Accessories can link unexpected color combinations into striking outfits, vary the mood of a basic garment from casual to career to after-5, balance body proportions and smooth out lumps and bumps.
#1 – Moral Support – Invest in a really good bra. Supporting your bustline properly can subtract year from your apparent age, pounds from your figure and discomfort from your day.
Experts say 90% of American women are wearing the wrong bra size – usually a too-small cup on a too-large band, leaving breast tissue falling out from the bottom and bulging over the top. Ask when your local Macy's store is having a special Wacoal fitting event and let a pro put you in the size and style that are right for you. In St Louis I recommend Betty Will-Bower of Body Graphics (314-849-5009)
#2 – Undercover Work – Try buying all your undergarments in a beige or peachy shade similar to your skin tone. It won’t create a color shadow, even under less opaque clothing, because it matches you. And all your lingerie pieces will co-ordinate with each other – a treat, even if you’re the only one who knows it!
#3 – The News On Nylons – Body shapers panty hose can trim, firm and smooth out lumps on your bottom half. Lycra gives them strength while keeping them lightweight. And the support goes from waist to toe, avoiding the thigh bulge where traditional control-tops used to end. Buy them one size larger to prevent a bulge above the waistline elastic.
Limit panty hose purchases to a few colors in a single brand. My personal collection includes nude, taupe, black and navy. Stock up online at www.nononsense.com and banish morning panty hose panic for good
#4 – Knot For Me – Hang onto panty hose with minor runs; you can still wear them with trousers or long skirts and boots. Just tie a loose knot in the leg where the run begins, to distinguish them from perfect pairs in the same drawer.
#5 – A Leg Up – You can even recycle badly run nylons when you have multiple pairs in the same color. Cut off the damaged leg, leaving the panty intact. Put on one pair as a left leg and the second pair as a right leg. Perfect looking legs and double the tummy control to boot!
#6 – Tougher Toes – Panty hose most often run from the toe area. Treat each new pair with a line of Fray Check (a liquid sealant you find at fabric stores) at the seam and another at the edge of the reinforced toe area and you’ll eliminate a good percentage of runs.
#7 – Leather Luxe – Although most American women use black by default, the most easily coordinated shoes, belts and handbags usually repeat the color of the wearer’s hair. A viewer’s eye makes an immediate connection between the accessory and the hair, seeing a unified whole instead of disjointed parts.
Of course when the outfit is a neutral – navy, for example – wearing matching navy accessories makes sense. But with a fashion color you don’t intend to match, give hair-color accessories a try.
#8 – Shoe Sense – Shoes for dressy occasions can be a tricky choice, but you’ll be ready to party any time of the year with a pair of strappy sandals in your most flattering metallic color. Choose a pair with about a 2” heel for a look that’s stylish but easy to walk in. If you’re not comfortable bare-legged, pair them with ultra-sheer panty hose that won’t show in the open toe area.
#9 – The Shoulder Line – Shoulder pads are an all-important accessory, great for adding presence to a while minimizing excess hip width or bust or tummy fullness. Sewn-in pads can twist in washing/cleaning. So snip them out (except in lined jackets) and substitute removable foam pads instead. But be sure your foam pads are un-glazed so they’ll grip to the fabric and stay put inside the garment. Can’t find them in stores Order from www.NancyNixRice.com.
#10 – Fashion Push-Ups – If you like pushed up sleeves, you probably also know the annoyance of sleeves slipping back down. Try sleeve bands – expandable metal circles that fit your arm just above the elbow. Placed over a pushed-up sleeve, they hide in the fabric folds and keep the look in place comfortably all day. www.NancyNixRice.com.
114 – Scarf Solutions – If there is one must-have accessory, it would be scarves. They provide the perfect multi-color touch to “link” diverse solid-colored garments into visually unified outfits. Keep an eye open for scarves in any combination of colors from your basic wardrobe. Fourteen-inch squares and 60” oblongs are the most versatile sizes. Bigger squares (24-36”) … not so much.
Of course, you may already own a drawer full of scarves you never wear because you’re not sure how to tie them. If so, read on …
#12 – Scout Style – Using a small (12-14”) square, fold the scarf in half diagonally. Loop around your neck and tie a square knot – fight over left, left over right. Shift the knot to front, back or side.
#13 – Knots To You – Fold a small square scarf in half diagonally, then roll from the point to the fold creating a long tube. Then tie a loose overhand knot at the midpoint. Position the knot at the center front neckline and tie the ends in back.
#14 – Ascot Allure – Find the center point of a small square scarf and secure about 1-2” on the wrong side with a small rubber band. Fold the scarf to the right side, concealing the rubber band.
Knot two opposite corners in back, placing the gathered area at center front. This is especially attractive tucked into the neckline of a crisp cotton shirt or a jacket.
#15 – Dashing Drape – A large square (30” or more) can be tricky to wear. Try folding one in half diagonally and draping it around your shoulders over your blouse or sweater, meeting the folded edges at center front. Slip your jacket on over the scarf to hold it in place, exposing just a bit of the color between the front edges of the jacket.
#16 – Shrug It Off – Create a “shrug” wrap from an oversized square scarf. It’s a great way to dress up a plain pants and top or to cover bare arms. Tie two adjacent corners into a tiny square knot. Repeat with the remaining corners. Slip your arms through the openings and let one straight edge drape along your shoulders and neckline.
#17 – Permanent Pins – In my zeal to maximize wardrobe flexibility, I used to pooh-pooh the idea of leaving a pin attached to the same jacket all the time. Then I realized that my “versatile” pins were gathering dust because I never found time to select one when I was getting dressed in the morning. So if a pin and a jacket are just right for each other, keep them together in the closet. The pin won’t go to waste, and you’ll remember the jewelry is there if you need to wear it with another outfit.
#18 – Mixed Metals – Unless you absolutely never wear silver, invest in a couple of jewelry pieces that mix gold and silver together. You’ll avoid the frustration of accessorizing an outfit in one metal, then discovering that your belt prong (or some other small detail) is the other metal and doesn’t relate. A two-toned watch is a great choice, since you’ll nearly always be wearing it.
If your coloring is very warm (golden-based), look for jewelry that adds copper to the gold/silver mix. It will garner compliments every time you wear it.
#19 – The Ears Have It – Don’t limit earrings just to your ear lobes. The post style can make great looking scatter pins, grouped in clusters on a sweater or a jacket lapel.
#20 – Get A Drop On Style – Get more use from a clip earring: attach it to a choker-length herringbone or other flat chain to form a dramatic pendant/drop.
#21 – Starter Statements – What we call “statement” earrings are great for adding presence to a look, bringing focus to your face and making you look taller and trimmer.
What size earring makes a statement? It depends on your body scale. Think of the size chart on pantyhose.
If you wear “A” panty hose, a statement earring is about the size of a dime.
“B” pantyhose – a nickel
“C” pantyhose – a quarter … etc.
If you are a quiet person or have very muted coloring, or if the occasion is very casual, you might size down from the guidelines above.
#22 – Go To Any Length – Necklace to short for the neckline of your garment? Use a plain link bracelet in the same metal as an extender. Attach the hook of the necklace to the loop end of the bracelet, and the bracelet hook to the necklace loop. You can also use this technique to make the original necklace long enough to wrap double for a different look.
Often a too-long necklace can be shortened by catching the hook between the beads (or into a link of the chain) several inches back from the end. Just let the excess length hide inside the back neckline of your blouse or jacket.
Accessories need organized storage and gentle care too. Here are some tips:
#23 – Tie One On – Keep your collection of scarves out in the open by hanging a length of smooth plastic chain from your closet ceiling or doorway. Choose chain with at least 1” links and no rough edges. Slide a scarf through every other link and you can find the one you want instantly.
#24 – Earring Organizer – Egg cartons can transform a shallow drawer into customized earring storage. Just cut away the top of the carton and add earrings – one pair per cubbyhole. Ice cube trays can work in a similar fashion.
#25 – Shoe savvy – The reinforcing tips on high heels are notorious for wearing down quickly, causing damage to the leather part of the shoe if you aren’t careful. Get a head start by taking each new pair of shoes directly to the repair shop and having more durable replacement tips applied.
You can also get a crescent-shaped reinforcement for under the toe to prevent early wear in that area too. For about $10 total you can at least double the life of a favorite pair of shoes.
