The Accessory Basics Every Women Should Own

13 Accessory Basics

Your accessories can make or break your outfit. They’re the icing on the cake; you can’t finish your outfit without accessories. Did you know that there are a few outfit add-on’s that should every women should own? Below is a list of 13 Accessory Basics Every Women Should Own and rotate into her everyday wardrobe.

1. A Brown Belt

Skinny Brown Belt

2. Black Braided Skinny Belt

Braided black Belt

3. Black and Brown flats

Brown Oxford Flats

4. Black pumps

YSL Black Pumps

5. Black and Brown boots

Black and Brown Boots

6. A black scarf

Black Scarf Leather Jacket

7. A printed scarf

Printed Scarves

8. A short silver and a short gold necklace

Screen Shot 2013-01-18 at 3.49.09 PM

9. A long silver and a long gold necklace

Basic Silver Long Chain Necklace

10. A Black and a Brown Purse

Black or Brown Purse

11. Opaque black tights

Pumps with Black Tights

12. Clear nail polish and red nail polish

Revlon Nail Polish

13. Your favorite pair of sunglasses

Michael Kors Sunglasses

I recommend that all ladies try own most of these items. They wont ever go out of style if you keep them simple, so spend a little extra on quality. If you’re purchasing trendy items I recommend not spending too much, because you never know how long you’re actually going to wear them.

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Style Inspiration: How To Wear A Suit

On a man, nothing looks better than a good fitting suit. These days it’s about a slim cut suit, no matter what your build, this will be flattering. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re buying the right suit:

-Make sure you can cup your hand under the bottom of your blazer. If you can’t, the jacket is too long and will be unflattering.

-When buying a pin stripe, go for a pencil thin or faint stripe. 1920′s gangster is not the most current look!

-Get a tailor. Guaranteed the suit you get at the store will not fit you perfectly. If you’re going to invest in a suit- invest in a tailor. Just make sure you are fitting your shoulders. A tailor can always bring in the waist or bring up the sleeve.

- When in doubt, wear a two button suit with a narrow lapel. It’s a great blazer that can easily be transferred to multiple looks.

-Make sure you are showing some cuff. It’s just the way it’s done.

-Your suit should match the weather. In summer keep it light with cottons and linen and in fall bring out your tweeds.

-Have fun with pocket squares, ties and socks and keep the rest of your suit plain. You can wear the same classic suit many times over by just changing up the accessories.

-Always wear clean polished shoes with your suit.

-If you are choosing to wear a slim ankle length pant, make sure your socks match your suit. (This is not the most flattering look if you are shorter or have thick legs.

-When hemming a pant to the classic length, make sure you have a “break” in your pant a few inches above your shoe. See here.

-ALWAYS ALWAYS leave the bottom button undone on your blazer. This rule also applies for vests too.

Below are some style inspirations. They all have various styling and fits. My personal favorite is the last suit!

The double-breasted suit: If you’re going to wear this make sure you keep the top button done up at all times. However, this style is not flattering if you have a gut. The buttons just draw the attention to your problem area!

The classic business suit: If you aren’t bold enough to go crazy with color or pattern, this is a good choice. I’d also recommend this styling if you only own one or two suits.

The summer suit: This is a great look for weddings but you can easily switch out the suit pants for light jeans to make it business casual. Make sure to keep the shoe light. No black and no socks with your loafers!

The patterned suit: If you’re bold enough, have fun but don’t go crazy. This is a subtle print, and if you notice the rest of the accessories are kept simple.

The Fall Suit: Brown tweed is a great look for fall, and styled with funky socks and a patterned shirt can take this drab color and make it fun!

Which is your favorite suit look?

How To Dress Age Appropriate

Have you ever uttered the phrase “I’m too old for that!”? I personally have had that thought once or twice but quickly brushed it off. I can’t stand that phrase! So, I have one solid tried, tested and true tip that will make you hate that phrase. Want to know the secret to dressing age appropriate? Here it is… read carefully: If you love that piece of clothing, stand tall, put your shoulders back and rock it with confidence!! Simple as that!

One of the blogs I follow, Advanced Style, is really inspiring. It just gives me warm fuzzies all over! I hope to be this cool and still wear super fashion forward clothes when I get to the age of these lovely ladies:

Get The Look: Jamie King

At the GQ Man of The Year Awards, Jamie King looked gorgeous. This inspired me to create a new Get The Look post!

Jamie is wearing a retro style party dress, which is perfect for upcoming holiday season. This A-Line shaped dress is a great style for EVERY body type; because of this it is my personal favorite style dress for the holiday season.

With this retro style dress, I recommend keeping the hair simple. You can do a sleek down ‘do, like Jamie did, or a french twist. Keep the accessories to a minimum. I recommend a good strong earring and a clutch. Finish off the look with a pair of black heels- either peep toes or t-straps to keep with the retro feel. For a more edgy look go with a bootie or platform shoe.

Take a peek at my Get The Look style sheet, (see below) for how you can get Jamie’s style. Everything on the style sheet can be purchased online at Mod Cloth.

Get The Look- Jamie King

 

Cocktail party dress (Black is the New Black Favorite!)
$198 - modcloth.com

Bb dakota dress
$97 - modcloth.com

Cocktail party dress
$90 - modcloth.com

Polka dot dress
$70 - modcloth.com

50 Dresses 50s dress
$108 - modcloth.com

Ruffle dress
$185 - modcloth.com

Vintage pumps
$43 - modcloth.com

Stiletto high heels
$35 - modcloth.com

Heeled sandals
$35 - modcloth.com

High heel pumps
$30 - modcloth.com

Black pumps
$50 - modcloth.com

Shoulder handbag
$70 - modcloth.com

Vintage handbag
$48 - modcloth.com

Chain clutch
$40 - modcloth.com

Onyx earrings
$18 - modcloth.com

Metal earrings
$13 - modcloth.com

Post earrings (Black is the New Black Favorite!)
$30 - modcloth.com

Teardrop earrings
$15 - modcloth.com

Curvy girls can wear skinny jeans!

Have you been worried you cannot hop onto the skinny jean band wagon? Do you think as a curvy girl you can’t do it?  Well I’m here to surprise you- EVERYONE can wear them- you just need to know how. Here are a few tips:

For my lovely curvy girls:

- Make sure you wear them with the right length top. Look for a loose-fitting longer style shirt, something that hits just below the widest part on your hip.

- If you want to wear a more fitted style top, it should still cover at least half of your bum. Also layer it up- work a boyfriend blazer or a cardigan.

- Always wear a darker wash- it’s universally more flattering.

- Look for a rise that is mid to high, you may have to search a little longer, but they are out there! Trust me, the lower you go, the more uncomfortable you will be!

- Still think you’re too curvy? Wear some heals girl! They will make your legs look longer, you’ll walk taller, and you will just feel 100% hotter!

Look at how the sexy and curvy Alicia Keys rocks skinny jeans:

Unfortunately, even celebrities still make mistakes- this is how NOT to wear your skinnies: