So, you’ve mastered the art of pulling on a crisp shirt and a pair tailored trousers. Perhaps you’re a workwear god, maybe even a streetwear king. But if you’re getting dressed in the morning and sleeping on accessories, you’re missing not one, but several tricks. A well-chosen accessory – or tie, scarf, hat, belt, etc – is the element that takes a dressed man to a best-dressed man. (Seriously, take a look through our street-style roundups from over the years and you’ll notice that often, the item that really takes a look over the edge isn’t trousers or a sweater, but a luxurious printed scarf, or a vibrant hat.)

Here, we’ve gathered some of our favourite examples great outfits where accessories are doing much of the heavy lifting, elevating staid tailoring, lending a bit of high-fashion humour, or sending an I-am-luxurious signal to the world. Learn from these men and, next time you get dressed, think about adding a little something extra to your look.

Well, is this a belt or a sash, who’s to say? But the wonky placement and the extra-bright hue make this accessory a real outfit statement. Note how the rest of the get up is fairly neutral, a white shirt, tan cords, a brown coat. But a traffic-cone coloured belt around the waist says, “Everything I placed on my body this morning is entirely intentional and thought out”. It telegraphs to the world that you are a creative type with an eye for trends and fashion. Plus, it signals to the street-style photographers that you’re ready for your close-up.

Deep-blue tailoring always looks excellent, especially when paired with a curly mop and classic sunglasses. But look at the way this gentleman has so artfully draped and tied his scarf around his neck – just look at the colour combination, the tonal blues and the stripes of white. This is a thoughtful addition to an otherwise standard double-breasted suit and it makes a difference. Imagine a commute where 500 men wearing the same blue suit board the train with you, and one of them has a jaunty little scarf. Who do you notice, the boring suit drones or the individual with a bit of flair?

Men have long kept things fairly hands-free when it comes to bags (backpacks, belt bags, what have you) while women have been toting the pouch line alone for years. No longer. There are few things more elegant than a leather-bound portfolio to hold all your documents and the new pouch shape, as seen here, is simply a slouchier riff on the portfolio shape. The example pictured isn’t exactly groundbreaking in colour or shape, but it’s striking against and otherwise greyscale outfit. It tells the world, “I didn’t just throw my keys in a tote bag I got for free”, and that you have a selection of bags to choose from (after all, you can’t own just a pouch, can you? That’s ridiculous). In other words, this is advanced level bag stuff.

Believe it or not, we’re are not talking about the hat that Poggy the Man (aka Mr Motofumi Kogi) is wearing in this image. No, Poggy is a well-known master of hats as an accessory and pulls off items we wouldn’t necessary recommend the average man try. This outfit is a typical blend of what looks like Japanese avant-garde and workwear staples, but what stands out to us is, you guessed it, the highlighter-yellow shoulder bag slung across the body. I mean, why even wear a bag if you can’t see it from space, right?

When this gentleman looked at his Gucci hiking-boot-sneakers on the day this photo was snapped, he could have said to himself “these are enough”. They are, after all, a look: Gucci-branded tongue, logo at the vamp, lug-style soles, and wildly placed lacing. But, no, this hero thought, “I need more,” and added Gucci socks. Now that’s what we call accessorising. Too often, socks are overlooked as potential outfit-makers or breakers. Black, blue, grey and white socks are all well and good, but have you ever thought about how boring they are? Of course, the flip side is that patterned socks can be rather twee (often, as they are, holiday-themed). But a branded sock or a bright colour is the perfect way to tell the world that you understand that what goes on your body, and particularly what’s visible to the public, is important and worth some thought. They also just look rather cool. Sock on.

Now, a Cartier watch is perhaps a little less democratic than, say, socks or a scarf. Not every man can achieve this level of sophisticated accessorising. That said, if you’re able to adorn your wrist with a classic and elegant watch, please do so. It’s particularly right with a tailored look such as the one seen here, where every element is considered (pocket square, waistcoat, tie, etc). You just know that if the camera were to pull out, we would see a fully formed gentleman dressed as if he knows he owns the world. Just think, that could be you!