How to Accessorize: 8 Tips for Accessorizing Like a Stylist
Now that you know why you should accessorize, the types of accessories, and the top current accessory trends, it's time to learn how to put that into practice. With a little effort, you can learn how to accessorize your outfit just like the stylists to the stars do.
These eight tips for accessorizing an outfit can help you take your wardrobe to the next level and help you shine for any occasion.
1. Consider What You're Wearing
The first place to start when you learn to accessorize is to consider what you're wearing. How you accessorize jeans and a t-shirt will differ from how you accessorize a formal dress! To get the accessory inspiration flowing, ask yourself these questions:
What is the occasion?
What do I need to bring with me? (E.g., phone, wallet, keys)
What statement do I want to make?
What will outfit accessories will enhance my look even more?
Pay attention to specifics, such as the neckline, overall silhouette, and color of your outfit. These factors can help you choose the right accessories to send the message you want to convey.
For example, if you’re heading to Sunday brunch with the girls, you’ll likely want to look effortlessly casual but cute. If you opt for a pair of high-waisted shorts and a billowy boho blouse, you can use accessories like an oversized hat, a straw tote, a pair of brightly colored sunglasses, and chunky sandals to complement your look. Each accessory will make a statement, but you're not overdoing it.
On the other end of the spectrum, maybe you're attending the wedding of a close friend and are wearing a timeless little black dress. To avoid pulling attention away from the couple, choose an understated pair of black heels, but add some personality by wearing an heirloom necklace or a statement hair accessory with a complementary clutch to hold your things.
2. Focus On What You Want to Accent
For any outfit, casual or formal, picking one aspect of yourself that you want to accent – like your cinched waist or beautiful smile – can help you accessorize. (P.S. You can learn more about accentuating your best features in our guide to dressing for your body shape).
For example, to flaunt your hairstyle, you can draw attention upward with a stylish headband that accentuates your ‘do. Or, if you want to show off your gorgeous curves, adding a skinny belt to a dress can accent that part of your body. And by learning how to accessorize with jewelry, you can strategically use necklaces, earrings, and the like to draw attention to your face while accenting your clothing too.
3. Choose a Statement Accessory
We know that accessorizing can feel overwhelming, so one quick tip is to pick just a single statement piece and use other subtle elements to add layers to your look.
For example, if you have a pair of fun candy-colored sunglasses that you want to show off when you're at the beach, focus on those by pairing your eyewear with a chic bikini or two-piece in a neutral color that complements your skin tone. Add a straw bucket hat to enhance your sun protection and keep the focus on your face so your statement sunglasses will be the star of the show.
If you’re wondering how to accessorize an outfit while keeping things understated, you can do the same thing with a pair of incredible shoes. Elongate your frame and show off a pair of fabulous heels by keeping your other accessories simple and understated.
4. Create Balance
Another essential trick is to create balance with your accessories. For example, if you choose a large statement necklace, pair it with smaller accessories to create balance.
Let’s say you have a pair of killer hoop earrings that you love. If you want to accessorize more while still keeping your earrings front and central, try pairing them with a simple chain necklace to create balance. If you choose a bold pattern for your outfit, you may not need bright accessories to finish the look; pick something understated like a silk scarf in a solid color.
Balance in terms of accessories is an art. You can create bold, daring looks or maintain simplicity depending on how you style your accessories – it’s all part of the fun!
5. Pair Bold Accessories With Neutral Outfits
If you choose a simple, neutral outfit, don't be afraid to go bold with your accessories. For example, if you're wearing casual blue jeans and a fitted white t-shirt, play around with colorful, trendy accessories like a pair of pink sunglasses or a pair of studded pumps.
The same is true if you want to wear a little black dress to a cocktail party. While your dress may be classic and understated, you can pair it with a bold rhinestone necklace to add a touch of glam. It’s a good idea to have a few statement pieces in your accessory arsenal whenever your simplest outfits need an extra dose of color or style.
6. Pair Understated Accessories with a Bold Outfit
Of course, the opposite is true when you're wearing bold outfits. You can use understated accessories to balance out a bolder look. This is the perfect time to combine form and function.
If you're wearing a bold print dress, but you still need a purse to carry your things, a classic leather bag in a solid color is a great accessory. Or try a simple silver chain to accent your neckline without drawing attention away from the dress itself.
Do you love graphic t-shirts and want to make a literal statement with your outfit? You accessorize with a delicate chain bracelet or wear a belt with your jeans. Both options will draw attention to the message you're sending without overwhelming it.
7. Know When to Edit
French designer Coco Chanel famously said, "Before you leave your house, look in the mirror and take one thing off." Editing your accessories is as important as choosing things you love to wear.
The idea behind this statement is that accessorizing doesn't have to take the attention from your outfit. If you’re wearing a hair clip, sunglasses, a chunky necklace, bracelets, a belt, and sandals, removing one or two things can actually enhance your outfit rather than overwhelming it.
8. Alter Accessories to Personalize Your Look (and Have Fun!)
One of the best things about accessorizing is that you don't have to use accessories off the rack in their exact form. You can get creative and find ways to alter certain accessories to give your look more personality.
For example, did you inherit a broach from your great aunt but don't know how to incorporate it into your modern look? Try adding it to a hat or turning it into a pendant on a chunky chain.
Do you have a plain scarf that doesn't have much personality? Use bleach or fabric dye to create an exciting pattern that will spice up the accessory and the outfit you pair it with.
Take Any Outfit to the Next Level
Now that you know a few simple tricks for choosing accessories, let's put them into practice. Our next chapter will discuss accessorizing for specific occasions and provide ideas and tips for accessorizing nearly any outfit.
We're excited to see what you can do, so join us in the next chapter for more practical and specific tips for how to accessorize.
Mixing and matching your clothes is a great way to breathe new life into old favourites without spending a lot of money on new items. But it can also be confusing to figure out which accessories go with what – there are some golden rules, but they, too, get boring in a while.
Picking the right accessories can be quite a task. But if you get it right, they can help you elevate your look and make you stand out from the crowd. The first step is to define your very own style, and from there on, it becomes much more manageable.
Once you know what style suits you, all you need to do is create a few essential looks that you can always rely on and compliment them with different add-ons. If you want to learn how to do that, keep reading – we’ve rounded up eight cool tips on matching accessories with different outfits below.
Come Up With a Palette
Needless to say, you can’t just take random pieces and hope they’ll work together. The key to matching your accessories with the right outfit is to create a colour palette for yourself. For example, blue denim loves white, beige, and nude tones, while black leather looks great with silver and gold.
You can rely on more than one colour, though. If you feel courageous, work around the colour wheel and experiment with complementary colours. The possibilities are endless, and the results can be pretty stunning!
Play With Textures and Materials
Colours are important in the world of fashion, but textures and materials can make as much of a difference. If you want your outfit to look attractive, don’t shy away from playing with different textures and materials.
Let’s go beyond clothing for a minute. If you take a look at vaping equipment at for instance, you’ll see that many vapes there embrace monochromatic designs. The idea is to create a clean and elegant look using just one colour but different textures.
You can use the same principle when matching your accessories with different outfits. Try to create a contrast between the materials themselves whenever you want a more subtle yet stylish look.
Don’t Mix Metals
While mixing different materials and textures is generally a good idea, you should be careful when it comes to metals. You may have seen people wear a watch with a metal bracelet and a couple of rings on top, and while it may work in some cases, the overall look can be pretty overwhelming.
Instead of mixing different metals, focus on just one type. If you are wearing a silver watch, consider using some silver bracelets or rings. If you’re wearing a gold necklace, put away your silver earrings – and those in rose gold, too.
Stick to a Few Key Pieces
You probably already have your favourite clothes you feel the most comfortable in. And that’s perfectly fine; in the end, fashion should make you feel good about yourself, not the other way around. This will also help you define your overall look, upon which you can start building different outfits.
The idea is to have a few essential pieces that you can then mix and match as you see fit. A nice pair of jeans, a black leather jacket, and a white shirt are all timeless choices, but if you feel like a loose hoodie and some sweatpants are more your thing, you may be surprised at how well they can actually work. For instance, a hoodie paired with a trench coat has recently been among the most popular trends.
Complement Outfit’s Details
It is a good idea to use accessories to accentuate the details of your clothing. For example, if you’re wearing a button-down shirt, consider using suspenders to draw attention to the buttons. If you’re wearing a dress with laces, try to find some earrings with a similar design.
The idea is to find small details in your clothing and make them pop while remaining subtle at the same time. Sometimes, you only need a small accessory to take your outfit from good to great.
Don’t Overdo It
At the same time, you should try not to overdo it with your accessories. It is easy to get carried away – a pair of glasses, a bracelet, some rings, a necklace, and earrings can quickly become too much, especially if you aren’t preparing for a fancy event.
Instead, focus on just one or two pieces to help you achieve the desired look. As mentioned above, small accents can make a big difference, so you don’t have to go all out whenever you want to step out of the house.
Consider Your Body Shape
The way you dress depends on your proportions, and the same goes for the accessories you choose. Large earrings, for example, may look great on someone with an oval face shape but completely overwhelm someone with a round face and a short bob.
It’s safe to assume that the vast majority of us are not models, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make adjustments to your look to flatter your body shape. The idea is not to hide your flaws – we all have them, after all. Instead, you should focus on accentuating your best features.
Mind the Occasion
You should also consider the type of event you’re attending. A formal meeting will require you to wear different accessories than, say, a night out with friends. The idea is to look appropriate at all times, and that can be quite a challenge unless you define your very own style.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is to – once again – not overdo it. We all want to look the best all of the time, but that doesn’t imply wearing golden jewellery when going to a gym. There’s a time and place for everything, so try to be mindful of that.
Final Thoughts
Mixing and matching accessories can be a lot of fun, but it can also be confusing. If you want to avoid getting carried away with all you have at your disposal, focus on creating a set of a few basic looks that you can always fall back on.
When choosing the right accessories, take your time and try to get to know them better. If you don’t like those you already have, feel free to sell them and invest in new pieces that will actually work for you. And most importantly, have fun and experiment – you never know what you may come up with.
How To Choose And Match Patterns And Accessories
Making a fashion statement is all about being bold and choosing an unconventional way to style your outfit. Women’s fashion has changed a lot in the past few years. Fashion rules that remained taboo in the past such as the mixing of different patterns have now become fashion trends instead. If you want to make a bold fashion statement then you need to make sure that every outfit you wear is complete. That means pairing your clothes with the best possible women’s accessories and shoes so that everything looks on point. Here are some tips through which you can create a killer combination of accessories and clothes to become a style icon in women’s fashion.
1-The mix of bold and understated
Dresses that seem a little plain on their own are those who need accessories the most. Clothes which already have a lot going on with them just look cluttered if you ply them on with accessories. If you are wearing a boring basic LBD or a casual white shirt, then you can glam up this outfit by pairing it with a good necklace. Choose your necklace according to the neckline of your shirt so that it complements your neck and your dress at the same time.
2-Let go of the matching rule
The worst thing you can do for your clothes is match them with the accessories you wear. This matching scenario only works in certain rare situations while in others it looks like a toddler has played dress up with you. The key to binding the whole outfit together is bringing together colors that complement each other to create a binding look or clash with each other to give off a bold vibe. So pair your red dress with black shoes or your blue shirt with a pink scarf to look glamorous.
3-Sometimes little is more
Accessorizing does not mean that you have to put on multiple accessories to make your outfit pop. Sometimes even the most little thing can become the statement piece of the whole outfit. When you think you do not have space for an accessory go with delicate earrings or a little cuff on your hand to make your outfit look complete. Just try on a couple of different things till you find that one accessory that makes your outfit stand out.
There are lots of different kinds of women’s accessories that have become an essential part of women’s fashion. From scarves to earrings and from anklets to belts, there are a number of different ways in which you can glamorize your outfit.
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