Accessorizing Tips

One of our favorite ways to spend the weekend is to throw some things in the car and get out of town. I am getting lots of practice packing for these little trips, and I enjoy sharing what my experiences teach me.

I often get questions about how I decide on the accessories to take or wear on these weekend getaways. It is always my goal to make a few pieces work in different ways. The starting point is often a pair of comfortable pants and a tee or tank nearly the same color. A texture difference ensures that even though the colors are not precisely the same, it will look like I meant to do that. For evening or in winter, those colors will be darker, most likely black. On warm sunny days, those colors will be lighter, often white. From there, I will add a jacket, kimono, or cardigan, depending upon the event and the weather. These pieces are my starting point. I never feel well dressed without my accessories.

Accessorizing is a little like cooking in that if you add too many spices, the flavor of the dish will become muddled. A pair of shoes that extend the line of my legs, a necklace and or a scarf, and a good quality handbag are often the only noticeable accessories I wear. If my top’s neckline has interesting details, I may skip the necklace and wear more dramatic earrings. Typically my earrings are small crystal studs set in silver that cover the holes in my lobes. I always limit my jewelry to no more than two impact areas per look. I limit myself to one focal point per area. If I wear a stack of bracelets, I will not wear a necklace, but I may wear larger earrings. There is no perfect recipe for accessorizing. If you feel you have made your look too busy, my tips may help you decide what to remove.

My look often includes a scarf. I may tie or drape it around my neck, or I may tie it around the handle of my bag. Scarves are my favorite way to add a pop of color and pattern to my looks. I always put two or three scarves in my travel bag because I know they can keep me warm, change my looks, and help me look well dressed. They are the spices that add that brightness, much the way a squeeze of lemon before serving makes vegetables taste so fresh.

As I continue to assess my wardrobe and shoes that no longer feel like a good fit for my sixty-year-old self, I am discovering that there are lots of things that I don’t feel comfortable wearing now.

This look included a layered tank top and a bracelet sleeve jacket, both from White House|Black Market from last year. The white straight leg jeans are from Chico’s earlier this year. The dove gray bag is by Michael Kors. The scarf is an older one by Versace. The shoes are by Sofft Shoes via Dillard’s. I will not wear black shoes with anything other than long black pants. I do not understand the trend of wearing black shoes with a dress or shorts because this always makes our legs appear shorter and stockier.