When it comes to accessorizing, there are some important basics to keep in mind. The good news is that you don’t have to be a professional stylist to know how and why you should accessorize your outfits. Keep reading to learn how to accessorize and complete your outfit with anything from chic statement bags to pretty necklaces.
Know the Basic Accessories
According to Glamour, you don’t have to completely revamp your wardrobe or update your look every time you want to try on new accessories or simply decide you want to wear those earrings instead of that necklace today. It’s important to get down to basics and know what the basic types of accessories are and how they fit into your everyday wardrobe. During the winter or chillier months, make sure you have accessory essentials like scarves, hats, and gloves, which all can be considered to complement the rest of your look. Handbags come in many different styles and colors to act as statement pieces. Belts do more than hold up your pants or cinch your waist. They’re also fashion statements that can go from a simple and narrow belt to one that’s wide and embellished.
Figure Out Which Accessories Complement Your Outfit
Not every accessory will go with every outfit, and that’s okay. All you need to do is figure out what accessories match your outfit. If you’re wearing a sweater with embellished details like gems or pearls, your outfit will look more cohesive if you wear cute earrings with matching gems or pearls.
Decide Which Part of Your Outfit You Want to Highlight
You might decide that you don’t want to wear jewelry or belts as the highlight of your outfit. You can make a statement with cute women’s shoes instead. The first step is to decide which part of your outfit you want to highlight. Is it your pretty patent leather shoes you’ve been meaning to wear or that nice necklace with a sparkly pendant you just got? Accessorizing can be overwhelming, but one easy way to accessorize is to pick one statement accessory as the highlight of your outfit. If you have one bold accessory, any other accessories can be small and understated to balance out the rest of your outfit.
1. Balance Your Look
You need to create balance with your look by wearing complementary accessories. For example, if you’re going to wear a bold statement necklace, it’s best to wear smaller pieces like stud earrings or a delicate bracelet to help balance out your look. Make your hoop earrings the statement piece by wearing a chain necklace without a lot of details to create a more delicate balance. When you wear a bold pattern, you don’t need bright accessories, but you can wear a solid-color silk scarf as an understated accessory.
2. Bold Accessories, Neutral Outfits
If you’ve been meaning to try out statement earrings like hoop earrings or ones with a fun design like a champagne bottle, it’s best to pair these exciting accessories with something more neutral. A neutral-toned outfit helps bring attention to your accessories instead, so you’ll have a more balanced outfit. Your accessories will steal the show without looking too garish or overbearing.
3. Simple Accessories, Bold Looks
It’s all about balance, so, likewise, if you’re wearing bold accessories with a neutral outfit, you can do the same thing with a simple accessory and a bolder outfit. Let’s say you want to wear an animal print dress with animal print shoes. It’s a bold look, and we love it, but adding on yet another animal print accessory or a large jeweled necklace can be a bit much for this bold look. Instead, accessorize with simpler pieces like a narrow black belt or delicate gold jewelry for a balanced look.
4. Consider Colors and Patterns
We’re not all built for wearing leopard print from head to toe. That’s where accessories come in to allow us to try exciting prints without having to commit to a full-on animal print look. Wearing a scarf in a vibrant color or a belt in a fun zebra print is one way to add a pop of color to any outfit. Bold accessories instantly elevate any plain outfit from ordinary to extraordinary with these simple yet effective touches.
5. Mix and Match
Here’s the thing: Your accessories don’t all need to match. Matching accessories like matching sets can give off more of an old-school look than one that’s more modern and fashion-forward. A simple trick to choosing jewelry and other accessories is to choose one colorful accessory with other more neutral-toned pieces. Embrace the color wheel to get better ideas for fun color combinations for mixing and matching colors and patterns as well.
6. Accessorize for Your Personality
Picking cute accessories is about more than just picking accessories that look great. You also want to make sure you choose accessories that match your personality so that they’re accessories you’ll enjoy wearing over and over again. If you’re the kind of girl who likes to represent her favorite sports team, get jewelry inspired by your team’s mascot like a tiger or eagle. If you love cooking or reading books, get pieces that are inspired by your hobbies and interests, too!