Accessories are the icing on the cake, the fudge sauce on the ice cream, the cherry on top. Which is not to suggest that they’re sugary substances that whilst yummy will inevitably make you fat. Accessories are the finishing touches to an outfit. From the little extra bling that makes a simple outfit rock to a fantastic pair of earrings that draws a dozen compliments accessories are an integral part of every outfit.
And much more importantly when you’re stying your body shape accessories are your very good friend
WHAT ARE ACCESSORIES?
The following is a list of accessories:
- Handbags
- Hats, including tiaras
- Hair clips
- Necklaces
- Earrings
- Rings
- Bangles
- Scarves
- Belts
- Tights
- Whatever additional extras you can think of…
Shoes are not just an accessory. They are make or break items for every outfit and never just a finishing touch.
ACCESORIES FOR YOUR BODY SHAPE
Accessories are like everything else that you wear; they create optical illusions on your body so it pays to know what illusions that’ going to be.
When choosing accessories your first choice is always going to be “do I totally love this accessory” followed by “does it suit me”. Most of us judge by looking in a mirror whether or not something suits us but what you’re really looking at is the optical illusion that an item has on your body. Sometimes it works and does wonderful things and sometimes, well, not so much.
The key is knowing about your shape and knowing what illusions work for, and against, your particular shape. And of course what it is that you’re trying to project.
With accessories there are two things to look for: 1) the size of your body and 2) where the item draws attention.
THE SIZE OF YOUR BODY
Let’s take for an example a handbag.
If you’re a tiny little thing and you add a huge handbag to your outfit what it’s going to do is highlight the fact that your body is tiny in comparison. This may not be a problem for you, but if you’re trying to give the impression of confident-business-women you may end up looking more like young-girl-borrowed-mothers-bag.
The same works if your body is bigger. A tiny little bag will highlight the fact that the body against which it is framed is much bigger than the bag. Again this may not be an issue for you. If you’re looking at an outfit and trying to see what feels off it can very much be that it makes you feel bigger than what you actually are.
So a good rule of thumb is to match your accessories to your body size. For example, if you have slender wrists, big chunky bracelets will highlight that. If you have short stubby fingers a big chunky ring will highlight that.
WHERE DOES THE ITEM DRAW ATTENTION
Lets again take the handbag.
Say you’re a pear shape and your hips and bottom are an area you’re trying to draw attention away from. Then a messenger bag worn crossed over your chest and nestling comfortably on your hip is going to draw attention to your hips. A better option hobo or a satchel worn over your shoulder sitting under your arm which is then going to draw attention to your tiny waist.
So here is where accessories really shine. What are you trying to do with your shape?
Are you highlighting your waist – look for a belt that sits exactly on your waist and draws attention to it (beware the issue of breaking up long lines if you’re larger).
Are you minimising your hips – load up the jewellery on your top half. Find a big necklace that sits right where you want eyes to be drawn and wear it with attitude.
Are you highlighting your legs – get some fabulous sexy tights.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Working with accessories is very much a trial and error thing for most women but well worth doing, particularly as accessories will usually be the way that you start developing your own personal style.
Buy lots and work them with your current wardrobe. It’s a lot cheaper than buying clothes for most items. It’s also a fantastic way to take advantage of trends without shelling out a lot of money for something that’s only going to last a season.
Most of all, notice what you love, what you wear often, and have a good look at why.
