You Want the Right Accessories for Great Style

This post demonstrates how the right shoes, bag, and jewelry can make a look, and how the their lack thereof can break it. Read how to choose the right accessories for great style.

Contents

Why Buying Expensive Clothes Is Not Equal to Style
Shoes and Bags Make the Difference between Frumpy and Wow
Never Underestimate the Power of Accessories
Roll up Your Sleeves for Style
Another Example How to Get It Right with Accessories
Picking the Right Accessories for Great Style in a Nutshell

Disclosure: Ad. The necklace and coordinate cuff are samples of my choice from oNecklace. The post is not endorsed by them. I wrote it myself and all opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Why Buying Expensive Clothes Is Not Equal to Style

Many women fall for this disbelief that one can only look stylish when one has the money to buy expensive – read designer – clothes. Buying exclusively designer clothes doesn’t make you look effortlessly stylish. On the contrary, you just look expensive. There is something true about saying

Fashion is what you buy, style is what you do with it.

In today’s post, I want to demonstrate by two examples that it’s all about how you put your outfit together. In other words, it’s all in the details.

Shoes and Bags make the Difference between Frumpy and Wow

Christian Dior once said

You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet.

Take a look at the photo below. The car shoes on the left had cost about the same as the one on the right. They are beautiful with a pair of linen pants, straight jeans or even white denim boyfriends. However, they are so wrong with the midi skirt! Of course, I did this on purpose here. The proportions in the outfit on the left are wrong (again on purpose). They cut me in half. The bottle shopping bag just looks hideous.

Remember: Shoes make or break an outfit.

illustration how an outfit can look frumpy without accessories and with the wrong bag and shoes — Left: Loft silk sweater, Oliveo shirt with DIY patching, H&M pleated layer skirt, Vittoria car shoes, Fred Meyer reusable bottle shopping bag, pantyhose. Right: Like on the left, but L.K. Bennett open toe pumps instead of the car shoes, DIY belt, Modalu Pippa bag, Hermes collier de chien bangle, name necklace and coordinate bangle both c/o ONecklace.

In the outfit on the left, I slipped into plateau pumps with heels. These make my legs look longer under the midi skirt than with the flat car shoes. To get the proportion right, I accessorized with a belt. The high heels and wide belt balance the look, Therefore, the shirt has no chance anymore to give the impression that I’m cut in the middle. But that’s not it alone.

Never Underestimate the Power of Accessories

There is a lot going on with the patches on the shirt. The necklace pulls the eye back up to my face. Consequently, the shirt is pushed back to the role of creating vertical lines to make me look tall.

Roll Up Your Sleeves for Style

You may have heard that already. However, as the outfit on the left in the photo showed, the advice is actually incomplete. It should say

Tip: Roll up your sleeves to show off your arm jewelry.

On the right side of the comparison photo, I am wearing my signature piece – the studded cuff – and a sterling silver bracelet from ONecklace with the coordinates of my favorite place.

woman with first and last name tag necklace and bracelet with longitude and latitude from ONecklace — Left and top right: Sterling silver first and last name necklace. Bottom right: Bracelet with latitude and longitude all c/o ONecklace.

My favorite place? Of course my closet.

Tip: Customized accessories are a great start for personal style.

Another Example How to Get It Right with Accessories

In the following example, I went for a summer-to-fall transition outfit with one of my favorite skirts. When you are reading my blog for a while, you know that I have worn this skirt already well over 46 times here on the blog. Of course, always styled differently. You then also know that it was a consignment store find for $20!

#styleover50 illustration how accessories improve an outfit — Left: Great Northwest oversize denim jacket, G-III suede leather skirt, Calvin Klein pumps, gingham shirt c/o Whistle River, and Italian fringe suede designer clutch c/o Uno Alla Volta. Right: Same pieces as left plus Hermes collier de chien bangle, Kieselstein Cord belt, ethnic buckle, name necklace and coordinate bangle c/o ONecklace.

For the above example, I paired the skirt with a gingham button-down shirt, i.e. an eternal classic that stands for pure femininity. Brigit Bardot even got married in a yellow gingham fit-and-flare dress with a daisy headband! I added an oversize denim jacket, i.e., the eternal all American Classic. The final touches are a pair of trendy block heel pumps in nude to elongate the legs. Sounds like a great recipe for an outfit, right. Yes, it is!

However, don’t forget about the spices: The accessories!

Accessories Up Your Style

Take a look at the outfit on the right in the photo above or at the photo below. The belt adds shape and repeats the color of the skirt, blouse and the heels of the pumps.

fashion blogger over 50 in blue jacket, red skirt, nude purse and shoes and silver cuff — Great Northwest jacket, Kieselstein Cord belt, ethnic buckle, G-III skirt, Calvin Klein block heel pumps, fringe suede leather purse c/o Uno Alla Volta, and sterling silver location cuff c/o ONecklace.

The necklace allows to wear the shirt buttoned up to the last button, and not look like a nun. Why do I like to button up my shirts? It’s cold in Alaska – that’s why! Moreover, less is more. Keep them guessing!

Nicole Mölders with name necklace and her arm with coordinate bangle — Left: Great Northwest oversize denim jacket with collar put up, button down shirt c/o Whistle River, and statement necklace c/o ONecklace. Right: Zoom-in on cuffed sleeve, moonstone ring, and sterling silver cuff c/o ONecklace.

The outfit on the right with accessories also looks so much more stylish as I pulled the collar up. Like in the first outfit of this post, I rolled my sleeves up and exposed my arm jewelry.

Tip: Three-quarter sleeves require arm candies too.

Picking the Right Accessories for Great Style in a Nutshell

Take Home Messages:

When you can only buy one piece in the summer sales, buy an evergreen accessory with an interesting twist or customized jewelry.
An outfit isn’t complete without the right accessories.
The right accessories when strategically placed, up your style.
Here is my secret place where you can get personalized jewelry for having personal style.

Read another review of oNecklace personalized jewelry.

Photos: G. Kramm