Hats, headbands, earrings, necklaces, bows, bangles, clips, bracelets, belts, scarfs, bags, rings, pins… Oh. My. That’s quite a lot of accessories to choose from. So how do you know what to wear, how to wear it, what to wear it with and when? Theoretically there are ideal accessories that are suitable for each of us in different ways in relation to body type, face shape, skin tone and personal style but the break down of all that is a wee bit extensive and after all this is one post on a topic I could devote an entire month to.  As an intro to accessorizing I propose we start with what you got and work with what you have. Agreed?

Let’s start by determining which accessories you already own and feel comfortable wearing. I suggest sorting what you have into piles (an earring pile, a necklace pile, bracelet pile etc). Right of the bat you should be able to see what you have and pick out what you find yourself wearing the most. Set those ” go to” pieces aside. These are your bread and butter. The rest, or the things you own that rarely see the light of day and are accessories you most likely don’t want to invest any more money into.  (note to self: I have 10 necklaces. I never where any of them. Conclusion, stop buying necklaces.) See, now we are getting somewhere. I personally have a little of everything in my accessory treasury (the word hoarder comes to mind.) When I evaluate what I own against what I actually wear I can easily decipher that I wear a lot of hats, earrings and headbands (duh!). My secondary accessories (still wear them just not as much) are necklaces and chunky rings. I rarely accessorize with belts, bangles, watches, bracelets, scarfs, and handbags so right away I know I don’t need anymore than I already have because I rarely use those as it is. Based on this evaluation what I own or what I choose to buy should reflect what I actually wear. Otherwise I’m paying a lot of money for lovely things to hang in my closet or sit in a jewelry box. (I’m only trying to save you money girls!). Aka, I can justify buying another hat over another bracelet because I know I will wear the hat more than the bracelet.

Moving on now, let’s negotiate which of the accessories you have and the best way to showcase those and how to accent them the best. Just because I love hats, earrings, headbands, necklaces and rings does NOT mean I should wear them all together. If I am going to stress anything today it’s that the best styling is done simply and overdoing it is the fastest way to ruin an ensemble. In other words there is a such thing as too many accessories and no matter how cute my hat, earrings, necklace, bracelet, headband, bow, belt and rings are individually, all together they subtract from each other’s appeal.  I believe this is where the term “hot mess” derived from. Too many hot items paired together is a mess. (moment of silence for my past transgressions. I have too many pictures that convict me for badly accessorizing, or accessorizing too much.) I will also take a moment to say that there are individuals out there who can overdo it and get away with it. If you’re questioning whether or not you are one of those people you most likely are not. If you are thinking “I can wear whatever I want, as much as I want and still look hot!” I’m definitely referring to you and don’t let me change your mind. It takes a certain type of person to “own” the costume jewelry diva look.  For everyone else I will breakdown some do’s and don’ts and make some suggestions on how an accessory can make or break an outfit. (please keep in mind these are solely suggestions and I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do, I’m merely offering advice and my opinions)

Don’t crowd: It starts looking messy when all of your accessories start to crowd each other. I do not recommend wearing a headband, large earrings, chunky necklaces (or 2 or 3 necklaces) with a vest and a detailed or ruffly top. Accessories are meant to be appealing and attractive, not distracting. Too much going on in one area starts to look like a bad accident on the side of the freeway.

Do break it up: Let your accessory speak for itself. Let it tell everyone looking at you why you bought it… because it looks awesome on it’s own of course. For example a bright read vintage beaded necklace is bold enough on it’s own, so let that be the statement piece and if you must pair it with something go with some simple stud earrings or a fabulous ring.

{red beaded necklace – thrift store, ornate ring – gift}

Don’t put yourself in a bad position: Too many times I see ladies wearing fabulous headbands or shirt pins but they make the outfit look awkward or ridiculous because they wear them in odd places or wear them like a satellite dish. You can take a fashionable accessory and make it look tacky by showcasing it improperly like wearing a headband on the top of your head like a party hat or pining a fab clip on an already too busy top or hair hairstyle that’s already too big.

Do follow someone’s lead: If you’re not quite sure the best way to showcase an accessory always look at the packaging for suggestions or check the product website and take notes from how the models are wearing the items. If you’re a trend setter and you wanna make a statement and try something new by all means do your thang but before you leave the house take a step back in the mirror and make sure your decisions look proportionate and sophisticated.

Do make a bright spot: When people look at you they should be able to determine what your statement piece is right away. Whether it be your purple leopard print wedges or the softball size headband you have on (hello Solstice! still on sale this week). If their eyes are darting about your figure like a pin ball machine that is your first clue that you have a bit much going on and they don’t know where they should be looking or at what.

{headband/clip - bon truffle collection}

Don’t accessorize on the fly: Don’t just throw something on because you are in a hurry. Nothing is worse than a romantic ruffled blouse with chandelier earrings and your husbands basketball shorts. If you don’t have time to dress head to toe you probably aren’t going anywhere that warrants primping only halfway.

Do work with what you have: Want to know why hats are my number one accessory? 90% because I don’t have time to wash or fix my hair and 10% because hats are ADORABLE!. Sometimes the only  way for me to go out in public while still looking put together is for me to throw on a stylish hat . (note: I did not just say “hat”. Baseball hats are for baseball games and beach hats are for the beach. Neither are intended to be accessories for going out.) Covering up what could be a distracting fashion faux pas (aka dirty meth hair) with a cute hat saves me time but still stands out… in a good way.

{hat – target, cardigan – target, slub T – target, shoes – dollhouse}

Don’t mix day with night: There is a such thing as casual jewelry and accessories and there are those that are intended for clubs, cocktail parties, dinner dates and weddings. Your evening wear jewelry probably is not appropriate for that play date at Jessica’s on Wednesday and your plastic Twilight bracelet should probably stay at home while you’re at your husband’s company party. Just sayin.

Do mix it up: Clustering a bunch of bangles together makes a fun and playful statement and if you like eclectic mix it up with different styles and textures of bangles and bracelets too. You can do this with necklaces as wells it’s just a finer line between eclectic and costume.

{bangles – forever21}

Don’t look like a prostitute: or Courtney Love for that matter. Makeup absolutely is an accessory and also depicts how you want people to view you. If you have on 10lbs of makeup during the day and you’re not in the band KISS you probably could tone it down. When you wear too much makeup not only is it distracting and sometimes scary but it hides the real you. You want people to be able to recognize you right?

Do play up your assets: (not those assets sicko! Please keep your ladies and your cheeks covered.) Each of us are given physical features that makes us unique and individual. The best thing you can do is use those features to your advantage. Make your blue eyes more intense with eyeshadow. Let all of your long curly hair hang down and out of the usual ponytail. Put some bright pink gloss on your full lips or make your high cheek bones pop with some baby doll blush.

Do let cosmetics be your accessory: I gotta say that one of my favorite things to see is someone who can ditch all of her accessories all together and let her cosmetics do the talking. Whether it’s a vintage cat eye, a bright shade of polish or even amazingly fair skin with a hint of bronzer. Not only do I love the fact that it allows on lookers to appreciate your individual beauty but it also speaks volumes about your confidence in yourself and the fact that you don’t have to wear fancy things to get noticed, not that there is anything wrong with fancy things but sometimes it’s a fun change to go without the excess.

{eyeshadow – two faced velvet revolver, lipstick – benefit’s Flirt Alert, polish – shellac by Em}

Wow, there is still lots more to get to but I know you don’t have all day so I will leave you with those tips for now and I hope they will help you in all of your accessorizing endeavors.