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03 September 2011

personal challenge: accessories

Taking a cue from Vyqué at Fasshonaburu, I've taken a long, mostly-objective look at the problems with my wardrobe, hoping to minimize confusion on a splurge-filled day (i.e., buying a black dress when I honestly already own fifteen or so) and add some complexity to my closet.

The two main problems I noticed right away haven't exactly been a secret: My lack of jewelry (all accessories for that matter, excluding scarves), and only a few clothing pieces that transition well into a traditional office environment.

The main problem with my clothes is the length of my skirts; having shorter legs means I shy away from dresses that graze the knees, as I have an unhealthy fear of looking 'stumpy' and 'short'. And really, I realize that this fear is irrational -- I'm 5'3, there will never be a day in my life where I'll be confused for 'tall' -- but I can't help it!

So, on to accessories.
Little Miss Momma's Mustard Bloom pendant necklace, $16.00 USD
Forever 21 Beaded Shield Ring, $4.80 USD; Forever 21 Tribal Arrows Bracelet, $5.80 USD

It's not that I dislike jewelry -- I just put emphasis on my clothes. A minimalist approach, we'll call it. I'll wear a bright, orangy-coraly dress and feel that the pop of color needs no lending hand from ol' faithful. Same concept for my monochromatic black: Sure, I have a gold pendant necklace, and my trusty J. Crew pearls, but outside of these and my scarves, I rarely diversify.

Another problem is how difficult it can be to find jewelry for me; I have a problem piercing, where I have difficulties putting earrings into my left ear piercing. This deters me, understandably, from wearing earrings, except for a beautiful pair of pearl (my favorite!) earrings my mother got me for Christmas a few years back: they have thin posts, which allows me to more easily re-pierce my left ear with minimal pain. I also have uncommonly small wrists and fingers. Bangles, which I adore, are hard to find in a size that won't slip off easily; and as for rings? Forget it! I'm a size 4.5 ring (actually, 4.25, but we're splitting hairs) and I'm lucky, LUCKY, to find a size 6 in affordable costume jewelry.

But, enough with excuses! Everyone agrees that accessories can really polish off an outfit, and I'm going to look for ways to incorporate accessories into my everyday look. They're also a relatively easy way to follow fun fashion trends without committing an entire paycheck.

I love Little Miss Momma's giant bloom necklace, which can be paired nicely with a simple dark blue (See that? How I subtly inserted a fall fashion trend?!) blouse for some pizzazz. I'm also a fan of yellow, in general, but she offers these beauties in multiple colors.

The beaded shield ring is a nice, cheap, statement ring that I remember seeing on lots of celebrities this summer; besides pearls, turquoise is an absolutely favorite of mine, simply for the gorgeous color. And though this ring does not have a band that can be manipulated (which has made an appearance in many stores), I also picked this ring because the sheer length of the ring should help keep it in place.

And last but not least, the tribal bangle is thick enough that I wouldn't be so concerned with it slipping over my hands. It's a beautiful combination of black of gold (rose gold, perhaps? Gold star for Forever 21 if it is, I've seen that stuff everywhere!) color, and I think this is a fun summer-to-fall transition piece. The tribal trend was everywhere over the summer, and so I can see this with shorts, white tee and gladiators -- and then pairing it with a crisp, black blazer and skinnies as the weather begins to cool. 

What have you guys noticed as far as fashion accessory trends? And what part of your closet needs the most help?

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