Image by: Daniela Andrea
Another month of isolation is nearly coming to an end and we are entering into my favourite season of the year, summer. It brings a fresh breath of life into all our wardrobes and lets us bring out all those beautiful summer dresses from the murky depths of the back of the wardrobe. Now, let’s be honest, spring can be a difficult time for us fashion icons. We are left awkwardly placed between the need for winter knits and the desire for bright colours and loose, flowing garments; never sure whether it is completely safe to venture out jacketless in fear of those deadly April showers. Summer, on the other hand, is the perfect opportunity to fully embrace the colours of the season and enjoy choosing outfits without having to consider the thoughts of ‘Would this look nice with my coat?’ or ‘Do I need a jumper with this?’ (but we do live in Britain so let’s not be too hasty, those coats may still come in handy). With this new month upon us I felt that we needed to delve into a topic that, whilst being my favourite, hasn’t been discussed often in my articles, the art of accessories. I am quite frankly disappointed that I haven’t offered much advice on accessorising when, without ‘tooting my own horn’, I am rather famous in the sixth form common room for my excessive earring collection that has hugely expanded in the past couple of years (an explanation for this obsession will be coming later on). Accessories in fashion are just as, If not more, important than the clothes themselves and must be very carefully selected in order to take a beautiful outfit to the next level and, in this month’s article, I want to talk about how you can utilise your accessory collection to ensure you are getting the most out of your items in your everyday looks.
Earrings are an absolute essential item and I will have no one say any different. What may seem like tiny and irrelevant details are a gateway to the perfect, finished look. Reluctantly, I must admit that I haven’t always felt this way. A few years ago I’d forgotten I’d even had my ears pierced, let alone actually bothered to buy or wear any earrings; this, however, changed when I visited the beautiful town of Carvoeiro in Portugal and stumbled across a little tourist shop in a hidden side street. In this shop, they had an entire wall covered with specially designed earrings and I quite literally spent my entire holiday budget (forgetting a few magnums and a unicorn Lilo) on a brand-new collection of the beauties. From that day, I have worn a different pair of earrings with every ‘night out’ outfit and have gathered quite a selection of day-time earrings (that don’t dangle to my neck like the others for obvious safety reasons). For me personally, earrings are a small detail but have the power to transform a normal outfit into something rather special and I think that they add the final touch to any look. Firstly, I would recommend starting with your night collection which should consist of longer, more striking earrings that will stand out; for some inspiration, I usually go for the ones that come in interesting shapes or sizes, possibly something oversized and flower shaped or a bold colour like gold. Then I would suggest collecting daintier earrings that will compliment your daytime outfits, these are more common to come across and you will find that this collection grows much larger than the other. It’s important to know what colour of jewellery compliments your skin tone and complexion; I almost always go for gold or rose gold coloured earrings as they match perfectly with the factors above and also blend well with my outfits colours which are usually soft, light and quite summery. Once you’ve considered this you can keep trying out different styles and, if like me you grow an obsession, head to Primark, and raid the earrings until dragged out by your bored friends.
Now for the second of the dynamic duo (think the Anne Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld of accessories), necklaces. These are widely regarded as the most important accessory as they are typically seen first so, of course, we must make sure that they are perfectly selected. Necklaces are a new find for me as I’ve never had much interest in them before, but I can promise you that they are the definition of a game changer. Just to be particular, I would advise that the necklace and earrings match, but it’s not an essential rule as long as both help you to achieve the look you have in mind. There have been many occasions where I have worn silver and gold together (mostly from not having my contacts in but nevertheless it is completely acceptable). My favourite type of necklaces are layered as I feel like they give an extra element of glamour to a look, especially when accompanying a low neckline as it accentuates the cut of the top and adds something to the empty space; my favourite layered necklace was brought from Primark for the remarkable price of £2! Having said that, during these difficult times it is really important that we support the smaller independent businesses in our local areas and I have actively been trying to replace some of my high street purchases with items from small online businesses. Most recently I purchased some beautiful gold star earrings and a moon and star layered necklace from an online store called Showupx.co.uk and I loved the pieces so much that I will be ordering the majority of my jewellery pieces from there in the future.
Even if you’re chilling around the house or popping out to the shops, put on your favourite earrings and necklace and I promise it will be an instant mood lifter. Also, I guarantee you’ll get a few envious stares from fellow shoppers, maybe even a few dropped bags. Happy July and keep doing fashion your own way!
Until next month have fun,
Molly
Image credit: Daniela Andrea
