How to Accessorize 101

Being fashionable is not only being able to put clothes together, but also being able to coordinate from head to fingers to toes with accessories. "Although accessories are not always necessary, they are essential in making your outfit go above and beyond" (as said here). However, for those of you who do not have the innate ability to style yourselves to your maximum potential, have no fear; we are here to help.



How to Accessorize 101 - The "Rules"

Rule #1: Accessorize (and dress) according to the occasion

Don't wear chunky rings or long heavy pendants if you'll be using your hands a lot or if you're going to be physically active. Accessories are meant to enhance your wardrobe, not to make your life any more difficult than it already is. If you're spending a nice evening out on a date, wear something that's eye catching and sparkly to gain attention in all the right places. For an example, if you're wearing a fairly low-cut top and want to tantalizingly draw attention to your chest rather than the big pimple on your face, wear low-hanging or bulky necklaces to attract the eye away from Mt. Pimple Everest. 'Cause let's keep it real, we've all been there before. Or if you're going to be out spending your day running a bunch of errands, don't wear anything that'll get in your way. Keep it simple and comfortable. Afterall, running errands isn't an easy walk in the park. Don't let your accessories frustrate or distress you any further than your errands already do.

Song of Style - Aimee Song keeps her accessories simple and minimalistic while she runs around going to meetings. 

Lisa Lee - Her beautiful necklace attracts attention to her bustier and entire wardrobe, despite the fact that she doesn't need any attention focused away from her gorgeous face!

Rule #2: If your top portion of your outfit is busy, keep your accessories simple; and vice-versa.

If you're wearing a busy patterned top, keep your accessories--specifically necklaces--simple. It's all about balance. If you're wearing something simple and plain, vamp up your outfit by heavily accessorizing (without overdoing it, of course). If you're wearing a top with a busy print, wear a simple necklace, pendant, or chain to keep the attention focused on the clothes. If you're wearing a simple top with minimal print or in a solid color, wear a bold statement necklace.

Flavia D. - She kept her accessories simple since she's wearing a graphic tee & printed pants. Busy clothes = minimalistic accessories

Pinterest - Her simple outfit leaves room for a big statement necklace like the one she's wearing above.

Rule #3: An armparty wouldn't be a party without the life of the party.

When stacking racks on racks of bracelets, wear a larger statement piece (i.e. a watch or thick bangle) and layer on thinner bangles and bracelets on that same arm to create a successful armparty. To go up a level and go from armparty to straight-up armswag, you have to do it right. As stated before, properly accessorizing is a balancing act. You have to not only judge the physical weight of your accessories, but also the visual weight each piece has. A watch has heavy visual and physical weight merely because of it's face. So balance it by stacking multiple thin bangles, by adding a dark bracelet to take away from the bright silver or gold, or by adding a couple or few thick bracelets as demonstrated by fashion blogger Lisa Lee (pictured below).

Lisa Lee - Keep it simple with black and gold. Lisa Lee balanced it very well by placing the black in between the watch and chain bracelets.

Rule #4: Don't be afraid to wear youthful, colorful bracelets.

Stacking together plastic bangles like Aimee Song (Song of Style) has done in the picture below brings a certain youthful brightness to a rather bland outfit. Mix and match different colors, or keep to various shades of the same color. Either way, have fun with your accessories!

Song of Style

Rule #5: Shoes and bag do not always have to match.

Most of the time, for those who are not adventurous with color--particularly contrasting colors--we tend to stick to the usual rule of matching our bag with our shoes to be the same color or of a similar shade. We're not saying there's anything wrong with that, but with the recent trends of colorblocking that doesn't seem to be dying out anytime soon, we encourage you to try to break out of that habit.

Kerti P. - Mint bag contrasts in a great way with her bright pink skirt. Kerti ties it in all together by wearing a mint watch. Great accessories-match!!

Song of Style - You can't go wrong with matching python printed shoes and bag. Aimee Song does it right in coordinating these two pieces together.

Rule #6: Break the rules!

These "rules" we have provided you are not the set-in-stone rules in fashion because, frankly, there are no rules! Fashion is about freely expressing yourself in whatever way possible, but doing so in a well-coordinated way. We have provided you these tips to help you break out of your comfort zone and to venture off into something new and uncharted. So whether these tips are something you already know and put into practice, or if they're something you've never tried before, all of us here at Kaii would like you to try something new. Don't be afraid to break the rules and make a statement!