Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize! Part 2.3

PART 2.3
In Parts 2.1 & 2.2 I discussed how to incorporate bags and shoes into your wardrobe.  In Part 2.3 I want to touch on accessorizing with jewelery, the do's and don'ts, and I want to talk a bit about accessorizing with scarves.  This will be the last installment of Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize, so I hope that you have been able to take away with you some tips when out on the next hunt for that great accessory!


Diamonds ARE a Girl's Best Friend

Jewelery is the quintessential accessory.  Earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches that come in an array of materials, styles, shapes, colours and sizes.  Jewelery has been around for the last 100,000 years and still to this day, is one of the most important accessories around - in my opinion.  Jewelery can make or break an outfit so you want to be sure that you don't go overboard with how you use the pieces in your ensemble.  I want to take a moment and go over each of these pieces (earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches) and explain some of the do's and don'ts.


Earrings: They can be used on pierced ears or not, with long hair or short, everyday or evening.  Earrings are versatile and a practical solution to bring colour and draw the eye to the face.  Earrings come in different types such as: post/stud, clip-on, hoop and drop.  They can be found in gold, silver, platinum, nickel or synthetic materials.  Earrings can be composed of precious or semi-precious stones, amber, pearls or man-made materials i.e. cubic zirconia.  Earrings should complement your outfit and not draw away from it.  Be sure to coordinate the earring, whether it's a simple diamond post or a gold hoop to your outfit.  You can achieve coordination by keeping the tones similar (i.e. metals) or by selecting a colour from your outfit in your earring selection.

DON'T: wear earrings that overpower your face or outfit i.e. big bright theatrical earrings circa 1980s.

DO: wear earrings that flatter your face and complement your outfit i.e. small drop earrings in either a precious metal and/or with a stone.

Rings: What better way to show off some "bling" than by sporting a ring.  Rings come in all shapes, sizes, colours, materials and styles imaginable and should be worn liberally.  You can select from the daintiest to the boldest of cocktail rings.  They are a great statement piece and can really accentuate an outfit.  Rings can and should be worn everyday, and because the ring is worn on the finger you can get away with bolder statements, than say if it was worn around your neck.  Don't throw away coordination because I said that you can make a bolder statement, the ring should still complement your ensemble in some capacity, but nothing is to say that you can't wear a blue topaz ring with your pink dress.

DON'T: wear all the rings you have in your jewelery box at once.

DO: wear a ring that makes an impact i.e. a bold cocktail ring.

Necklace: A great way to add emphasis to an outfit and your face is to include a necklace. Necklaces come in various sizes, styles, colours and materials.  They can be pendants, links, chains, pearls, multi-strand, lariat, and the list goes on.  A necklace can be bold or simple which is why it is important that a necklace doesn't under or over perform.  The purpose of adding a necklace to your outfit is to complement.  For example, adding a statement necklace, like those described in Part 1 of this series to your casual cropped pants and cotton top doesn't exactly create the cohesion your after.  If you decide to wear a necklace with this outfit (casual cropped pants + cotton top) you may want to opt for something more casual like a necklace made of natural fibers or something plain and simple.

DON'T: wear a necklace that sticks out over the rim of your turtleneck, and don't wear one that is close to the neck of the turtleneck - it just looks odd.

DO: wear a necklace that makes an impact without sacrificing style.

Bracelets:  Bracelets are a great way to accentuate the wrist, they can provide visual interest or add a touch of dimension to an outfit.  Bracelets come in various shapes, styles, sizes, colours and materials and can easily be coordinated to any outfit.  Bracelets come in bangle, chain, charm, link, pearl, multi-stone, semi precious and precious stones; they come in silver, gold, platinum, resin, amber and man-made/synthetic materials.  They can be worn loose at the wrist or high up on the arm as a cuff/band.  When selecting a bracelet to wear you should consider the look of your ensemble, a grouping of pearl bracelets worn with your cropped cargo pants and hoodie is not exactly a match made in heaven.  Bracelets can be worn in groupings or on their own, the possibilities are endless.  Get creative with how you wear your bracelets, but just be sure to keep the styles similar with the look you are trying to achieve.
DONT: wear bracelets that are meant for ages 5+.

 DO: get creative with pairing bracelets together.

Brooches: Now these aren't your grandmother's fashion statement any longer, brooches have started to make their way back into the accessory spotlight once more.  Brooches these day's tend to be worn in different yet similar ways as they have in the past, on the lapel of a jacket, on a hat, on a scarf or on your coat.  But the brooches of today are sleek, stylish and come in many different shapes, patterns, colours and materials.  Don't underestimate the power that a brooch can have with your ensemble, but be cautious, you don't want to look like you've walked out of the 1830's and into the 21 century.  Brooches should be selected carefully and worn stylishly.
DON'T: wear your grandmother's antique cameo with your jeans and a tee.

DO: wear a brooch on your jacket for an impact statement.  Just be sure that it's not a precious heirloom!

The Scarf
These days scarves are more fashion than utilitarian, they are not just for keeping your neck warm during the cold winter months, they have a fashion purpose, to emphasize.  Scarves can be ornate or simple, but the overall purpose whether it's to cover your shoulders or tied around your neck is to add definition to your outfit.  Scarves are also used on accessories such as bags and bracelets, they can be worn on the head or tied around a ponytail, so their uses exceed that of the neck/shoulder.  
They are versatile accessories and should be considered in one or more of their uses in your wardrobe.  There's something to be said about driving around with the top down, your head covered in a rich silk scarf and wearing big sunglasses that oozes glamour.  If you're not willing to make that statement just yet, consider adding some texture to your accessories by tying a neck scarf around the handle of your purse.  But whatever you do, make sure that you consider proportions, style, colour and material when out selecting your next scarf.

And with that, the series on Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize is drawn to a close.  I hope that you enjoyed reading about how to incorporate accessories in your wardrobe and now that You have the tools, put them to good use.  Get out there and accessorize until your your heart is content...and then go out and accessorize some more!


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
Alexis Bittar
The Shopping Channel
Judith Bright
Hermes