Clothes may make the man, or woman, but accessories certainly make the outfit. These little stylish additions add excitement to our ensembles, create cohesion, and showcase our creativity. Hats, jewelry, purses, and shoes allow attire to live up to its full fashion potential whether adventurous, formal, or straight up red carpet worthy. Get a leg-up on creating your traffic stopping style and rejuvenate your wardrobe this year with these three must-have accessories no trend-savvy woman can do without.
Believe it or not, chunky is in. At least in terms of jewelry, that is. Big, bold, chunky statement necklaces available in a variety of designs draw the eye and provide a dramatic centerpiece to most anything in your closet. Entangled layers of contrasting metal links and chains add texture and depth. Striking, oversized jewels and faux-diamonds set in floral and geometric patterns exude energy and elegance. Massive asymmetrical pendants derived from an array of materials function as your very own portable (and wearable) modern art museum. The possibilities are endless and the effect, powerful. You can literally build an outfit around one of these singular mesmerizing neck-orations. Scan Esty for totally original, one-of-a-kind statement necklaces; check out Anne Taylor for something truly glamorous; count on Kate Spade for a cute perky interpretation of the trend; or hit up Hive and Honey for clean, classy architectural innovations.
Pulling your clothes together is a cinch with this year’s waist-worthy fashion necessity: gladiator-style belts. These high-fashion mega-belts do wonders for your waistline, create curves in all the right places, and test just how far you’re willing to go with functional accent pieces. Wide, super structured leather and metal belt bands look and act more like corsets while chain links, jewel-encrusted shapes, and gold-leafed cameos the size of dinner plates reinvent belt buckles altogether. Another larger than life take on typical fashion, these belts are truly daring while reading surprisingly refined. Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabanna, and Lanvin offer brave belts for sky’s-the-limit prices though you may be able to grub up similar more modestly priced styles from Club Monaco and Kenneth Cole.
One piece that’s taking a turn for the petite is the wallet. Long gone are the days of bulky, black hole billfolds that weigh down purses and are impossible to close. Chic, trifold, thin wallets are easy to carry and easy on the eyes. Sleek and simple, they fit comfortably in your bag or stand alone as a classy compact clutch you can’t help but show off. Snap closure, magnetized, or zip around style wallets create casual day and delicate evening versatility depending on your preference while an unlimited combination of colors, textures, and materials capture your unique taste. Plus, despite their minimalistic appearance there’s more than enough room to store cash, credit cards, I.D., your celli, and maybe even a few phone numbers. Get that effortless classic look with a Hobo vintage Italian top-grain leather “Sadie” wallet, explore upbeat playful prints and standard solids with a wristlet from Fossil, or go for full on va va voom glam with a high-gloss finish multi-toned slim clutch wallet from Guess.
Big or small, this year’s essential accessories are crucial to completing your look and give you a few more amazing ways to express yourself from head to toe.
