[ARTICLE BY S. ALI]

As someone who is known amongst family and friends as having a modest amount of fashion sense, I’m asked from time to time what my favorite so and so is. So I decided to take the time to put some thought into the question and really give an honest answer.

To name some of my top pics from my collection, it could be my Cole Haan multicolored oxfords, or favorite cashmere man-scarf for the fall, or my sapphire Movado (my birthday gift to me a couple yrs back :-), or maybe my handmade Guatemalan leather cuffs we grabbed while vacationing there.  These few items definitely represent some of my favorite and most sentimental pieces in my collection.  But my favorite has to be my David Yurman woven sterling silver–wedding band.  Yes, correctamundo, my favorite fashionably accepted accessory is my wedding band.

I love the way it shines while at a black tie event or wedding.  It matches all my other silver and chrome accessories perfectly, including my custom Tiffany cuff links I received as a birthday gift from my wife one year.  But even more cool, I love how it catches the eye of a beautiful woman who is checking for it, and how because of it, I just became unattainable to her. Much like men do, but will never admit it.

The wedding band is the quintessential accessory for a number of reasons. It’s a good reminder when the day to day temptations of being fly in 2013 present themselves. It is also pretty much the one accessory you NEVER take off, which is also especially pertinent to a guy who doesn’t wear any other jewelry on the day to day. Therefore shouldn’t it be something you really, really like & even learn to love?

It really should embody your mate and what they think of you. Mines is solid, double banded and well made, and shiny when clean but definitely not flashy. I’d like to think my wife thinks of me as this and more (she hasn’t read this yet though). But she did help me pick it, so she definitely signed off. But your band should be the piece you can’t live without and panic when it’s been off for too long. Your band should also most likely be the same color metal as the majority of your other metal accessories. Have many gold chains or gold watches? Probably cool to have to a gold band. Platinum or stainless steel your thing? You guessed it, there are many bands of choice in these precious metals too.

The only thing left to consider when choosing the perfect band is to choose the right mate to compliment it. And uh, needless to say, this choice is the most impactful decision you’ll ever make. And note I said impactful because no other decision can impact your life quite like the right or wrong spouse. Except, perhaps baby muva. But that’s another piece for another day. Again, let your band become an extension of you & your spouse’s relationship and watch everything else fall into place. Have at it and let your personal style shine through.