Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials #10

And Essential #10 is accessories!!

Accessories allow you to bring your own brand of flair to any outfit. You can purchase any mannequin's outfit and make it your own, simply by changing the accessories.

Example

 This dress isn't super girly but it has some super feminine flair. The hem has ruffling detail and the dress has a scalloped neckline. With different accessories I was able to create three completely different looks. The first look is very J.Lo. The wide brimmed hat and silver bangles give this look a glamorous touch. The second look is ubber-feminine and the pink notes pop with this muted dress. The third look has a bit of a punk rock flair with it's ubber-long double-chain cross necklace and spiked heels.

The important thing to remember with accessories are that they should match your specific style and personality. You will not see me with a big bow in my hair but I may do a flower... You may never see me in a flowered dress but I would do a flowered top with a blazer. It's about what makes your specific style unique.

A good example of this is my husband. He loves to match his shirt, hat and shoes. There is no fashion rule that says this is necessary but it's what makes his style completely him. I like my accessories and my shoes to match some color found in my outfit. Again, there is no fashion rule that says this is necessary but I like the polished look of a completely pulled together outfit. Also, I will wear a Bullet For My Valentine or Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt under a blazer with some heels. Sometimes I even walk out of the house in a cute t-shirt and jeans but I always do something to bump up the style factor, whether it's a new hairstyle (ehem, ladies... HAIR IS AN ACCESSORY!) or bangles, or even a jacket.

Also, accessory size should be relevant. If you are tiny, don't buy HUGE jewelry. You will look like a kid who has gone to play in her mother's closet. Also, luscious ladies, do not go buy the daintiest accessories you can find. Your limbs, neck or whatever else you can accessorize will look even bigger.

Hope you enjoyed this series of postings... Next will be, how to dress your specific body type.

Today's outfit was purchased at Target! $15 for the dress and $20 for the hat :)

Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials - Essential #

Wardrobe essential #9 - A Nice Tee

Here's where fashion/taste can really come to a head. This is the item people choose that can make or break a mix and match wardrobe. I say this because people tend to not pay attention to fit when they are purchasing a tee. They buy it too baggy or too tight... They buy it too low cut... or too high cut.

Some essential rules for the Tee:

• If you have a large chest, MAKE SURE you are purchasing a tee that has a low cut neckline. Either a vee-neck or a faux-wrap. It can be a scoop neck as well but it must expose as much neckline as possible without showing too much cleavage. If you try to wear a crew neck or turtle-neck, you will look even bigger.
• On the flip side, girls with small chests, DON'T SHOW WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE. I have seen MANY small girls try to wear low cut shirts. The only thing they succeeded in was proving that there was nothing there to see. However, crew-necks and turtle-necks will make you chest look bigger. Take Jennifer Aniston as an example. She has GREAT skinny/athletic girl style. Her necklines are sometimes VERY high and her sexy back exposed. Play up YOUR best features.
• Buy a universal tee. What I mean by this is, buy something you could wear to the office on Jean Friday or to a concert that night. It needs to be fun and it needs to be you.

I made the mistake of thinking I could put on a pair of jeans and any old tee a while ago. I bought plenty of the same tees in different colors. It made my style truly boring. I don't ever want to hear the words... "Oh that shirt again", come out of anyone's mouth again. (This being said by my own mother after I showed her some things I had purchased one day).

This is also where you will see all elements of your style come together... Let me show you what I mean...

 Here is a single tee with all of the elements we have covered so far. You see how the tee pairs well with the broken up suit in examples #1 and #3. Then in example #2 we have the A-Line skirt and the cardigan. I've even decided to throw in all the essential shoe types. This is how you build an "essentially" functional wardrobe. The only thing not shown here is essential #10 (well and technically #2) and that we will save for another day!!