Accessory Tips

A long pendant necklace can make you look taller and leaner. Keep reading to learn a few more tips for using accessories to fool the eye.

A roundish face looks much better with long linear earrings or a deep V-necklace. Try not to repeat the round shape in glasses, button earrings, or a round pendant on a short necklace. Wear small round, oval or square studs to cover the piercing but no large round earrings.

These photos demonstrate the flattering effect of wearing a long pendant necklace over a scoop neckline tunic. The V cuts the expanse of my chest and makes my face look more slender.

If you have medium or large bones, a link bracelet is much more flattering. If you have small bones, a cuff bracelet will look better, which is why you will rarely see me wear a wide solid cuff bracelet.

Avoid large chunky bracelets if you have wide hips since they add visual width. Accessories draw the eye, so be strategic with placement so that you do not draw attention to your least favorite part.

A similar tunic is here. Other similar current items: JeggingsToteShoes

The bold bracelet is here. Similar necklaceearringsringringsmall link bracelet.

The watch is the Native White 36mm Dial with a silver mesh band here. Mention the code, Susan, to get 20% off your purchase.

My casual daytime makeup routine is here. My skincare routine is here.

I found a similar mask here. I wore this to the grocery store and the Post Office on Thursday. It was sunny and eighty degrees at last!


Some of you suggested that I add more hosta to my little shade garden. Updated photos for the front entry follow.

Here is the bed to the right of the garage doors.
The walkway leading to the front door is on the left of the garage doors.

This week, I’ve added more hostas, ferns, and coral bells. My goal is to create an entry shade garden that is welcoming and interesting but one that returns every year. Low maintenance is my master plan for gardening and all other areas of my life.

It has been so rewarding to work in my tiny plots of ground. I hope you get to do something creative this weekend.

46 Comments
  1. Hi, I was wondering how you choose the colours you wear? Did you ever have your colours done? Ive been told I’m a Deep Winter. Thanks

  2. Good tips about jewelry!! I rarely wear bracelets anymore because I do not want to draw interest to my hands. Arthritis has caused crooked fingers. ☹️ Love all these suggestions and observations. Thank you for passing them along!
    Have a lovely weekend!

  3. Hi Susan,
    Always enjoy your posts. Loved seeing pictures of your garden. What kind of ferns did you use. Will 5hey come back year after year? Hope Mr. Mickey is doing well in his recovery.
    Julie G

  4. Love your style – purple is your color Your hosts certainly add to your plantings – the deer love my hosta so this spring my daughter replanted then in pots that are now on my high deck out of the deer’s reach. I’m enjoying them there.

  5. Thank you for the great advice you shared today. I seem to pick up something new each time I read one of your posts and want you to know how much I appreciate the pointers you give to all of us.

    The mask makes you look like you are on the way for a heist and brought your huge bag to stash your goodies….Made me grin as at least that is how I feel when I wear my mask when I leave the house.

    Sincerely,
    Clara from Iowa

  6. Thank You Susan for the accessory advice as well as the picture. I have a round face and loved the difference a long pendant necklace made. I have arthritic hand and it will also be an easy on easy off. I enjoyed the pictures of your garden.

  7. Love your gardens,Susan. I have been gardening also,but the rain keeps me inside. We have not had very warm days around 70. Wishing spring would hurry up and get nice.

    I have a lot of Dutch Iris(baby) in purple and I would be willing to share with you if you like. I would mail them to you. They like sun to bloom.
    Stay safe,and tellMickey hello.
    Hugs to you. Barb

    1. Thank you for the kind offer Barb. My sunny spots are too few and tiny to give a right home to your iris. I have had those in the past. They are so pretty!

  8. Ordered the necklace. Thank you! Do you have advice for switching handbags so often and making sure the correct items get moved because I notice you use different sized bags. Do you switch the bags at night? Morning? I’m always afraid of forgetting something. When and if things are back to normal, for my part time jobs I use several different handbags and could use your advice. Thank you! Thank you!

    1. Hi Lola. I have some zippered pouches in different colors. I keep certain things in separate pouches. They can be pulled out and used as needed in the bag I will be carrying at that time. Tote bags usually go with me on a full day of chores and errands. My pouches are solid colors of pebbled leather, but I found some that are clear here… https://shopstyle.it/l/bhsFG.

  9. The royal purple tunic is lovely on you Susan……and what a difference with the pendant! Thank you for that styling tip!
    Do you take the tote bag with you into the grocery store? If so, do you wipe it with disinfectant after returning to your car?
    Since the pandemic started, I stopped carrying a purse and just put my credit cards and drivers license in a pocket because I don’t want to carry anything more than I need to – worrying it will be contaminated.

    1. No, I don’t take the tote with me into stores. It is just handy to have all the bills, lists, deposit slips, wallet, keys, glasses, etc., that I might need for the day. The tote helps me to stay organized. I slip a small card carrier into my pocket with the car keys when I go into a store.

  10. The 2 side by side photos illustrate your point so well. The difference is incredible. Thanks Susan.

  11. Hi Susan,

    Love your garden! Would you tell me what the name of two of your plants are? I only am able to curbside pick up at our local gardening store, and the two plants by the maple tree are ones that I am interested in. 3rd photo down from the top, farthest away from the maple tree. I see the two also in your 4th photo also.

    Thanks so much! This way I can call in my order. No telling how long before I am able to actually shop in person.

    Nancy

  12. Susan, for your shade garden area, you may enjoy Hellebores (Lenten Rose),a perennial that is a very early spring bloomer and keeps its green leaves all year. I have a couple in my porch pots (zone 5) and they are still blooming.

  13. Dear Susan I have a very shady area toward front door so I used the lighter shades of Hostas and the really brighten the area.
    Patricia

  14. Hello Susan
    In admiring your Hostas which I have grown for many years I wondered if you had ever looked at Epimediums, a lovely family of small shade loving plants.
    I enjoy your blog with its variety of ideas and stories.
    Georgie, Australia

  15. Purple is one of my colors! I have been building my collection of long necklaces, they do make me look taller and slimmer! I love your mask! We have a group of ladies at our church that have been making them for our church, community, health care providers and our local nursing home. I have probably made 200. I experiment with different styles, read up on what is best and have watched a ton of you tubes! I also include instructions on how to wear, remove and wash them. I am amazed when I do get out how many people are wearing them wrong! I wonder how many more months we will be wearing them! We are still getting calls for them as Tennessee is opening up and people are returning to work or getting out more!
    Hope Mr. Mickey is recovering well! Stay safe and stay strong!

  16. Susan,
    Love your accessory tips. While I’m larger busted I also have small wrists a thin face and a long neck. What accessories would be appropriate in earrings, necklace and bracelets.. I appreciated your comparison photos.
    Thank you,
    Nancy

  17. I love the accessory tips! Now I know why my hips look so wide!! HaHa…. Thanks for the help. Great blog.

  18. Those two pictures were amazing, how a necklace can make such a difference! Wow, I learned something from you again! Your shade garden is just lovely, I am in the process of creating one myself! We have an area, where brush was removed and it would be perfect for beautiful shade plants. Great post Susan!

  19. Wow, Susan, what a difference that necklace makes in the overall appearance of the outfit. Amazing. Thank you for the illustration, Now how to apply that to my shape in reverse? My face shape is long and narrow and a petite height and body structure. Hmmmm. So would I keep earrings and necklaces short rather than long?

  20. Hi Susan,
    I enjoyed this post–I had not thought about the effect of something like a long pendant necklace with a scoop neck. But looking at the pics the effect is very noticeable. The other hints about jewelry were also enlightening. You do a great job with this blog, I always enjoy it!
    Nancy

  21. PS- forgot to say this in my earlier comment–thank you for the picture with the mask. It is so important to encourage that right now–thanks for being a good role model in many ways!

  22. Finally have warmth in the air and sunshine after starting the week with 3 inches of snow and wickedly cold gale force winds. Today we can even sit on our deck.
    Your gardens are gorgeous & any shade plant recommendations are appreciated. Thanks, too, for advice on styling with accessories. Please offer more on this.
    Have a couple of questions for you:
    – how to clean & maintain leather handbags
    – I think you applied bronzer over your eyelids in your latest make-up video? If so, is bronzer non-irritating in the eye area?
    Many thanks for your advice, Susan. Please stay healthy.

  23. Susan, another wonderful post. I enjoy all of your posts and look forward to seeing your outfits, and pictures of your garden. We are having wonderful open door weather here in East Texas. Fresh breezes through the house. Screened porches keep the bugs out! Thanks, Ann.

  24. Hi Susan,

    So beautiful, adding more hostas ferns, and coral bells really filled out your front entrance so beautifully. What a wonderful, meditative and relaxing hobby you have. My husband loves playing
    in the soil, I think he just gets lost in nature, it takes him someplace special. He has never seen it as
    work.

    I need to send you a picture of our rose garden. Living in the desert is NOT easy for gardeners to grow so many things that they would like to. We get our flower garden fix when we used to go to Coronado, CA and walk all the residential
    streets and always walk the grounds of the Hotel Del has exquisite gardens

    Enjoy your day.

  25. You will love the coral bells. They come back every spring and have such delicate tall blossoms. You might try some primrose, They are also perennial and have blossom with white centers. Your current garden is lovely. Great work!

  26. Your shade garden is lovely. You have many colors and textures which make it interesting. I hope that it comes back strong every year!

  27. Dear Susan,

    You are the best! Your commentaries are so beneficial to those of us over 60, even though in the past we have learned much of what you share; but as is now and again the case (as with the long chain with pendant), we simply get in a hurry and forget to take that extra five minutes to improve the potential of our appearance. Your taste is impeccable and your choices in design and color, quite similar to my own which makes it even more fun for this fan. Your emails are highlights at this stage of my life. Thank you for sharing!

    Warmest regards,
    Kate

  28. I realize this is an older post, but I have a question specifically about long(er) necklaces. I’m busty and short-waisted, and the way long necklaces bounce around when I walk is annoying. Do I just have to get over that, or is there some magic trick of shape or length that would help?

    Thank you for all the inspiration and the work you put into your blog.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

I share tips and inspiration for using what you already have in contemporary ways. Defining words include effortless, classic, refined, discreet, and elegant. My style is chic, minimal, and timeless with a bit of edge.