Gold glasses, silver jewelry clash

Q. Can gold-framed glasses be worn with silver jewelry or silver belt buckles? How much of an issue is non-matching?

A. While there are not many elements of men clothing that I think will go generally unnoticed, this may be one. I don’t think most people care one way or the other about eyeglass color and whether it matches the other things you are wearing.

It does make sense if you have a strong preference for one color metal, or if one is more flattering to your complexion, to choose that one for most of your accessories. And it is true that the ideal way to choose your jewelry and accessories, such as belt buckles, watches, cufflinks, tie clasps, rings, and blazer buttons, is to stay with either gold or silver-toned metal. But non-matching of the metals in your clothing is not really a big issue and not doing so is certainly not a big mistake.

If you wear French-cuff shirts, any simple, tasteful cufflinks will do, provided they are not too big or flashy and have no clear stones. If your watch and your belt buckle are silver, stay with silver-toned cufflinks. With a gold watch, wear gold-toned cuff links.

With a navy or black blazer, you have a choice of buttons: the preppy/nautical look of brass buttons, the stylish look of silver or pewter buttons, the dressier look of dark suit buttons, of the summer-seasonal look of white pearl buttons. Since there are a lot of them (especially on a double-breasted jacket), choose carefully.

Not only does quantity matter but size does as well. For example, a small unobtrusive silver belt buckle can go along with a gold watch or gold cufflinks. A larger, more noticeable buckle (even if not “rodeo size”) might call so much attention to itself that it factors more into your matching thinking.

However, this definitely is an element you can worry too much about. I believe that concerning yourself about matching your money clip or the hardware on your briefcase to your other jewelry is carrying this concept too far. Don’t sweat it.

Another approach altogether is to choose a two-toned watch that combines both stainless steel (or silver) and gold tones. This can act as a transition item that allows you to mix the two different colored metals in your other accessories. Of much more importance than matching, be alert against too much glitter and shine. While some glitz can work for weekend and social dressing, a dandyish, showy image is inappropriate for most business situations.