The Importance of: Accessories

"Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory"

- Coco Chanel 

     It's no secret that I love to quote Coco Chanel. Aside from being as iconic as the two interlocking C's of her fashion house, the lady is just so classy and so wise, it's hard to resist. Just recently, I received a book titled The Gospel According to Coco Chanel so definitely more wisdom to come! But the point of the matter is, Coco Chanel acknowledged the importance of accessories and being well accessorized -- or at least being accessorized in moderation. After all, you definitely don't want to look like a Christmas tree filled with ornaments when you leave the house [tragic]. But one thing to always remember is that accessories are just as important as the clothes you put on and the shoes on your feet. 

     I have my everyday basics of jewelry that I wear which consist of my Tiffany & Co earrings, bracelet, and necklaces and on some days, a watch. But on days when I want to dress up an outfit I go through all of my jewelry and find the ones that best suit the outfit. Although, I do have a couple of rules regarding accessories: 

• If I have a big statement necklace on, the earrings that I wear are very minimal. I tend to opt for studs in that situation. But if I have dangling earrings on for a formal event, I usually don't wear a necklace. 
• If one piece of jewelry that I have on is gold, then the rest have to be gold. In another instance, if one piece is silver, then the rest have to be silver as well. 
• I can only wear one statement/cocktail ring at a time. 
• If I decide to wear a bracelet and a ring, each has to be in a different hand. 
• When wearing hair accessories it becomes my main piece. I try to minimize other accessories so it doesn't take away from that one piece.
• I'm cautious when layering necklaces and bracelets. It has to be done right. 
• Ankle bracelets and toe rings are a definite NO NOs. [what is this the 90s?!] 

"Accessories are everything. To me, they're more important than the clothes."

-Rachel Zoe

     The beauty of accessories is that they're relatively inexpensive. If you are on a tight budget, you can buy several pieces and update the look of the clothes you have in your wardrobe. You would be surprised how one piece of accessory can change an entire look [try this at home!] Stores like Forever 21 and H&M carry a massive amount of jewelry that's very affordable. The only trick is just finding the right pieces. You have to be smart about your choices because I've definitely been guilty of buying some fashion accessories and then left asking myself, "Do I really like this?." You want to build a staple collection of accessories that you go back to time and time again, but not a pile of jewelry that you have no idea how to integrate into your wardrobe. It's better to have a few statement and staple pieces that you love and will use than a massive collection that fades as fast as trends. The trick is to pick the classic pieces that will withstand time [*lightbulb.] 

     Here are my favorite pieces (from top to bottom): 

Hair Accessories 

J.Crew, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, and Claire's

Earrings 

Betsey Johnson lips earrings and Forever 21 chandelier earrings 

Necklaces 

Erica Lyons, Natasha, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Kohls, Charming Charlie

      

    

Bracelets

Juicy Couture bracelet and charms 

Watches 

Betsey Johnson watch, necklace, and bracelet & Dooney and Bourke watch

Rings 

Forever 21, Charming Charlie, and Charlotte Russe 

     Another important point to know is ORGANIZATION! There is nothing worse than opening a jewelry box of tangled necklaces and bracelets. As shown above, my solution for this are jewelry trees and organizing drawers. For the pieces that I wear often or want to display [because they're pretty!] they usually end up in the jewelry tree. As for the special occasion pieces or pieces that were too long or bulky for a jewelry tree [you don't want it to topple over. trust me!] they have their special place in organizing drawers lined with cloth so they don't slide around when I open and close the drawers! Embrace accessories and colors! I guarantee that you will love it! 


Love, KB