It’s interesting to see what accessories some people choose to wear and those they choose not to. This is even more interesting when we see someone wear something out of the norm. For instance, while men have worn rings for likely thousands of years, dress pieces are sometimes considered to be less “applicable” to men than they are to women. As you can see, understanding these odd stereotypes can help us think of our own biases, where we might be wrong, and how we can bust through the norms in order to properly express who we are.
It would be a mistake to say that the time has never been better for people to feel freer in their clothing than ever before, because as historical periods pass and cultures express themselves in their own way across the world, there’s hardly a “norm” available here. That said, especially with social media, more and more people in our own society are starting to feel freer and more able to wear that which they hope to – and that’s always a good idea.
No matter if you consider yourself to be a fashionable person or not, it can be helpful to think about expressing yourself through your accessories and what that means in the long run. But how can you achieve that? Let’s consider, below:
Metals, Stones & Designs
It’s good to think about what form accessories take and how they might become more applicable during certain periods. For instance, in the latter half of the previous decade, gold watches took on a new sense of style. They instantly became beautiful and interesting fashion items that may have seemed too gaudy a decade before, and they worked well.
Now, like with many trends, they’re rarer to see. This showcases, however, how certain metals, tints, colours and designs can stand out more than usual at certain times. With accessories, precious stones such as gems or jewels can make a big difference. Stones set into rings, or even simple alternatives, such as a leather watch strap instead of a metal variant can make a big difference, and work with different outfits.
To figure out what’s right for you, consider what you’re wearing your accessory for. A simple pinkie ring serving as a small silver band can add a little flourish to your accessorising, but some people may wish to wear many on both hands and symmetrically balance them as necessary. As long as they match your outfit and are suitable for the event, there’s no shame in opting for little items that work for you. In fact, an approach like this may make more of a difference than you had expected – all of the better.
Colours That Work For You
Depending on your skin tone, hair color, and outfit theming, certain accessories may look better on you. That’s not to say you should be limited from wearing anything that you want to of course. To use an example – golden jewellery tends to look beautiful on those with darker skin tones, because the contrast looks resplendent. But that doesn’t mean silver won’t work perfectly, too.
Similar to this, those with darker hair and lighter skin tend to fit silver jewellery more easily because it works with the entire framing of their personal style. As you can see, sometimes working to your strengths can help you decide what accessories to wear – or, perhaps it’s convinced you to flip the script in a way that means something to you. Perhaps you think that a certain gemstone colour is something you wish to wear with pride. Or perhaps you think that certain colour combinations can help you showcase a cause you support, like pride flag earrings. Little things like this add up and can help not only showcase a worthwhile outfit but a comfortable and confident approach to styling.
Accessorising Categories
It’s interesting to see who decides to incorporate certain accessories into their wardrobe, and what helps them do that. For instance, some people decide that wearing bow ties is a pleasant way to bring together their formal wear, stepping outside of the norm and becoming more expressive in how they choose to add fun to their outfits.
For others, wearing stylish hats outside of warm beanies during the wintertime is not something they’d usually go for. But then, they might decide to wear a large brim hat in order to add to a summer outfit, or simply opt for a nice fedora hat in older age. For some people, wearing a cravat can be a nice means of adding some spice to a summer outfit, while keeping their neck nice and shaded from the sun.
If you think you’re the kind of person who thinks you’d “never wear” a certain fixture, why is that? This isn’t to catch you out of course, or put you on the spot – it’s just interesting to ask ourselves why this is. Is it because we don’t think they really look good on us? Well, what about now that you’re ten years older since you first tried it? It might be that a little more age has given you the dignity and confidence to pull something off.
Accessory Placement
Sometimes it’s not necessarily the accessory itself as it is where we place it that matters. A thumb ring is a more prominent statement than a pinky ring, for instance. A silver hoop through the ear lope is relatively pedestrian but can still look nice, whereas a helix piercing, using a similar silver hoop, can seem a little more trendy and creative.
Layering accessories can also work well here, too. A single silver chain may still remain formal, but a few chains of various thicknesses is more informal but can look much more ethereal and fashionable.
There are some accessories that by virtue of how they’re placed can say very much about you. Those with industrial ear piercings, for instance, where the bar transitions into two piercing holes at the top of the ear, can look very inspired and creative, showcasing a willingness to try new things and to remain open. Septum piercings are quite popular now too, but have mostly caught on with younger people as opposed to the older generations.
Body Art As Accessories
It’s also important to remember that body art can serve as accessories too. This might be a temporary consideration, such as shaving part of the eyebrow or going for a henna tattoo serving as a rich part of a vibrant culture – or it can mean opting for permanent tattoos. These are more “part of us” than accessories, but they could be considered an adornment helping us express who we are.
For guys, facial hair can also serve as this kind of body art, which may change from week to week. Dying your hair colour will help you showcase your mood (many people opt for highlights before the wonderful summer starts, for instance). It all makes a profound difference.
Fun Daily Accessories
There’s no need to overthink how you approximate an outfit and what accessories you enjoy. Just wear what you think could look nice and that you enjoy having as apart of your self-expression. You define an accessories worth, not the other way around.
Having fun with the best hair barrettes can make a profound difference, as can choosing different ties, a stomach belt worn over a dress, or to opt for a different scarf each day during the week in winter. How do you feel that morning? Certain accessories seem to call out to us when we ask this question.
With this advice, we hope you can continue to express yourself through your accessories in the best possible way.