5 Reasons to Accessorize!

Accessories are the the equivalent of an exclamation point!

Happy day, reader dear!

It’s lovely to see you! If you are new, welcome! If you are returning, welcome back! In life, brains and actions don’t always align and plans go off the rails. SQUIRREL! Today I’m returning to a plan set in motion back in February about Accessorizing: How’s and Why’s. I started with what was easy (for me): Scarves and how they can pull a look together. After publishing, I realized that I, like we so often do, had gotten the cart before the horse. Sharing how to accessorize begs the question “Why?” The short answer I gave in that post was: Accessories are the easiest way to change up an outfit. But it’s not the only answer!

Get More Mileage from Your Clothes

If you prefer to buy simple Building Basics because you don’t go for patterns or embellishment, it is easy to get bored with your wardrobe. Then you buy more basics, and get bored again. This is a never ending cycle seen in some of the closets in which I work. More clothes are not the answer; you may need an accessories expedition. Next time, before going shopping, try adding some accessories to your outfit. If you don’t have any (which is very unusual), try it out with something inexpensive. Look for a Style Staple like a Long Necklace, a Short Colored Necklace, a Scarf, or Statement Earrings. Don’t worry about trying all at once! Start small. Take it slow and easy…

Add Color to an Outfit

Color is powerful! It can brighten your day, alter your mood, and make you memorable! The right color can make you look better rested, healthier, more vibrant, and younger! Why do do many people avoid color? Some have become color-phobic because they are afraid of making some sort of mistake. Others have fallen into the myth that black is the “perfect color.” Adding colored accessories to an outfit is a great way to add the spark of color without worrying about whether you can wear those pants with that shirt. Think of it as color without the commitment… So come on! Add some color to your life!

Colored accessories are also an easy way to correct your outfit to harmonize with your Color Contrast or Value Contrast!

Change the Level of Refinement

This is related to getting more mileage out of your clothes, or as I like to think of it: Dawn to Dusk Dressing, AKA: Laundry Minimalization! Any day I can wear the same outfit from sunup (after bathing) to sundown, and not create extra laundry, that’s a win in my book. I don’t mind laundry, but when we were a family of 5, three of whom were male children, I was not interested in any more laundry than was being generated naturally. When I put on my clothes in the morning, I want those to be the same ones I take off at night to put on my jammies. Special events like weddings and balls are the exception that proves the rule!

Update Your Wardrobe

Accessories are an easy and often inexpensive way to update your wardrobe. They are also a fabulous way to dip a toe into a trend that you love, one that’s more a summer romance rather than a long-term relationship. Creating a mini (3-5 piece) Beauty Bundle of a trendy color, or feeling (Boho?) can give you the feeling of a wardrobe update without the hefty price tag of an actual overhaul. Maybe Living Coral (Pantone’s 2019 Color of the Year) rocks your world. Rather than splashing out on an outfit, why not grab an inexpensive tee and some accessories that will give you the color you love and still be wearable when you eat extra funnel cake at the beach. And the fruity frozen cocktails…

Express Your Personality or Mood

Let’s go back to those jeans and white tee… Are they feeling blah? Take that white tee and jeans from ordinary to a cheerful relaxed vibe by adding the bottom sunglasses and scarf on the left. Feeling more chic? Tie on the silky scarf on the right and one of the jeweled earrings at the top. Ethnic world traveler? The beaded necklace, dark tassel earrings and aviators. If that’s not enough convincing, here are some other vibes you can get from your Jeans and a White Tee!

How about you? Are you an accessories queen? Or do you find them overwhelming, or just too fussy? Is your relationship with them love? Hate? Or Love/Hate/It’s Complicated? What would you like to learn more about? What’s your struggle? Or your favorite? Do let me know in the comments below!

Stylishly yours,