Accessories Make the Woman
“You always look so put together!”
“I love your sense of style!”
“What a cool necklace, where ever did you get it?”
“I wish I could put together outfits like you.”
“What a great outfit!”
I received 23 compliments on my outfit or a piece of my outfit today. No, I am not trying to brag about my sense of style. I am trying to make a point.
Want to know what I was wearing today? I was wearing a slightly faded black cotton sweater with a round neck, a bit stretched out from multiple wearings. With it was a pair of cream pants I have owned for too long. I have resewn the hem multiple times, and the lining in the pants had torn and raveled so much I finally tore it out in a fit of rage.
Why the compliments on such a mediocre (at best) outfit? I bet most of you women have similar pieces in your wardrobe. What made it special enough to compliment the person wearing such lackluster garments?
Accessories.
I wore a necklace. It's long, hangs past my breasts and is made completely of shells. The shells are pretty much the same color as my pitiful cream trousers.
On my feet are a pair of $40 pumps I bought last season from Nordstrom. Slightly pointed toe, but not so much that they look overly trendy or are overly painful on the toes. 2″ heel. A classic, yet stylish look that was so flattering, so comfortable, and priced so nicely, I bought them in three colors.
Black leather purse in finish similar to shoes that I picked up at Marshall's for $19.99 three years ago.
Soft eye makeup, blush, concealer and subtle lipgloss.
These accessories are not particularly fancy, and far from being expensive. What makes them work is that they have… personality. They help express my personality.
When looking for accessories, do not adhere solely to what the magazine pages tell you is hip. True fashion is timeless and is creative. Anyone can buy the “right” pieces. What matters is not what you wear, but how you wear it.
Shell necklaces are not considered “hip” or stylish. I found the necklace in my mother's house in a box of costumes. I believe it was used one year when one of us kiddies was a hula dancer. The shells were beautiful, the necklace makes a cool clinking noise when you walk. Long necklaces help elongate a short body (moi). No one else I knew had a necklace like it. I decided to take it as my own, wear it with a subtle outfit that would not compete with the necklace.
Accessories are art. Clothing can be the canvas, while accessories are the medium.
Each year I buy a new purse. I don't buy an expensive one, or a designer one. I buy one I like. A purse is carried with you every day, it should match your personality, compliment your wardrobe, but most important it should make you happy. A pleasing shape, a cheerful color. Something to make you love it, make you proud to fling it over your shoulder. My sister bought a turquoise vinyl purse from Payless Shoe Source this Spring for less than $20. She got more compliments on it than the designer purse she received as a gift. Why? Because it fit her personality, it was fun, it was pleasing.
Accessories can add to an outfit, can detract from an outfit, can overwhelm an outfit. See fashion not as a chore, but as art. Like music, painting, home decorating. See it as lines, shapes, color. Fashion is more than just covering skin. It's more than trying to imitate celebrities. It shouldn't be about your hips, your belly, your breasts, your budget. It's about making your body a work of art, an extension of your personality.
Sounds daunting, but it's not. Go with your gut. Color Me beautiful says you're a Winter, yet you love orange. When you wear orange you feel happy, powerful, sassy. Then darn it, wear orange! You see a necklace that catches your fancy, but you fear it's too ornate, it's too flashy. Well then, don't wear it with a silver lycra mini and pink maribou heels. Like a fine work of art that you wouldn't hang on walls papered with cabbage roses, a great accessory should not compete with your outfit.
The right bracelet or necklace can take a faded sweater and a pair of pants too worn to donate and make it a stylish outfit. You may not have the budget for a new wardrobe every season, but a few key accessories picked up every few months can add live and vitality to your closet.
Did you like what you just read?
Consider tapping here to buy me a coffee in thanks. The best gift you can give a content creator is the gift of sharing. Consider sharing this article on Facebook or Pinterest. Thank you so much for your support!
