How To Match Accessories With Your Outfit

Some well-chosen accessories can take any look from cute to amazing. Knowing how to match accessories with your outfit is essential but can be tough to master. Luckily, there are many ways you can approach accessorizing, and we have some great tips to help you upgrade your outfit.

Remember though, these are just suggestions and ideas. Fashion is a personal expression, and one of the best parts of assembling your outfit is adding your own unique touch to it. If there's something you like and feel comfortable in, go right ahead and wear it! You're allowed to break "the rules" if that's what you want to do.

Basics of How To Match Accessories With Your Outfit

When it comes to dressing yourself, it’s helpful to understand some basics about colors and shapes. This gives you the groundwork to know what is likely to be the most flattering for your unique features.

Learning what works with your body shape and skin tone is great for choosing an outfit in general, but knowing your skin’s undertones is particularly relevant for accessories. Knowing whether your complexion leans warmer or cooler or somewhere in the middle can give you a good idea of what colors will look best on you.

There are a few different ways to determine your skin’s undertones. However, it can be a little tricky to figure it out (it’s not uncommon to have a “cool-neutral” or “warm-neutral” complexion). You can try asking for a friend's opinion or hitting up your local mall, department store, or drugstore. The employees in the cosmetics department can likely give you their professional insight.

As you might expect, warm colors, such as gold, yellow, orange, and red, generally complement warm undertones, and cool colors, such as silver, green, blue, and purple, generally complement cool undertones. Most or all colors should look great if you have neutral undertones.

Essential Skills for Accessorizing

With those basics covered, let’s review some more advanced concepts on how to match accessories to your outfit. Don’t worry, anyone can master these skills with enough experimentation — and that’s a big part of the fun!

Balance Your Clothes and Accessories

The first concept to look at in accessorizing is balance. This skill can take practice, but it is also a matter of personal preference. A look that seems “balanced” to one person may look over-accessorized to someone else. But that’s okay! You’re dressing for yourself.

Try going bold with either your outfit or your accessories, but not both. You can use a simple, neutral outfit as a kind of canvas for some bright, funky accessories. Conversely, an outfit made up of highly textured fabrics or bright colors can be subtly complemented with neutral-colored or sleek accessories.

Knowing how to match your accessories to your outfit means knowing how to let each accessory shine without overpowering your clothing. Another way to create balance with your outfit is to spread out the “coverage” of your clothes and accessories. For example, if you’re wearing a top with a detailed neckline or a turtleneck, it might be wise to skip the necklace. If you’re wearing something with long sleeves and decorative cuffs or ruffles, don’t choose your favorite set of bangles.

Piling on jewelry can work in some instances, but it can often overpower the exciting details of your clothes. Instead, try pairing that necklace with a scoop neckline on a long-sleeved top, and maybe those bangles would look great with your sleeveless turtleneck.

Choose Pieces That Complement Each Other

Choosing accessories that complement your clothes can feel similar to creating balance, but the former is more about creative ways to bring out and accent different parts of your outfit.

One of the most creative ways to do this is with the colors you choose, such as when you choose warm or cool colors based on your undertones. One fun idea for how to match accessories to your outfit is to choose pieces that “draw out“ a less prominent color or detail in your clothing. This could mean picking accessories that match a minor color in a multicolored print or a small lace accent on the neckline of your blouse. This is a great way to make your outfit pop.

If you want to get really smart about color choices, a little refresher from art class can be extremely helpful. Color theory is the science behind which colors go together, and color psychology refers to which emotions certain colors can elicit. Try looking into different color schemes, such as monochromatic and complementary, as a way to get ideas on days when you want to shake things up or just aren’t feeling that creative spark.

Use Your Best Judgment

When learning how to match accessories to your outfit, following and trying out the latest trends is one of the most exciting parts, but if there’s a new trend you aren’t digging or don’t feel great wearing, it’s okay to skip that one. You won’t be any less stylish for wearing an item you love from a few seasons ago instead. Most trends will come back into style again anyway!

Recap of How To Match Accessories With Your Outfit

Hopefully, you now have all kinds of styling ideas that you’re eager to try out. Keep in mind that these tips are suggestions to help inspire you. Use the advice here as a starting point, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If a look doesn’t turn out how you expected, don’t sweat it. You still learned something about your style, and you can apply that next time.

At Kate Hewko, we believe every woman has her own unique style and should go on her own journey to discover and embrace it — while having fun along the way. Our line of clothing offers runway styles that women of all ages can feel fabulous wearing, at prices they can feel fabulous about too. Check out our selection of clothing to find your new favorite accessory or attire, and try out our tips for how to match accessories with your outfit!