I tend to think of my basic little black dress, sweats, jeans or plain t-shirt outfits as blank canvases. Accessories are a great way of giving your clothes mileage as one outfit can turn into many different looks. Well-chosen accessories can help accentuate your style and boost your confidence. Accessorizing is an art which may seem intimidating at first, but the fact that you have already managed to create a capsule wardrobe and embraced your inner fashionista makes you quite savvy! With a few simple tips and an eye for proportions, anyone can master how to update basic outfits with accessories.
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Update Your Basic Outfits With Accessories
1. Mix up Your Jewellery
It is okay to mix up your jewellery as this creates a fab vintage look. Accessorizing has come a long way since matching your jewellery reigned supreme. Warm-toned and rich jewellery such as gold necklaces or brass bracelets pops when paired with silver jewellery. Choose a dominant shade as your base and introduce contrasting pieces. Who knows you might come up with amazing combos.
2. Long Necklaces
Long necklaces are trendy, have the power to kick your look up a notch and give you a boost of body confidence. They create vertical lines which make you look leaner and taller. Play around with long chains or beaded necklaces but beware as more than one won’t have you looking so cute. A long strand that hits just below the bust should update the most basic outfit.
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3. Belt it up!
Adding a fitting waist belt makes your outfit a triple threat! You get an hourglass silhouette enhancer, a dress shape creator and a trendy accessory to spice up your plain outfit. Add a wide belt over a flowy dress to emphasize your curves or use a brightly coloured belt over a dark cardigan and white tank to create interest in your appearance.
4. Statement Earrings
Statement earrings are a great way to dress up a casual or formal outfit. They are perfect for complementing and highlighting your facial features and adding sparkle. Whether you prefer chunky diamond studs, drop earrings or 80’s door knockers, your earrings can always add drama to your outfit. Tie or wrap your hair up and let your chic pair of earrings do all the ‘talking’.
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5. Throw on a Knit Beanie
The knit beanie is one of the most cherished go-to accessories for all fashion types, especially during those super chilly mornings or nights in town. A brighter-toned style will add a dose of edginess while a neutral-coloured beanie nicely blends into an outfit’s overall colour scheme. It adds a playful and cosy quality to a serious outfit.
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6. Know Your Bags
The next thing you are most likely to consider after selecting your jewellery is your handbag. When wearing patterns, keep your handbags simple and go for single colour accessories as a collection of busy prints can make you look tacky. The vice versa also applies, if you are going for a plain outfit let your bag stand out.
Consider your body type when it comes to picking a handbag. Tall and slender women look best in clutches and slouchy bags. Generally, curvy and plus-sized women look best with medium-sized and boxy handbags which give balance to their shape. Petite women should stay away from larger bags that may overwhelm their frame.
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7. Add a Watch
A leather strap watch is always classic and ever appropriate. They look best dressed down in thin bracelets that keep the look understated yet put together or when paired with flashier jewellery as a part of a statement stack.
Silver or gold watches are also ideal for easy everyday pairing and can update basic outfits in a flash. Nowadays, wearing an oversized watch has become quite popular thanks to Rihanna. Go for a jewelled oversized watch or a rose gold watch for a more feminine take.
8. Don’t Forget Your Scarf
Scarves aren’t just for the cold weather as when worn correctly, just like a statement necklace it instantly elevates your look. Scarves accentuate your outfit adding a surprise element of cohesiveness and a side dish of cuteness. If you have plans after work and decide to put on a clothing item with an errant neckline that may not be completely work acceptable, a scarf can be your solution. When the time comes, whip your scarf off and reveal how amazing you look.
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9. Girl, Get a Manicure
Always strive for clean and well maintained manicured hands. There’s nothing more unappealing than someone’s dirty or chipped nails with so many germs living under the nails. When your nails are clean you are going to look a lot more polished and feel more comfortable in yourself. Personally, well-manicured nails make me feel like the best possible version of myself even when I’m at the gym working out.
Our hands are always slightly removed from the rest of us, the dark nail polish on your nails won’t detract from the white blazer you are planning on wearing to an important meeting. During informal settings, feel free to add some nail art to your base polish. You can also highlight it with some lighter colours and don’t forget to add glitter to give a cute fun look. Add a few rings and you are good to go. My go-to is usually a gel manicure as they tend to keep my brittle nails from breaking and last longer.
10. Hater Blocking Frames
Today, the possibilities for different styles of eyeglasses are endless. Bold, 80’s inspired eyewear has taken over the minimal basic frames. Think, round, tortoiseshell frames and bright colours such as mustard yellow and fire engine red and mirrored aviators for a cool look which goes with almost every outfit.
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There’s such a thing as too much of a good thing. You don’t want to be compared to a kid playing dress-up. Exercise restraint with accessories by keeping it to one or two main pieces. Say you go for statement earrings, do not add a scarf, bangles and a cocktail ring. Let me know how you update basic outfits with accessories by leaving a comment.
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