
However think about which watches match with different bracelet types and how to do it in a tasteful way.
Learn more here about wearing watches with bracelets here.
Bracelet and jewelry care
Taking care of that new bracelet can really impact how long it lasts.
Here are some tips and common questions answered.
Don’t wear your bracelets to play sports or during any activity where they could be bumped and scratched.
Does sterling silver 925 tarnish? Does all silver tarnish?
Simply put yes, you cannot stop silver from tarnishing.
Silver doesn’t do well in sunlight for long periods of time, so keep it in a jewelry box when not wearing it.
Inside the box keep soft cloth or ensure it has a lining to stop the jewelry from scratching.
How do you take care of a silver bracelet and remove the tarnish?
Don’t clean sterling silver with lemon juice, salt or vinegar, this is a myth.
Here is how to do it instead.
- Add a small amount of silver cleaner to a cloth
- Rub the silver several times
- Rinse the silver with warm water
- Blot the silver dry with a new dry cloth
Can you wear a sterling silver bracelet in the bath/shower?
Silver is a naturally occurring metal and chemically reacts with certain things.
Water can oxidise the silver, making it tarnish faster and darken.
So we’d recommend removing sterling silver jewelry before bathing.
Can I wear a leather bracelet in the shower?
Leather and bracelets like macrame with rope are best taken off before bathing.
Otherwise they will be wet and rot over time, breaking or growing a fungus.
Can You Sleep With Jewelry On?
There is no real issue with sleeping whilst wearing jewelry.
However for bracelets and chains they could tighten and cause pain or choking.
For luxury jewelry you could damage or wear the jewelry over time in your sleep.
You could also get jewelry dermatitis if you wear gold jewelry all the time.
So it’s best to remove the jewelry before bed.
And finally top 5 reasons to wear a bracelet
There are many reasons to accessorize your look.
Wearing a bracelet is a great way to get started.
In 2019 men even started more commonly wearing brooches, so there really are no rules anymore on what is acceptable or cool, simply make it your own.
Bracelets are a great conversation starter. You can talk about the brand, the charm, the material or craftsmanship.
Perhaps the story of where you bought it on an adventure or with a friend if the bracelet has meaning.
You can wear it to simply enjoy the jewelry itself, the design and quality.
Many men wear bracelets to complete a look or to present themselves as groomed or well rounded.
If you are a watch fan, it’s a nice way to dress up a casual watch or to draw attention to a special watch you are proud of.
Bracelets can make you look more formal for special events and make you stand out in a room of similarly dressed men.
How To Wear Bracelets For Men
We hope you enjoyed our bracelet wearing guide.
Let us know on Instagram what you think of our bracelet collections and follow us for competition and giveaways.