INTRODUCTION
WANT GREAT STYLE? ACCESSORIZE! It’s tempting to write off the idea of accessories as frivolous and needless, but every accessory first existed as the answer to a real human need. Since the dawn of time, if you had to carry something bigger than your own two hands, you needed a bag. A diamond ring was portable wealth that women could carry at all times; umbrellas
are mobile shelters; pins and brooches held capes and jackets closed long before buttons became a thing; and belts handily carried swords for easy access. Most people don’t feel the need to keep a sword close at hand these days (though if you choose to, I won’t judge), but the right accessory can still be a lifesaver: a good cross body bag leaves your arms free to fend off possible attackers, a light scarf will keep you toasty warm in an overly air-conditioned office; and a fierce cocktail ring provides a conversational jumping-off point in an awkward social situation.
Accessories, as the name itself implies, are accessible to everyone. It doesn’t matter what age, shape, or size you are (or even the size of your wallet), there’s an accessory out there that will complement fit, and totally elevate your existing look. Accessories are the great equalizer—true democracy in fashion. Inexpensive clothes can sometimes look poorly made, but a cheap bauble can look like a million bucks when worn in an interesting way. That little scrap of ribbon you’re wearing around your neck could be Chanel, for all anyone knows. Accessories are usually a far better investment than clothing, because you can spend a measly five dollars, wind up looking great, and nobody will ever be the wiser. Plus, they take up way less space than clothes do—so they’re far easier to store. Accessories even transcend eras—and a bauble from eighty years ago can look fresh and new when paired with a modern garment.
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Incorporating accessories into your everyday look (no matter where you’re headed) is actually far easier than the fashion magazines make it out to be—because half the art of wearing accessories is just remembering to put them on in the first place. After all these years, I’ve finally trained myself to always take a minute before I leave
the house to consider if I own an accessory that would work with what I’m wearing—and I instantly look more put together for it. Put a sticky note on your mirror to remind yourself to do the same, and it will soon become second nature for you too.
Copyright © 2018 by Alison Freer. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
