Gentlemen’s Dress Accessories

In the mid-nineteenth century, men wished to balance the sobriety of their clothing: if fashion dictated drab coloring, they could add ornament.

Hence gentlemen came to display a selection of male jewellery, including the watch chain or ‘albert’ with its attachments - watch-keys, seals, fobs, compasses, pencils, vestas and the like. Studs, cravat pins, flower holders, cuff-links and special dress buttons for waistcoats were also widely used.

Many of the items described and illustrated here are highly collectible and can still be worn today, often providing a stimulating conversation point.