Matching accessories to your outfit

Take the greatest blouse and pants set you can find in any store, and without properly matching accessories to it, the outfit will still be lacking something. That panache, that je ne seis quoi, that extra, indefinable little something that sets you apart. In the modern world of women's clothing accessories, it's relatively easy to complete your ensemble with a little accessorizing.

In Person or Online

These days when you shop at most women's clothing stores there will usually be matching accessories to some outfits. When shopping at online fashion boutiques it's even easier, as many will have pictures of the accessories right there on the page of the outfit. Simply click on the accessory and add it to your cart.

Do it Yourself?

In the example in the photo above, the sweater has a matching scarf and headwear. It wouldn't be uncommon for there to be matching gloves in this case as well.

Very often an outfit will have handbags, hats, belts, outerwear, and even footwear designed specifically to match it. Of course, you can always accessorize yourself, but unless you're a pro it's much less of a hassle to allow the professional designers do it for you and simply add the accessories that they've custom-designed to go with the clothing.

After all, they're paid professionals with fashion, design and color theory training and you'd be hard pressed to do a better job yourself than what they've already done for you. However, if you're feeling daring, it can't hurt to experiment.

Jewelry

It's much less likely that an outfit will be designed with specific jewelry accessories to go with it than items such as scarves and belts, but it does happen. Typically though, this is something you'll have to do on your own.

Matching jewelry to an outfit is much harder than matching clothing items, but it's no less crucial to the overall outcome. Of course, jewelry is not always appropriate, but in most cases some amount of jewelry is called for.

Unless you're going to wedding, an opera or a ball however, it's usually best to keep jewelry to a minimum.

Every bit as important as matching the jewelry to the outfit is matching each piece of jewelry to the others. My wife has two amazing antique rings. One is a scarab beetle that opens to reveal a tiny little compartment for powdered perfume. The other is a gorgeous lion's head with rubies for eyes. They were handed down to her from her mother and grandmother before her. Both are wonderful pieces, but you wouldn't want to wear them together.

Make sure your jewelry pieces all complement each other as well as the outfit, and if there's any question at all, less is more.

When it comes to matching accessories to your outfit, it's much easier these days than it used to be, but you still need to be cautious. Bring a friend or two to get other opinions, or ask a store clerk that you trust and who seems to know what she's talking about. It's time to go shopping!