You may have your daily watch, your favorite baseball cap, and a pair or two of brand new shoes waiting for you in your closet, but after a while some accessories begin to feel a little formulaic. While these are all classic menswear staples, you might find yourself wanting something to spruce up your outfit a bit versus buying another pair of sneakers that are only slightly different from the ones you copped last season.
Instead, now might be the time to incorporate a little more tech into your wardrobe. More and more, the line between the digital and the material is blurring and the fashion industry is slowly—but surely—catching up. From designer collaborations to AI-integrated sunglasses, it’s time we start dressing like we’re living in the 21st century.
While technology’s influence in fashion is nothing new (like those colorful little iPod Nanos we’d clip to our shirts back in the day), its integration in our daily lives has become more prominent in recent years. Couple that with the AI arms race and one can easily see how tech’s seepage into all facets of life is becoming the nor —and that includes seeing it as a form of self-expression, just like any other accessory. Brands like Hermès, Ray-Ban, and Montblanc have embraced new technology while still preserving their identity. Here are some of our favorite style picks at the intersection of form and function.
Photo via Master & Dynamic
Master & Dynamic MW75 Headphones
Even if you didn’t know the name, you’ve undoubtedly seen Master & Dynamic’s popular over-the-ear model, the MW75, around town and onscreen, most recently on HBO’s The White Lotus. While the sound quality is unbeatable and the design slick, the real beauty of Master & Dynamic comes from its ongoing collaborations with big-name brands like Tumi, L/uniform, and Lamborghini.
Photo via Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Headphones
Headphones are some of the easiest ways to accent your personal style with technology. British brand Bowers & Wilkins’s Px8 have as much presence as Apple’s AirPods Max, but with a more refined design—and with arguably better sound quality, too. The bonus is having the same headphones as David Beckham, so even if you may not look like the guy, at least you can enjoy music the same way he does.
Photo via Ray-Ban
Ray-Ban Meta Sunglasses
With an integrated camera, voice assistance, and live translations in your ear, Ray-Ban’s partnership with Meta makes me feel like we’re finally getting the technology we imagined as kids. The beauty of these frames is that no part of Ray-Ban’s iconic wayfarer style was sacrificed to integrate Meta’s software, giving you a lot more subtlety than whatever was going on with Apple Vision Pro.
Photo via Hermes
Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2
As a brand that’s been around since 1837, Hermès has long battled the misconception that they’re a stuffy old French label. In fact, its success has often been attributed to its ability to adapt with the time and capitalize on a trend. Its long standing partnership with Apple shows just that. While the hardware is the same as the standard model, this version gives you access to Hermès-branded watch faces and a choice of either the Bleu Nuit or Bleu Hydra knit bands.
Photo via Montblanc
Montblanc Summit 3 Smartwatch
Between pens, leather goods, and accessories, Montblanc knows luxury. And it’s no different with its line of watches. Having produced its first smartwatch in 2017, the German brand has been perfecting its technology and design. Their latest, the Summit 3, might look like a standard chronograph from a difference, but up close one can see that it’s a straightforward smartwatch capable of tracking your health—but without too many bells and whistles to bog you down.
Image via Nothing
Nothing Phone (3a)
If you’re tired of seeing the same iPhones and Galaxies everywhere, make a real style statement by switching to the Nothing Phone. Over the last few years, Nothing has made a name for itself in the IYKYK market as a brand that eschews flashy designs for something a bit more stripped-down and under-the-radar. With its under-the-hood design and its own operating system, this is a phone that feels a bit more underground, a bit grittier, and all the more unique because of it.
