Accessories can change up your looks, give you more outfit options, while also saving you money. If you are looking to keep your wardrobe tight and easy to mix-and-match accessories are critical. In this post, I am going to show you not only how accessories can make one outfit look different with with just a swap of accessories, but how you also don't need a lot of accessories to make this happen.
Below are five different looks, each styled two different ways, to show that you don't need a lot to get a lot from your wardrobe.
How Accessories Can Change Up Your Looks
Looks #1
Quite often, when women think about how accessories can change up their looks, they assume that this means that nothing they wear can be novel or interesting, like everything has to be basic. Certainly, sometimes the more novelty a wardrobe item is the more limiting it can become, but this doesn't not mean you have to resign yourself to a closet full of basics.
Take the blouse above from Vince Camuto. While it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles or ornate treatment, it does have a more modern shape and a bell sleeve. There are tons of different ways it can be changed up through accessorizing. Here, I simply styled it with a pair of white pants from Reiss. Using accessories I took this base outfit in two different directions.
On the left I dressed it up with a pair of red pumps from Charles David, a gold bib from Robert Lee Morris and white handbag from Marc Jacobs. On the right, the outfit remains modern and clean, only now it is slightly more casual with a pair of yellow sandals from Modcloth, colorful chandeliers from Stella & Dot, layered necklace from Bauble Bar and green handbag from Coach.
Looks #2
At first glance, this dress from BOSS looks like it can be worn in limited ways, but given its neutral nature it's a lot more versatile than you think. In fact, one of my clients just bought the skirt in this print and was surprised when I mentioned all the different shoe colors and colorful tops she can wear with it.
Speaking specifically about how accessories can change up your looks, I created these two different outfits with just a change up of what I paired with it. The first outfit I kept neutral using these tan pumps from French Connection, taupe bag from ZAC Zac Posen, and pearl charm bracelet from Ann Taylor. On the right, I added a pop of color using the same red pumps fro Charles David, the same white bag from Marc Jacobs and a mother of pearl necklace from Max & Chloe.
Looks #3
Quite often, women assume that in order for their wardrobe to be versatile they have to keep it to a limited amount of colors. This isn't necessarily true. In the outfits above I used these cinnamon red pants from White House|Black Market that seem way more limited than they actually are. As you can see in the outfits above, I took the pants in two very different directions simply with accessories.
On the left, I styled these pants with these blue sandals from Louise et Cie and finished the rest of the outfit with this relaxed white button down from Boden, the same mother of pearl necklace, and Zac Posen bag. Few would think to style these pants with these blue sandals. Yet, even less women would think to style these pants with blush, like I did on the right, using these flats fro INC International Concepts. I finished the look with the white bag from Marc Jacobs, and soft pink and gold earrings from Ann Taylor..
Looks #4
The Breton t-shirt is seriously hitting critical mass this season. Granted, it never goes out of style, but it's just about everywhere this year. Want in but don't know what to do once you get it home? Understand that a two color classic stripe in navy and white can be treated like a solid navy t-shirt. And given the fact that navy can be just as versatile as black, have it at, ladies. There is no color that won't work. In fact, you can even try prints.
In the outfit on the left, I played with colors of orange and green and styled a Breton from J. Crew with a pair of white cropped jeans from Lucky Brand. With it, I added this printed scarf from Sole Society, an orange pair of flat espadrilles by Free People, soft drop earrings from Ralph Lauren, chronograph watch from Michael Kors and the same green Coach bag as used earlier.
On the right, I punched this look up with yellow sandals, using the same yellow pair as I did in the first looks. Notice how these sandals work with two entirely different outfits. I kept the rest of the outfit simple with the white Marc Jacobs bag and a navy and gold statement bracelet from Bourbon and Bowties.
Looks #4
If you have been keeping your eyes on how skirt shapes are changing, the full midi skirt is hot. It's a very ladylike look that often requires heels and classic styling. With such a full skirt, you also want to keep the top half of your outfit slimmer and more fitted to create better body balance. I did this by styling this white skirt from Ted Baker with a navy cardigan and shell from J. Crew.
For the look on the left, using the same red pumps from Charles David, I added a bold pop to this outfit and connected the red through the beaded necklace by Jose & Maria. For a bag, I used that white Marc Jacobs bag again.
I switched things up on the right reusing some of the same accessories, the blue Louise et Cie sandals, the pearl charm bracelet from Ann Taylor, soft drop earrings from Ralph Lauren and, for a punch, the green bag from Coach.
Accessories can change up your looks in so many ways and you don't need a lot on hand to get the most out of them. Before you wear the same old outfit the same way, look to your accessories to see how you an create a totally new ensemble. It's like shopping in your closet.
