How do you get dressed in the morning? If you’re like most people, you pick out a top. And then a pair of pants (or vice versa). Then you grab your shoes, throw on some jewelry – and see if you need a jacket (depending on the weather). And even if your individual steps are slightly different from this, you probably start the same as everyone else – with your clothes.
But I have a new idea for you. And this idea might just do a few things:
It might help you wear pieces in your closet that you often ignore
It might foster some newfound creativity with pulling together your outfits
It might make you rethink what you’re buying (and how you buy it!)
My idea is picking out your accessories first. You heard me right – you can pick out a key accessory and use it as the starting point of your outfit.
Because you may have a piece of jewelry that never seems to go with what you’re wearing. Or shoes that are hard to partner with the rest of your wardrobe. Or a scarf that you love – but that you rarely (if ever) grab. So, here’s a bunch of inspiration, in the form of outfits that I created for my clients. And there are also specific tips on how to create outfits starting with an accessory. So that you’ll never again say, “I wish I wore that necklace/those shoes/that scarf more!”.
start with JEWELRY
The most straightforward way to use an accessory to inspire your outfit is by reflecting its colors in the rest of what you’re wearing. This works with scarves. And shoes. And handbags. And jewelry, too. This necklace has a subtle green row and then a prominent red row - so I used these colors to inspire the whole outfit. (If you want ideas to combine colors in new ways, click here for some of my favorite pairings.)
Creating outfits this way also allows your accessories to become the focal point of your look, like this bold necklace. And again, it’s about the colors - the blue sweater and jeans reflect a similar color in the necklace. And the tan jacket and yellow shoes pick up the gold tones.
Here’s the same necklace, but with a different look. And remember - it’s not about matching the colors exactly, but picking shades that coordinate with what’s going on in the jewelry. (This dress is basically a ‘blank slate’ that can work with a bunch of different accessories. Read this for more details on blank slate dresses.)
Do you have jewelry combos that you love? My client loves these earrings and bracelet - so I played up the yellow and blue tones with a yellow top and navy pants. Again - it’s not a perfect match. And it doesn’t need to be.
It’s not always about picking up the most prominent shades in your accessories to reflect in your outfit. There are subtle hits of brown and white in these earrings, too. So I paired them with a copper colored top and white jeans for a subtler look than the last. (White jeans aren’t just for summer - here are my tips to wear them all year.)
If you’re at a loss for what to wear with busy accessories, you can always default to neutrals. The jewelry easily becomes the ‘star’ of your outfit. And that’s not a bad thing, at all.
start with SHOES
Printed and patterned accessories often throw off my clients - they just don’t know what to wear with them. Which is why I suggest starting with them when you’re getting dressed. In these cases, the print piece (like these shoes) acts as the ‘blueprint’ for your outfit.
The colors you pull out of these pieces are up to you. You can go for the brighter shades, or the neutrals, or both.
I love showing my clients how to wear the shoes that they don’t know how to wear. And typically, they’re the more detailed ones. But ‘detailed’ doesn’t always mean prints - it can be a color or embroidery or trims that make them a little harder to outfit.
This is a simple outfit formula that works with so many different kinds of shoes - like this embroidered mule, a leopard print loafer, a snake print heel, etc. (Print shoes are just one of the shoes I recommend to my clients. These are the 4 shoes that I suggest everyone has.)
Sometimes, even a solid brightly colored shoe can feel challenging to wear. But the easiest solution is to stick with neutrals - like this red shoe with black and white (denim and white is a great option, too!).
And if you’re feeling daring, grab a printed piece that reflects a color in the solid shoe. It ties everything together.
start with SCARVES
I know, you may be thinking, “who wears scarves anymore?” But I think people might wear more scarves if they felt more confident in wearing them. Just remember - pick the scarf first, and then pick the rest of your outfit. (If you’re not wearing your scarves lately, click here for a few ideas to get them back into rotation.)
One of my favorite things about starting with a printed item is this - it gives you permission to combine colors in ways you may not have thought of before. Like this mustard top and red pants.
So, are you inspired to create outfits by picking your accessories first? Feel free to drop your questions in the comments!
If you want to evolve your style or get more mileage out of your current wardrobe (but you need some guidance) click here to schedule a free 20 minute Zoom consultation. We’ll chat about your needs, I’ll let you know how my process works and you can ask any questions you may have. And then I’ll put you on my 2023 waitlist, so you can make next year the year you finally feel great about your style.