Shopping: Men's Bracelets

Courtesy of Night Rider

Shake hands with a businessman or hipster these days and you may catch a peek of the latest trend for men: the wrist tangle, or so-called Kanye bracelets.

The trend, sparked by singer Kanye West’s mix of gold and fabric wrist-wear at the 2011 Coachella music festival, has gained enough momentum to rate a mention in February’s New York Times Style section, and has landed firmly in Las Vegas.

Jennifer Miller, director of marketing for MJ Christensen Diamonds, a 2011 Best of Las Vegas reader’s pick for Best Jewelry Store, defined the type of customer most likely to embrace this trend as “current, on trend and doesn’t really care what others think. He’s definitely an independent spirit with a lot of confidence and a passion for jewelry.”

Kyle Anderson, a loan officer in New York, picked up a David Yurman bracelet at the Fashion Show Mall during his visit to Las Vegas. It is the third in his collection, which included a leather bracelet given to him by a girlfriend years earlier and a woven parachute cord piece he got at Christmas.

“I’m not really into too much flash, but this trend feels like me,” he said. “It’s not over-the-top bling.”
The beauty of this trend is that guys like Anderson can mix inexpensive pieces with more high-end brands.

“We see a lot of mixing and stacking of different textures,” Miller said. “A lot of designers are coming out with the parachute material, and people are layering that with sterling silver.”

Besides making a fashion statement, a few brands also make a philanthropic gesture as well.

“We have paper beads that are made in Uganda, Africa from recycled paper that benefits a group of impoverished women there,” Miller pointed out, adding that the company just reached a $100,000 in sales that all go to BeadForLife.org. “There are also some made from parachute cord that helps soldiers who are relocating to America after being at war. When you mix the charity in with the high end, it’s a really cool vibe.”

For those looking to break into the trend, Miller suggested a classic woven sterling sliver bracelet, such as ones made by John Hardy or the Arizona-based company Night Rider.

As for cost, “You can pretty much start at $5 to wherever you’d like to spend,” Miller said. “The Bead For Life recycled paper beads begin at $5, but the sky is the limit. There are different brands for different gentlemen. Find what his passions are and what story he’d like to tell, and then match the jewelry with his personal needs.”

While wearing a wrist full of color isn’t Anderson’s goal, he likes the mix-and-match effect of his set and plans to add a nice watch later this year.

“I’ve got my eye on a Tag Heuer,” he said. “Why not? After all these years getting presents for girlfriends, I think it’s fun to get something for me.”

Published on BestofLasVegas.com