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

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.

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. #fashionquote Click To Tweet
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.

Shoes make or break an outfit. #style Click To Tweet

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 (all own). 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 (all own), 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 added a wide belt. Even the width of the belt is important to get the look right (more on best accessorizing with belts in this guide). 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. CConsequently, the shirt is pushed back to the role of creating vertical lines to make me look tall.

style blogger woman with first and last name tag necklace from ONecklace — Loft top, Oliveo shirt with patches (all own) and Nicole Mölders double name tag c/o ONecklace

Sterling silver two names necklace c/o oNecklace

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

Roll up your sleeves to show off your arm jewelry. #styleadvice Click To Tweet

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.

sterling silver bracelet with longitude and latitude — Sterling silver bracelet with latitude and longitude c/o ONecklace

My favorite place? Of course my closet.

Style tip:
Customized accessories are a great start for personal style. #oNecklace Click To Tweet

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 (all own), 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 (all own), 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 statement necklace — Great Northwest oversize denim jacket with collar put up (own), button down shirt c/o Whistle River, and statement necklace 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. Expert tip:

Three-quarter sleeves require arm candies too. #styletip Click To Tweet

zoom-in on cuffed sleeve and sterling silver cuff — Zoom-in on cuffed sleeve, moonstone ring (all own) and sterling silver cuff c/o ONecklace

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. #sales #oNecklace Click To Tweet An outfit isn't complete without the right accessories. #agelessstyle #accessories Click To Tweet The right accessories when strategically placed, up your style. #how2havestyle #oNecklace Click To Tweet

P.S. Interested in another review of oNecklace personalized jewelry?

P.P.S. Here is my secret place where you can get personalized jewelry for having personal style.

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Photos: G. Kramm