If you’re shopping for a watch for yourself or a friend, one of the decisions you’ll have to make is what color the strap should be. These days, watch straps come in dozens of colors and designs, so you certainly have a lot of them to choose from. Watch straps are sometimes even interchangeable, allowing the owners to change the color of the strap to match a certain outfit. Regardless of what your own personal preferences are, there are a few “rules” that make buying the right watch strap a lot easier, and below are some of them.
7 Watch Strap Color Rules
1. Look at Your Wardrobe
You’ll want to start by taking a look at your wardrobe and determine what the most common color is, especially when it comes to shoes and belts. If you have more browns in your wardrobe, you should choose a strap color that either complements that color or which matches it completely. The same goes for a wardrobe that centers around the color black. But don’t think you have to choose a watch strap in that exact color; in fact, something that highlights or complements the main color in your wardrobe works just as well.
2. Look at Your Watch Dial
Matching the watch dial to the strap is also a good idea, but you should try to use contrasting colors and not colors that are similar or that match exactly. For example, if you have a watch with a black dial, you should aim for a strap that is in light or medium brown. If your watch dial is silver or white, choosing a medium- to dark-brown strap will make it look great. The contrast between the dial and the watch strap gives it the best look in the end.
3. What to Wear with Blues or Cool Tones
If your wardrobe is filled mostly with blues, navy blues, or other cool tones, watch strap color rules dictate that you choose bands of light to medium brown. If you don’t want to wear brown, colors such as green, gray, and even purple are a great match. All of these colors will look great with clothes that are made mostly of blues or cool tones.
4. What to Wear with Earth or Natural Tones
A wardrobe filled mostly with earth tones means a watch band that is olive drab, medium brown, or black will look great with your clothes. Some other browns and some grays may also match well. Earth tones are one of the easiest colors to match a watch band to because they tend to be “neutral” and will match most colors.
5. What to Wear with Reds or Warm Tones
When your wardrobe consists mostly of reds and other warm tones, you might think that only a few watch strap colors will look good with it, but that is not necessarily true. Reds and other warm colors look great with watch bands that are dark brown and black, but you can also choose colors such as green, white, blue, and purple. These colors are considered complementary of reds and warm tones, and if you want something that essentially matches red or other warm tones, you can choose colors that are similar, such as orange and yellow.
6. What to Wear with Monochrome Tones, Grays, and Blacks
Having a wardrobe filled mostly with grays and blacks is extremely easy on your part because almost every color will go with it. Grays and blacks differ from beiges and earth tones because a lot of earth tones have small amounts of other colors mixed in with them. Grays and blacks are different. For any monochrome tone, you can use just about any color, and the color can either blend in with the wardrobe or call attention to it. If you really want your watch to blend in with your wardrobe, try getting a minimalist watch so you can accomplish just that.
7. Pay Attention to Your Other Jewelry
Your other jewelry should also match the strap that you end up buying. If you have mostly silver jewelry, try a watch band that is black or silver. If you own mostly gold jewelry, opt for a brown strap instead. If you’re going to wear a watch, it will look much better if it at least partly matches the rest of your jewelry.
Should You Match Your Band to Your Belt, Shoes, or Handbag?
If you’re wondering if you should match your watch strap to your belt, shoes, or handbag, the simple answer is “yes.” That being said, you shouldn’t go overboard with it. If you have purses or shoes that are in colors such as pink and purple, you may not be able to find a matching strap. You may want to stick with browns and blacks most of the time, and when you do try to match your belt or shoes, make it a subtle look and not one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
What to Avoid
As with all tips related to watch strap colors, there are certain things you should avoid to be more color-coordinated. The main thing you want to look for is how complex your watch is. In other words, if your watch has tons of features and many different dials, you won’t want a multi-colored watch strap or a strap that is too ornate. Either the watch strap or the watch itself must be rather plain-looking for the combination to work. If your strap is a basic color, it’s acceptable to include it with a watch that is filled with fancy features. Only if your watch is plain and basic should your watch band be fancy or colorful.
