Elevated Accessory: What It Can Do

There are as many philosophies about wearing accessories as there are types. Some believe that bigger is better, while others follow the Coco Chanel path that “before leaving the house, take one accessory off” so as not to overwhelm.

Regardless of paradigm, you need to be calculating and purposeful when it comes to accessories. Here, I’m not only talking about how much you spend, but more importantly, how you use them. If you have one higher-end accessory, both the clothes and other accessories paired with it, elevate the perceived value of your entire outfit.

For example, you wear your grandmother’s gorgeous diamond ring, and you pair it with cubic zirconia earrings in a quality setting that have a sparkle that’s on par with your ring. Based on your ring, people perceive everything else is of similar quality, provided your look is well balanced. Do not go overboard on wearing too many accessories of any value, too many is just too many.

Spend a little more for higher quality looking accessories. Carefully chosen, you will find they work as effectively as the more expensive ones. This is true for scarves, handbags, shoes, or jewelry. One great way to find such items is a consignment shop or preowned online. This way you can spend a bit more for a quality, lesser expensive accessory. As always, buy the best you can afford. Of course, I do not endorse the use of “fake” branded lookalikes.

Tammy’s Truism: There’s a fine line with accessories—they can wreck or perfect any look. The wrong one can throw an entire outfit off regardless of it being the right color, size, or fit to your style personality.