How to accessorize

By Bridgette Raes

In last week’s newsletter I offered the suggestion of adding accessories to your outfits to make them more feminine looking. After reading this article, one of our readers sent me this question (which I originally intended to answer in our Q&A section) and I’ve since decided to address it as an article. Our reader asked some very good questions that I am sure many of you wonder about. Here is her question:

I read in your newsletter that in order to inject a more feminine feel to our wardrobe we should accessorize. If there is one thing I am worse at than trying to figure out what outfit to wear, it is how to figure out what accessories go with what. Should I wear gold with some colors and silver with others? How do you know what length of necklace is appropriate? How many pieces of jewelry is the minimum that you should wear? And belts! I have one black belt and one brown one. How do I know what kind of belts to buy? Any suggestions?

Just like my reader who asked this question, most of my clients find accessorizing rather daunting, and many admit to avoiding it completely. Accessorizing is really important because it:

• Adds personality to an outfit
  
• Can easily change the look of an outfit
  
• Is a great way to update a look on a budget
  
• Can infuse color into an outfit
  

There are some who believe that accessories should make up 25% of your wardrobe budget. This may seem like a large percentage; however, accessories include shoes, handbags, belts, jewelry, scarves and any other element that can be added to your wardrobe that isn’t clothing. Considering how much money women spend on shoes, 25% doesn’t seem like such a large number, now does it?

The following points address the great questions asked by our reader:

#1 - Silver and Gold isn’t the only solution

As far as silver and gold are concerned, in my opinion, which color you choose depends more on personal preference than anything else. I have been advised by other image professionals that the color of metal chosen should depend on the individual’s undertones. So the rule is, if you have warm undertones you should choose yellow gold and if you have cooler undertones you should go with silver, white gold or platinum. Personally, having warmer undertones means that I should wear yellow gold, but I don’t. Investing in precious metals can be an expensive proposition, therefore I advise going by personal choice vs. coloring of one’s undertones. If you are someone who wears both silver and gold and would like to vary the metal color you choose based on what you are wearing, the rule of thumb I can offer is to choose yellow gold when wearing warmer, earthier colors (such as oranges, yellow, browns and olives) and choose silver, platinum or white gold when wearing icier cooler colors (like blues, greys and black.)

But don’t limit yourself to just silver or gold! Accessorizing is the best opportunity to add a pop of color to an outfit. There are so many exciting jewelry choices out there in wonderful colors in the way of gemstones, beads and other materials. If you are someone who doesn’t wear a lot of color in your clothing, go for color in your jewelry. Jewelry is also the best way to bring in the Color Triple Play solution I frequently talk about. Read about Color Triple Play by clicking here.

When I shop with clients we always hit the accessory stores last, and this is because it is important to know what we have bought before we stock up on accessories. When finishing with a client there always is a dominant color theme. I had one client whose wardrobe was based in brown, with pop colors of mainly rose pink and soft blue. When we went shopping for accessories we focused mainly on finding accessory colors that worked with the dominant colors of her wardrobe of natural shades, pinks and blues. In addition, we added some complementing colors that would work with this group in shades of greens and darker, cranberry pink shades. As you can imagine, this client wouldn’t get much use from accessories that were predominantly purple, for example, if the majority of what we bought wasn’t in that color family.

When heading out to purchase accessories take a look at your wardrobe and figure out your dominant colors - this is the best way to start deciding what colors you should buy. Then choose one pop color that may not be a big feature in your wardrobe but will still complement the color palette.

#2 - Balance Points

Have you ever put on a necklace and the length didn’t seem to do anything for you, but when you raised the necklace just a bit on your neck, it suddenly looked right? This is because of something called balance points. Balance points are two points on your body which indicate how to find the best length for your necklaces. Here is how to find your two balance points:

How to find balance point #1 -

Your first balance point is found by looking at the visual length of your face and measuring that length with your hands. Keep in mind that if you have bangs the visual length is measured from where your bangs end to your chin. Keeping your head straight, making sure not to drop your chin, take that exact measurement length and measure that length from your chin down to your chest. If done properly, the point should be right around the middle of your chest. This balance point on your chest indicates one of the best necklace lengths for you.

How to find balance point #2 -

Your second balance point is taken by measuring the length from the widest point or your face and measuring that length to your chin. I know it sounds complicated. Look in the mirror at your face. Find the area of your face where it is the widest. For most people this is the cheekbone area; for others, however, this may be up near the forehead. Draw an imaginary horizontal line across the width of your face where you found it to be the widest. From the middle of that imaginary horizontal line, measure vertically from that point to your chin. Remember to keep your head straight, making sure not to drop your chin, and take that exact measurement and measure that length from your chin down to your chest. For most people, this point will be around the clavicle point.

This can be a tricky concept to grasp, so if you want to see an illustrated description of how to find your balance points click here http://www.bridgetteraes.com/images/Balancepoints.jpg

#3 - Focal Points

In regard to how many accessories you should wear, if you do not want to make too much of an accessory statement then keep it to a minimum, and be sure not to cluster up your accessories in one place on your body. I have a few rules of thumb that I often offer my clients. The first is, if you are wearing earrings that make a statement (like a chandeleir or a larger-sized pair) then keep your neck clean, or choose a understated necklace style. Wearing bold earrings and a bold necklace can be a bit too much. If your necklace is to be more of your statement piece, then choose earrings that are a bit more understated, such as a simple stud style.

In most situations you want people to notice you and not your accessories, so don’t distract anyone with too much going on, too far away from your face. If you are wearing a novelty belt be sure to keep your wrists relatively clear of bold bracelets. Also, to ensure that people notice you, be sure to wear a brooch, necklace or pair of earrings so that the eyes will travel up to your eyes and face, as this is where you want people to pay the most attention.

I have heard that in order to keep a balance that you should wear an odd number of accessories; that seems a bit formulaic to me, however it is something you can try. Also, there is the classic “glance before you leave” rule, which means to give yourself a quick glance in the mirror before leaving the house and whichever accessory pops out, remove it. This is simply another suggestion that I have heard, and not necessarily one that I personally preach.

#4 - Belting it

I think the classic black and brown belts are staples every woman should own. But in general, belts are tough because so many pants are low rise and it is hard to find a belt that will fit properly. Belts are also tough because many women today don’t tuck their tops in, particularly when they are wearing a fine gauge knit. However, if you are tucking in and your pants do have belt loops, be sure to wear a belt as you will look unfinished without one.

Because so many pant styles are low rise these days, instead of choosing a classic “straight” belt, opt for a contour shaped style which is cut on a bit of a curve. These belts may fit into the belt loops of lower rise pants more easily. Also, these contour-shaped belts can be worn low-slung.

With regard to color, if you want to add to the staple brown and black, purchase a belt in another color that is dominant in your wardrobe. Or you can use the Color Triple Play solution here, and find a third pop color that you can add into your outfit by adding a belt. So, for example, if you are wearing a grey pair of pants and a pink top, try a belt in a deeper cranberry shade or even a shade of green to achieve the Triple Play effect.

Novelty belts can be a fun way to add some excitement to your wardrobe. Choose a novelty belt that works with the style of your wardrobe so that it can get maximum use. You can choose a belt with a novelty buckle, a chain belt or even a belt made from fabric. I know it is a bit of a dead trend, but I still enjoy using a printed scarf as a belt.

# 5 - Shape

It is important to highlight shape in accessories, particularly earring shape. Most people don’t realize that your best earring shape is determined by the shape of your face. The oval shape is what is considered the most balanced face shape, but everyone does not have an oval-shaped face. Some people have very oblong, round, square or heart-shaped faces, for example. If you are someone whose face shape is very obvious and you want to appear more symmetrical, you can use your earring shape to balance it.

Imagine someone you know with a very round-shaped face. If this person were to wear very round earrings her face shape would look even more round. However, if she wanted to balance the roundness, choosing a longer or more oblong earring shape would balance her face by creating the optical effect of making it look longer. Conversely, someone who has a longer, narrower face would look more balanced with shorter, squatter or rounder earring shapes, and the best way to balance a more angular, square shaped face is to choose an earring style that is rounder and longer.

So the best rule to follow if your face isn’t a perfect oval, is to choose an earring shape that is the opposite shape of your face, in order to create the most symmetrical balance.

Accessorizing works best when there is some planning behind it. But remember, accessorizing is where you really can break out and have some fun too. My feeling is that your clothing should be the canvas and the accessories the paint that highlights your personality in the outfits that you wear.

(c) 2005 Bridgette Raes Style Group

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