The entire universe of fashion has agreed that there’s nothing as perfect as a little black dress in a lady’s wardrobe.
But guess what’s way better than having a little black frock?
Having TEN flawless ways to wear that singly perfect black dress!
Accessories are the magic of fashion! They are a statement of personal style and they expand your wardrobe into limitless possibilities. No woman should do without them.
But the thing is, finding the perfect accessory choices requires a great deal of creativity and of course some hours standing before your bedroom mirror and figuring out what works up the right spice for you.
If you’re looking to ease off your accessorizing troubles, then keep reading, because we’ve scooped together an extensive accessory guide for any outfit that could be found in a woman’s possession.
And if you’re a diva at forty trying to rethink your personal style, we’ve whipped up a few recommendations to help you out!
Things to note when picking accessories
To save you countless sorry stories of times you went out looking like a complete carnival bird or a meme-worthy sight, it’s best you understand some basic rules about picking accessories.
Your Complexion
Your skin tone determines what accessory colors will look best on you. It is important to pick items that enhance your natural coloring, especially for accessories worn close to the skin like nail polish, makeup and jewelry.
- Generally, cool skin tones go beautifully well with deep and cool accessory colors like blue, violet, deep green and silver. However, for warm-toned skin, you need much brighter colors like orange, red, bright green. Golden hues and brown are also a great choice for this skin complexion. To discover what suits you best, try on different options and compare to find the one that adds a spark to your eyes!
- Remember, it’s okay to break the rules if your color choice will bring an interesting new twist to things. It’s also wise to keep neutral colors like black and white handy because, it’s almost impossible to go wrong on them.
Your Outfit’s Colors
Still speaking about colors, another thing to be mindful of is the color of the outfit you’re wearing. Some women fall for the temptation to color-match all items, probably because that’s easy to achieve. However, if you’re already going for a monochrome outfit it’s more important to know how to play off your chosen color.
For example, you can complement a red-orange outfit with closely related accessory colors like orange. Also, with the right accessories, you can harmonize seemingly contrasting clothing items. Here’s a great instance: if you’re wearing an orange blouse over violet skirts, why not pull on a patterned bag or scarf which has streaks of violet and orange?
Balance and Proportion
Symmetry is a big deal even in accessorizing. You need to put some thought into how you your accessories are placed. If you’re wearing bright dangling earrings, then it’s best to keep things moderate by matching it with a less flattering necklace or perhaps no necklace at all. But pretty please, don’t ever piece it together with a statement necklace!
Your accessories are a great way to give better balance to your overall appearance and in fact give your outfit better fitting. For example, a simple straight dress can be boring until buckle in a perfect belt. You can also try throwing on an open front sweater over a short dress.
If you’re wondering how you could go wrong with proportion when accessorizing, a good example is placing a scarf over a collared top. This ruins the look of the top and it leaves you looking like you’ve got a noose to your neck.
The best way to wear a scarf over your neck is over a V-neckline t-shirt or with a jacket over your inner top.
Be careful not to over-accessorize. It’s best for one item to be the center of attention on your outfit. When there is too much going on, it can get too busy and overwhelming.
Your Physical Features
Accessories also work to compliment your physical features and sometimes make up for a flaw in your outfit, particularly when it fails to flatter your body as you hoped.
- Add vibrance to your face, make your eyes’ color pop and accent your hair color with just a vibrantly colored necklace.
- You can add some elegance to your long slender neck or lanky shoulders by wearing a scarf.
- If you’re rocking an updo or a ponytail, your cheekbones flanked by a set of dangling earrings is a fantastic way to enhance your facial features.
- Emphasize your curves with a steady belt.
The Occasion
How important would a pair of sunshades be to you when dressing up for a night gala in a formal dress? I’m guessing not so much. That’s exactly the point. Accessories need to have a practical function and must be appropriate for the occasion. Your accessories are substantially responsible for the aura and impression you give off at an occasion or the other. For formal and evening occasions, go for neutral colored accessories like a pearl necklace or diamond earrings. Try on a brooch for a corporate meeting and take along your sunglasses for a Saturday hangout with friends or family.
Go-to Accessories for All Ages and Any Outfit
Scarves
Scarves brings a pop of color and can be lovely complement to your face and hair. When the weather is cold, a scarf is a fashionable of keeping warm. Wondering what else you can do with a scarf?
- Try switching up the look of your wide-necked blouse with a light satin scarf.
- With a vibrant scarf, you can also completely transform that dull-colored blouse or the bare white shirt.
- Wrapping scarf over your neck is a great remedy for an outfit that shows too much of your neck, shoulder or chest than you’d normally please.
- A scarf can save your hair on a windy morning or evening stroll.
Sunglasses
For a day in the sun, a road trip, a trek or simply for the beach, it’s great to have a pair of glasses with you. Nothing can quite replace the glam and the sheer practicability of a pair of shades – not a straw hat or a face cap.
Always take care to choose a pair that nicely frames your face. Oversized glasses and brightly colored glasses are the fad these days, but before you jump aboard the trend you should know the shape of your face is a great determinant of whether the trend is meant for you. Bigger sunshades fit better on round faces. If you have a long face, sports or retro glasses may be a great choice. However, if you’re considering rocking brightly colored glasses, it is best worn with darker hair colors like brown or auburn.
Belts
Belts are necessities. Your accessory inventory is incomplete without a good number to play around with. Your belts are a great way to achieve more fitting from your outfit, they help you enhance your curves, spice up the color scheme of clothing and of course keep things in place.
Try exploring with different kinds of belts: thick leather belts, chain belts, skinny knot belts, metal belts, leather belts and any other interesting item you find. I would recommend choosing belts according to your body size. For slimmer women, bigger belts definitely work better and for women with thicker waist, a skinny belt should do.
Don’t be afraid to creatively match your belt with your outfit. And no, they don’t necessarily have to match your shoe or bag. Simply concentrate on how it plays out with the overall picture and symmetry of your outfit.
Bags and Purses
Before anything else your bag is one of the important details of your outfit. A shiny new bag is the only thing closer and more reliable than a girlfriend. Accessorizing with a bag requires you considering both fashion and necessity. You bag should contain all necessary items for the occasion and must do so with ease and without discomfort to you.
The perfect bag choice lies somewhere between the occasion and the style of your outfit. An evening dress and a clutch purse are almost Siamese twins, but a sling bag is definitely the go-to for your summer tee shirt ensemble.
Signature Jewelry and Charms
Signature jewelry like charms and fashion statement rings are very personal accessories that give away your personal style in a subtle way. It should be made up of unique aesthetics and not quite easy to find on another individual. Most signature jewelry are worn as often as possible and consistent reflects the personal touch that’s visible in your other fashion decisions. Every woman should have a unique fashion voice.
Matching Jewelry Set
Every woman should invest in a glamorous set of matching bejeweled earrings, a necklace and bracelets. When purchasing Bejeweled pieces, avoid gaudy or chunky items they make it difficult to be worn together.
Does Accessorizing Get Complicated at 40?
Truth be told, style altogether takes an interesting turn when you reach the grand age of forty. The colors that used to work no longer do. And your body seems to be needing a new of fitting into clothes. Détends-toi ! Tout va bien!*
Accessorizing in your forties is not Mission Impossible.
The first thing you need to stop doing is trying to dress like when you were in your 20s. Show less skin and stick to a lovely selection of high-quality items to keep you looking chic. Don’t fall for those super fancy, boho and hip outfit that had your heart back in the day! In your new skin, you can still be as attractive as you please without trying so hard to look younger than you really are.
Still Feeling Confused? Here’s Some Help
Visit Your Hairdresser
At Forty, you’re at this amazing place; bright and shiny hair accessories may be just too girly for you. This is the time to place major priority on wearing a well style hair. So just before you go hunting for other accessories, make a visit to your stylist and rediscover how to wear your tresses. Your mane is now your most prized accessory because it’s the best item to complement your face. As you play around with your hair a little, opt for firmer and more confident hairstyle that befits this new you.
Go for mild and mature and colors
Try exploring minimalistic colors and patterns. Wear more homely, relaxed and earthy colors. Whether it’s a shoe, a bags, scarves or jewelry, this is the time to befriend colors like grey, chocolate brown, white, nude, navy blue and of course black. Also, don’t hesitate to rock patterns like monochrome, plaid, checks and stripes.
Stay away from cheap and gaudy
At 40 you’ve had your share of bright and ostentatious fashion items. You’ve once rocked chunky jewelry, super-neon outfit and flashy makeup. You don’t need all of that to pass on personal style. Instead, invest in timeless pieces like high quality gems, pearls, good leather bags and generally well-tailored items.
Use practical accessories
Practical means comfortable, pain-free and easy to wear. Resist the temptation to rock those plus-inched hills or leather heeled boots. Some great picks for you now are wedges, low-high stilettos, knitted sweaters and scarves.
Invest in Neutrals
A great way to never get stuck when finding the right accessory is to invest in a good number of neutral accessories for your wardrobe. From a nude handbag and a beige trench coat to pearl or black diamond jewelry set. Stick with nail polish colors like deep red or nude.
Go-to Accessories When Life Clocks 40
- Scarves
- Long Pendant Necklaces
- Statement necklace
- Pearls and Genuine Gems
- Brooches
- Sweaters and Light Jackets
- Comfortable Footwear
- Simple Leather Belts
- Gorgeous, dangling earrings
- Trench Coats
- Denim jacket
A Few Faux Pas your should definitely avoid:
- Stay away from raving Barbie pink accessories
- Give up those super cute hair bows
- Give up on fish-net tights brightly colored leggings and pop socks
- A facial piercing should no longer be a fascinating fashion adventure
- Give out those Disney-character accessories
I would love to hear what your favorite accessories are, so drop a line below and share your ideas with us!
A bientôt!
*Don’t worry, everything’s fine!
Excellent article, the latest fashion accessories, its good to be fashionable, some ladies prefer to wear an outfit that is not comfortable, and you emphasized being practical which means convenient, pain-free and easy to wear. Majority of the ladies are not practical at all, very lovely and exciting fashion write-up.thanks for sharing.
you’re very welcome, glad you liked the article!
Oh my gosh, I love your site! It’s so cute! I am 41 years old and am trying to get a nice style going because my daughter tells me I dress like an old lady lol I don’t try to dress like an old lady but I do try to dress classy. I don’t want to show my woman parts to the world, I prefer saving that for someone special :).I agree about what you’re saying about the tone you are depends on the accessories you wear. I know hair color makes a big deal too. When I was blonde certain colors didn’t look good on me. I like the scarf idea as well that you shared, I may need to try that when the cooler weather comes again. I am bookmarking your site because I find it useful, thanks.
You’re welcome Nikki! I have a teen daughter too, most of the time she thinks I dress good, but sometimes I get the same remarks 😉
This article was chick full of great advice on adding trendy fashion accessories that will complement any outfit and I am very thankful to have come across it. It is a constant battle to find the right gifts for my wife and daughters, they expect me to fail quite frankly, so a post like this is super helpful to me.
I know what kind of clothes they like, and indeed, have even been paying for some of their selections over the years, but when it comes to accessories, I just do not have much of a clue. That has changed and I have bookmarked this page to come back again for the shopping season that is starting soon.
This year I want to surprise them all by providing some thoughtful gifts that they will be able to actually use again and again as they go for a unique look as they prepare for the coming holidays and festive seasons. There are birthdays, anniversaries, and etc. where I will be gifting them…
The accessories that will work best for the girls are ones that are smart in design, a bit conservative yet modern, and have colors that can go with a variety of outfits that they all have. I will combine sets of accessories for each of them, based on your article and see how it goes. I may be a winner this year thanks to you!
Hi Dave, I am glad this article was useful to you, I hope you find something that they will like, but I am sure you will! Women usually try to combine accessories with several outfits, so you are right when you say that they should be modern yet conservative. Let me know how it worked out! All the best to you, Karen
I kept smiling while going through this post. I could see my flaws in picking outfits pointed out, although I sometimes feel at my age I shouldn’t give much attention to mg outfits, but now I’m going to change that and start getting some really good outfits. Great looks isn’t meant for the young alone I must say. I really enjoyed going through the post. Thanks.
We should Always pay attention to our outfits, no matter how old we are! The better we look, the better we feel, at least in my opinion. Thanks for dropping by 🙂