Accessorize!

As I have mentioned before, accessories can make any outfit. Old jeans and a boring black sweater? Add some hoop earrings, polished boots, a colorful purse and maybe a scarf and you are tres sassy!

Accessories are cheaper than clothing (if you shop correctly) so they are the way to make your basic wardrobe trendy each season. Flipping through magazines like Lucky, Bazaar, Marie Claire and Allure are easy ways to spot trends in accessories (I adore W and Vogue and the rest, but they aren't easy access for quick fashion updates in the market line).

This season has a real mishmosh of trends. Natural stones like coral and turquoise have carried over from the Summer. A big trend right now is necklaces - long, multiple, chains with baubles, mixtures of beads, small pendants. There is a Romanian feel with vintage looking estate jewelry - brooches, jeweled rings and earrings. Chandelier earrings have taken a back seat and seem to only come out for Black Tie affairs. They have been replaced by the forementioned long necklaces. Chunky silver is always modern looking - hoops, bangles, substantial necklaces. Ethnic jewelry is popular as well - beaded and brass bangles, hoops and necklaces.

Pretty much with jewelry, as long as it's not overly dated (macrame, colissone pins, stuff from 1980's Avon catalogs, pop-beads), jewelry usually works if it's interesting, in good condition and flattering to the outfit.

A few basic pieces that jazz up any outfit:

1. Large silver hoops.
Not the size of oranges, but at least the size of a silver dollar. Sterling silver will last you for eons and cause less havoc on your piercings. They can be bent without chipping, they are relatively lightweight, and easy to shine back up year after year. Thin hoops, very basic in style will go with many outfits. Silver is better than gold because gold is expensive to have large, and faux gold tarnishes and chips easily.

*note: it is okay to have a gold wedding band and silver jewelry, or vice versa.

2. Silver bracelet.
Be it an etched bangle, a charm bracelet, or a large cuff like I wear daily, this adds a bit of flair to an outfit and pulls the earrings in to the outfit. A white tee and jeans suddenly look like an outfit with silver hoops and a bracelet. Again, stick with sterling silver - fake pieces won't last you an entire season. Make the piece wearable - think if you can eat, type and drive in it without going insane by it clanging against metal or cutting in to your wrist.

3. A brooch.
I know, many of you will say that pins and brooches are passe, they had their day in the sun last year and the year prior. They are not a hot commodity like they were, but they are a piece that is classic and timeless and fun. Find a brooch that is the shape or color that means something to you. My mom has a silver pin in the shape of her first initial. I have a turquoise enamel butterfly trimmed in rhinestones. My friend has a jeweled random shape in her favorite color of pink. This brooch will spice up a dull suit, can be pinned to a simple clutch to make it look more Black Tie, and a sheath dress always looks very smart with a brooch above the heart.

4. Dangly earrings.
Be they chandelier, a drop, something vintage, a pair of earring that move when you do and catch the light draw people in. They can hide in your hair or steal the show with an updo or short hair style. Again, take a basic black dress and basic black shoes, but put dangly sparkly earrings, you're ready for a cocktail party. Black tank and yeans but with sparkly earrings - night on the town!

5. Pearls.
About 18" in length, nice clasp, medium in size, traditional off-white color. Do not have to be real. I actually got a pair of faux pearls from Monet for my high school graduation. I wear them still today. They work with a suit to look more professional, a simple sheath dress to make it dressier for a day wedding, I wear it with many outfits to work, I wear with a basic sweater and pants to dress up an outfit to the mall. When you are unsure of the dressiness or the conservativeness of an event, pearls are always appropriate. If you choose, buying matching studs are a good addition to your jewelry box.

Now, on to other accessories. The little "somethings" that will pull your outfit together and make you look fashionable, polished and well dressed.

1. Sunglasses.


Not the black and neon free ones you get from M.A.D.D. Not the ones you bought at the campground three years ago when you forgot your pair. No AmberVision shades that go over your existing glasses. Sunglasses pull a look together. They make you look complete. They also prevent eye damage, skin damage, cancer and all kinds of other good things. You wear them year round in the car, and come summer - they are worn pretty much every time you go outdoors. With that much use, they better look flattering.

there are many sites that inform a consumer what shape of sunglasses to get per her face. These are helpful to a point, but you want to ensure you like how you look in the sunglasses, or you won't wear them. Do they stay on the nose? Do they cover enough or too much face? If you wear only silver jewelry, it doesn't make sense to get gold sunglasses. Don't get anything terribly trendy either. Lenses in rainbow hues, rhinestones, neon lucite frames can be fun, but aren't very practical. Brands like Ray Ban bring out classic styles year after year. They can be found at mall retailers like Sunglass Hut. My suggestion? Check out the designer frames at sunglass boutiques and department stores. Shop with an honest friend who will tell you what is flattering and what is not. Then knowing what color and style looks best, head to your closest discount store or Big Box retailer for a copy. In July I bought a pair of silver sunglasses, very similar to the above picture for $9.40 at Target. They are from their Swell line of accessories. I get compliments all the time. They feel good on the face, are sturdy, are stylish without being overly trendy. I bought a nice hard case for them so they can bounce around my purse without being destroyed. Just because you get a cheap knockoff doesn't mean you can shirk on your duty to care for and maintain your wardrobe.

2. A clutch purse.

Well, it can have a chain inside to hang on your shoulder when necessary, but for formal events, clutch purses are classic. I have a clutch purse of my mother's from the 60's that I use today and it looks current. Bags with chains and strings go in and out of fashion and ruin the line of a dress.

An evening purse needs to only hold a few essentials - ID, cash, credit or debit card, compact, lipstick, Shout Wipes, keys, possibly business cards or a small piece of paper and pen and maybe some Advil. You don't need all the other items you lug around on a daily basis. This purse should be small, sleek, not bulging with checkbook registers and Kleenex packs and fabric swatches and keys to your tool shed.

A clutch purse does not have to match anything else you are wearing, it just needs to compliment it. A simple gray gress, black stappy heels, and then a bright green beaded clutch is fascinating. A multi-colored brocade clutch with a simple black pantsuit brings light and whimsy to an outfit without looking ridiculous. This is where you can show your personality.

Stick to an evening fabric - satin, velvet, beading, brocade, even a shiny leather or alligator. No canvas, denim, nubuck or the sort. You want this to be like a piece of art - beading you enjoy, a fabric that feels good to the touch, an interesting shape, a rich color. This can be a trademark piece in your wardrobe, a piece that others will admire, and not see as the same lame black microfiber handbag you usually carry. An elegant clutch purse will make a last season or lower cost dress or suit look all the more rich.

3. An evening wrap.


Now many may scoff at wraps, find them dated, and find pashminas to be passe. I find them to be a useful and elegant way to dress up an outfit, keep yourself warm, keep yourself covered in houses of worship, and sassy up your winter coat.

Though pashminas are no longer the "hot" item to have in your wardrobe, they are still warm, attractive, versatile and can be washed at home. I find them to be a classic piece, not a passe fashion victim item.

Wraps come in many fabrics - embellished and simple, printed and solid. I prefer solid wraps so that they always work with what you are wearing. Though black may be believed to be the easy route, black is not always the best decision for accessories. As with the evening clutch purse, go with a color that you enjoy. Try to have it compliment your evening bag or evening coat.

I have an emerald green silk wrap. I have worn it with a dark orange gown, a black pantsuit, a navy dress, a black and white print sundress. Somehow bright colors seem to match the most unusual things. Since buying this wrap, I have bought a beaded clutch that has green in it, have a green beaded bracelet and a necklace with a green pendant. I realized I liked the color so much, I have made it a signature piece, a signature color. I can jazz up any basic suit, outfit or dress with these pieces. I even tied the silk wrap around my waist like a sash for one event, took a basic black sweater and trousers to dressy dimensions with that addition.

I wear my pashmina to the mall - it's easier to lug around than a winter coat, and keeps the cold away when walking from the car. I have a wrap at work in case it's chilly - easy to stuff in a drawer or on the hook behind the door. When there's just a hint of cold in the air, I often wear a pashmina or wrap looped around my neck without a coat - that little bit of warmth around the bare neck often keeps the body snuggly warm. A pashmina is a great addition to a flight - much better than the itchy well-used airport blankets. A brocade, fringed wrap makes a sassy scarf with my wool coat - I just loop it around the neck if too long, sometimes just tuck it in and let the fringe hang just below the coat hem.

A wrap can be worn with a gown, can be worn even as a scarf with a winter coat, or thrown around the neck with a simple outfit or suit. If draped around the neck, it can be secured to your clothes with a brooch so you don't have to keep fiddling with it. I have known people to take wraps and pashminas and pin them into skirts, tops, belts, hoods. They work on breezy summer nights and wintry gales. Once you buy one that you really like, you will see how important to your wardrobe it really can be.


The right accessories will make any outfit elegant and stylish.