by Rosemary Redfern
The job of accessories is to enhance the outfit. For this reason it is worth considering having a basic color scheme for clothes. When your clothes come from the same color family, it is easier to have accessories which will go with a variety of outfits. The accessories can then add the fashionable touch without the need to buy more clothes and they can add the lift of another color or be used for emphasis. The secret is to keep accessories simple because less is more elegant.
Accessories can also be used to distract from our
less attractive features and accentuate the parts of our
body we prefer to be noticed. For this reason, one or
two pieces of carefully chosen jewelry which always make
the wearer feel good but which go with a number of
outfits are useful basics. Some elegant earrings, which
need not be expensive, help to flatter the face and
hairstyle. Sometimes a classic shape rather than a
fashionable style looks better because fashion is fickle and a current fashion will not suit everyone.
To set off the face, earrings, necklaces and scarves can change the perceived shape of the jaw, neck and shoulders. For instance a longish pendant can elongate a short neck. If it is the same metal as the watch, it makes a pleasing coordination. The colors chosen can be used to flatter skin tones. And clashes jar, they do nothing to enhance the wearer's appearance.
Individual preferences for the metal chosen for jewelry will be guided by your natural coloring and what is affordable. For instance, gold usually looks good on most people yet silver or platinum might be better with the type and color of clothes chosen as well as your lifestyle. Sometimes a mix of metals, from inexpensive costume jewelry to special pieces add another dimension. As most of us slip easily into routines, a watch in a metal which is our basic color, which we can put on without having to think about it for everyday is useful.
A slim waist and hips can be set off with simple belts. The belt can match the outfit or be a contrast and add an attractive color note. Belts can be anything from leather to a long scarf or piece of fabric. How the belt is worn can change the effect. It's worth spending time playing with different colors, shapes and materials in front of the mirror to see how effective they are.
Most women tend to keep to one handbag at a time, if only because of the palaver of moving the contents around. The size, material it is made from and the color are dictated by the basic color scheme. It's worth thinking about what needs to be carried around and if the bag big enough for the contents without bursting at the seams. The same thought needs to go into the size of the bag and the scale of the woman using it. A small, dainty woman could look overwhelmed by an outsize handbag, yet for another it might enhance her delicacy.
Basic accessories are about flattering the wearer. A few simple items are more effective than a lot of decoration. Simplicity shows more elegance of style and creates an image of confidence - in spite of what the wearer is feeling.
