Accessorize

The term “accessorize” means “to add something to your outfit to make it visually more appealing”. Herein, your style will be the primary determinant for how you may accomplish that. If you are a minimalist you may add just a bracelet to embellish a dress; if you have a tendency for the chic you may add a scarf to make a blazer stand out; or if you are a true fashionista you may match your bag and shoe color to your pant suit. Whatever you do — if you do it right — it will work wonders. The proper accessory can turn a seemingly drab outfit into a memorable encounter.

Here are two examples for you; take a look:

1. When you splurge on a gown don’t forget the shoes and bag, otherwise your gown may not achieve the stunning effect that you had in mind — and let’s face it when we buy a gown a stunning effect is exactly what we desire 😉 Here is a relatively simple and elegant evening dress that got a lift by color matching the bag and shoes (since the dress is simple the shoes and the bag can be a bit a more elaborate so I selected these lovely Marc Fisher platform sandals in velour and an unknown clutch with a stylish bow that matched the color of the shoes exactly). The final outfit looks chic and up-to-date.

2. When you select a summer dress think about emphasizing the best in you. For example, if you have beautiful skin select a color that underscores your flawless complexion (like a lavender or soft green). If you have a lovely upper body think about emphasizing it via a flowing silky empire dress. If you have nice shapely legs go for a dress that flaunts them by having a length that cuts off at the knee. Here is an example of a Michael Kors dress that I fell in love with. It has vibrant colors that say “summer” and it hides the fact that I am not tanned (vibrant colors work great with fair skin). I selected Audrey Brooke platform sandals in skin color to extend my legs (nothing extends your legs more than skin-colored high heels) and to keep it neutral. Since this dress is busy with color and patterns I decided to keep the shoes on the color neutral end. However, since the dress consists of a combination of orange, red and pink I can choose to wear it with any one of the selected purses below — my all time favorite is the pink purse by Ted Baker (London) because it matches the lady-like style of the dress. Purses from Left to Right: Ted Baker (pink); Ralph Lauren (red); and Michael Jacobs (orange).