Accessories Part II

Not too long ago the daughter of a friend of mine came home from her first semester at collage. She had come to see me because she wanted advice.

It seemed that her roommate was a French girl who was making her feel like a “bag of laundry.”

I was immediately concerned. I asked her, “Is she bitchy? Does she ridicule you to others?”

“Oh, no!,” she said. “She’s nice and always really polite. She makes me feel bad because she’s so, so - I don’t think I’ve ever even said this word out loud before - she’s so chic!”

I looked at this girl. I had known her since she’d had band-aids on her knees. Dark brown hair, dirty, sloppy ponytail; pretty face, big brown eyes, heavy, unplucked brows, beautiful complexion, a slender, graceful body (she’d studied ballet until she’d grown too tall to hope for a career as a dancer). 

She wore a shapeless, short-sleeved T-shirt, ragged, overly distressed jeans and chunky black sandals.

I asked her, but she said she wasn’t sure what made her roommate look so good. So I told her to close her eyes and describe her to me, from head to toe.

It seemed that the French girl was more attractive than beautiful. She did not have a fabulous wardrobe. She was not running around campus in haute couture. 

Quite simply, she wore jeans that fit and sweaters or long-sleeved T-shirts (cropped or tucked-in) instead of the customary short sleeved, straight-bodied T. And she accessorized. She wore scarves, belts and (usually) small earrings and rings and sometimes necklaces.

And that’s all it took to make the rest of the freshman class at Sarah Lawrence feel the need to up their game.

Of course the story has a happy ending. Jody now looks great and feels confident that she can stand in the company of anybody’s “chic.”

I don’t need to belabor the point. Accessories and clothes that fit can make all of the difference between “chic” and feeling “like a bag of laundry.”

What the French girl already knew and what her friends had yet to learn, is that accessories can turn the simplest everyday clothing into something special.

So, how do you accessorize?

Earrings: I learned what a difference earrings can make when I was only 10 years old and my 12 year old cousin, Diane, got her ears pierced. It seemed to me that, from that point on, Diane, with her tiny gold hoops, looked a little more special than the other girls we knew. I got my own ears pierced shortly thereafter.

You don’t have to wear enormous hoops or chandeliers to make an impact. A tiny twinkle beside your face makes a difference that’s completely out of proportion to its size. If you feel comfortable with dramatic earrings, by all means, wear them - with a little swagger.

Rings: You don’t have to have long, tapered fingers to wear rings. As a matter of fact, high impact rings can actually distract from hands that are ordinary or even short and pudgy.

Strangely, fit is important here, too. I have seen women wearing rings that seem to dig into their fingers. I swear, I don’t know how these women get them on and off (maybe they don’t). It’s an extremely unattractive look that counteracts any positive effect they might have achieved with their ring(s).

Necklaces: Most women seem to intuitively understand that necklaces need to be appropriate to what they’re wearing. There may be a few women who can bring off a giant vintage rhinestone necklace with a sweater and pants, but they are the few and most of them are in show business or “the arts.” If you’re not into huge stylistic statements, listen to your instincts. Do wear necklaces, but proportion them to your outfit. 

Native American silver and turquoise and other “tribal” jewelry are  exceptions. Almost all of these pieces are big and chunky and I think they usually look best with casual clothing. So, enjoy the excess!

Brooches have been out of fashion for the past several years, but, as they always have, they will come back into favor. Why? Because they’re tiny works of art that you display on your clothing. And because they’re versatile - you can wear them on either shoulder, centered like a pendant without a chain or you can wear the smaller ones on your lapel or collar or even at your waist or cuff. Do you get that kind of flexibility from any of your other jewelry? No. When they return, I’ll be happy to welcome them back.

Belts: A good belt can make an outfit, but they can be tricky. If you have a slender top and a big bottom, a wide belt can make your big bottom look bigger. Best to wear a slender belt unless you have the confidence to use a distraction technique with a big, elaborate buckle that says “Look at me!”

If you have a thick waist or a straight-up-and-down figure, your best bet is to wear a medium-width belt over an oversized tunic or untucked shirt. “Blouse” your shirt above the belt to obscure your midriff. If you’re wearing a sweater or other knit, add an open blazer to once again conceal your waist. In this case, choose a wide or elastic belt to keep a “rib-roll” from appearing when you sit down. You can also wear a hip belt.

Scarves: Unlike most accessories, scarves don’t come and go. What does come and go is the type of scarf and the way you wear it.

The classic Silk Scarf, folded neatly into a neckline or worn as an ascot, is, these days, usually seen on older women. Younger women or older women who keep up with trends are currently wearing them rolled and tied off to the side, wrapped once around with the tails at the front or worn “bandit style,” folded into a triangle and tied at the back.

Wool Crepe or Challis Scarves are most often seen worn shawl-style, around the shoulders and tied at the front.

Long Knit or Woven Scarves are perennially worn draped in loose circles around the neck or tied at the side with the tails split to the front and back of the shoulder. Never, never! wear them crossed at the front with both tails streaming down your back. Anyone can come up behind you, grab them and pull you off your feet or worse. Every year, women are strangled this way and homicide detectives simply cannot understand why women continue to issue this kind of invitation.

Cotton Scarves and Bandanas have always been worn bandit style or rolled and tied to the side.

Silk and Cotton scarves can also be worn to cover your hair in any number of very attractive configurations. Play around and find your best effect, whether it’s just a triangle tied at the back of the neck or an elaborate turban.

Tights (pantyhose) and Stockings have been so far out for so long, they’re making a come-back. Now, don’t make faces at me. Tights and stockings are not only warm in winter, they act like make-up for your legs. They smooth out uneven skin tones and cellulite. Solid Black or vertically striped, black on black, and patterned tights (like black on black harlequin) can lengthen any legs and do amazing things for, chunky legs. You shouldn’t say “Never!!” to something so useful.

The next time you get together with your friends for a “girls night in,” experiment with accessories. Don’t be timid. Try things that might even seem a little outrageous. Encourage each other. You might come up with combinations that would make that French girl proud.

Next week will be all about fit. It’s the other part of “fit and accessories” that are the essence of chic.

- Gabrielle