Accessories are amazing. They can change the same outfit to look different, or turn a work outfit into a glamorous work of art for the evening. You can have 10 outfits but create 30 looks by just using jewellery.
Like any other skill, accessorising is an art. The more you experiment with it, the better you will get.
Here are 4 generic guidelines on how to accessorise if you just starting out.
1. Wear 1 piece of statement jewelry on your upper body.
By statement jewellery, we usually refer to either a large necklace or large earrings.
Try not to wear both because they will compete with each other for attention. Decide on which piece you want to make it the focal point.
Proximity and proportion has to be taken into consideration here. The nearer the jewelry are to each other, the risk of visual clutter increases.
If you are wearing a statement earrings and you also want to wear a necklace, then opt for a small pendant chain to balance it out. If you are wearing a statement necklace, then go with a small stud earrings, such as small freshwater pearl earrings. The smaller piece here should be the supporting item that complements the statement piece.
And here’s here my own stash of statement necklaces!
2. Wear Jewelry From The Same Color Tone
If you want to wear more than 1 jewelry, like earrings, necklace, bracelet and rings at all one go. The easiest way to do so is to wear pieces from the same color tone.
If you don’t want things to be so ‘matchy’, then go for metal tones like gold, rose gold and silver, which usually complement one another and you can mix them up easily .
In both cases, the rule of proximity and proportion will still apply.
3. Level of Refinement
Jewellery can be classified according to their refinement level, or glam factor.
Jewelry appropriate for work usually have more clean lines and have less details and sparkles, whereas jewelry for a formal evening function is more sparkly and are high on details.
You can create a jewelry capsule according to the refinement level of each jewelry. You can carry the bundle with you and transform your work outfit into a glam outfit without going home to change.
Tip: If you have a car or getting a ride from someone, change your work bag/shoes and keep them in the boot!
4. Jewelry Layering
There is a technique call layering of jewelry, where you basically wear or stack multiple necklace, rings, bangles or even both to create a unique look that can look awesome.
However, this type of look might be hard to carry off for beginners and you will need to know how to match it well the outfit and other accessories you are wearing (e.g. bags, shoes etc) in order to avoid looking too busy.
Layering of jewellery works on the same rule of proximity and proportion, so most layered pieces tend to be in multiples of smaller pieces (e.g 3 small pendant chains of different length), or rings of similar size/color/design worn on one hand.
So here you go, 4 great tips to help you get started on the fascinating journey of accessorising.
I love to hear your tips or even frustrations on how to accessorise and wear jewelry. Feel free to drop me a comment!