The Weekend Read✨Accessories: The Little Things That Can Make The Biggest Difference

Jenny Goldsmith | Read in about 8 minutes

Hello!

Have you ever put on an outfit that is perfectly nice; the trousers fit, the top is a great colour, the jacket works, but somehow it still feels a little unfinished?

Before you decide you need a new outfit, we’d like you to try something: Add an accessory. It could be a belt, a fabulous pair of earrings, a silk scarf or a great necklace.

Accessories are often treated as the final, slightly optional part of getting dressed, but we think they deserve far more credit. Sometimes, the difference between 'I've put some clothes on' and 'I love this outfit' can cost considerably less than £50.

So this week, we're celebrating those finishing touches with high street finds for under £50 in our shopping catalogue below.

Your Outfit Might Not be the Problem

When clients tell us they are bored with their wardrobes, the instinct is often to buy more clothes. But before adding another top, another pair of trousers or another dress, look at what surrounds them.

Accessories can change the mood of an outfit completely. Take a simple cream shirt and jeans, add a tan leather belt, gold hoops and a suede bag and suddenly you feel relaxed and put-together. Swap those for a sculptural gold cuff, navy belt and architectural earrings and suddenly the same clothes make you feel sharper and more contemporary. Nothing happened to the clothes, the personality came from the accessories. And that is precisely why we love them.

The Weekend Read✨Accessories: The Little Things That Can Make The Biggest Difference

What Actually is an Accessory?

Probably more than you think. Jewellery, scarves, belts, handbags, sunglasses, hats, hair accessories, brooches, tights and socks can all count.

We're actually leaving shoes out of today's conversation, simply because they deserve a Weekend Read all of their own! The point is that accessories aren't simply decoration, they are another way of communicating who you are.

Small Accessory, Big Opportunity

Accessories are one of our favourite ways to experiment with colour. If you've discovered through Colour Analysis that emerald green makes you look fabulous, but the thought of an emerald green coat feels a little daunting, start smaller. Try a scarf, a handbag, earrings or even colourful sunglasses.

And remember that your metallics count as colour too. Our warm seasons of Spring and Autumn have a wonderful affinity with gold, bronze and warmer metallics, while our cooler seasons of Summer and Winter come alive in silver, pewter and cooler finishes.

Knowing your colour palette is only half the story however. The colour tells you which one, but style tells you what kind. For example, two Winters may both look fabulous in silver, but that doesn't mean they should necessarily buy the same silver earrings.

What We're Loving Right Now

We've been browsing the high street and online and there are some brilliant affordable accessories around at the moment.

Springs

Look for warm turquoise, coral, apple green, cream, bright gold and joyful multicolours. H&M's current jewellery collection includes flower and petal earrings from around £10, alongside hoops and colourful statement pieces. Even though it's warm right now, don't overlook scarves. A little colourful scarf tied at the neck, around a ponytail or onto a handbag can bring a very simple outfit to life.

Summers

Look for soft silver, rose-toned metallics, smoky blue, lilac, soft pink and cool browns. Patterned scarves are particularly lovely for Summers because they allow those blended, softer colour combinations to make you shine. John Lewis currently has some beautiful silk options under £50, including floral and abstract designs, while Oliver Bonas has a blue and brown polka-dot neckerchief for £20 which can be worn around the neck, in the hair or on a handbag.

Autumns

Look for tortoiseshell, antique gold, tan, chocolate, rust, olive and warm animal print. We love the current brown and leopard scarves at John Lewis. Mint Velvet's leopard styles are around £29–£39. There are also some lovely tan and textured options appearing across the high street. For jewellery, look for hammered or organic gold rather than anything too shiny and highly polished. And if you've been looking for a belt, H&M currently has leather ones from around £23–£28, exactly the sort of hardworking accessory that can completely change a dress or a pair of trousers.

Winters

Look for silver, black, white, cobalt, emerald and fuchsia. Zara is particularly good at the moment for statement jewellery: geometric rhinestone earrings around £18, chunky necklaces around £20–£26 and some wonderful sculptural pieces. For something more elegant, John Lewis currently has Orelia's range of bangles at under £40 that are simple, cool and polished.

Same Colour, Completely Different Woman

Now for the bit we really need you to understand. Imagine we've found six women a pair of earrings in exactly the right colour. Job done? Not quite, because an accessory also needs to speak your style language:

Dramatics: Go bigger, stronger, cleaner or more unusual. Think sculptural cuffs, architectural earrings, statement belts, oversized sunglasses and bags with presence. Zara is particularly worth investigating at the moment for this style personality.

Classics: Your accessories usually earn their keep through quality and polish rather than novelty. Beautiful leather belts, structured bags, elegant hoops, simple pendants and timeless watches will often work harder than something overtly fashionable. Have a look at some of the leather accessories currently at H&M, there are surprisingly good pieces for under £50.

Naturals: Texture is your friend. Suede, woven finishes, relaxed crossbody bags, organic jewellery, leather, scarves and accessories that don't feel too pristine or precious. You want your finishing touches to look effortless, even when we know perfectly well you've thought about them!

Gamines: This is where you can have some fun. Graphic earrings, colourful socks, little neckerchiefs, quirky jewellery, contrast, stripes and unusual glasses. Your accessory can often be the thing that makes people look twice.

Ingenues: Think smaller scale and delightful details. Delicate jewellery, charming motifs, bows, feminine hair accessories and smaller bags can all work beautifully. There are some lovely flower and petal earrings around at H&M currently for less than £15.

Romantics: Bring on the glamour! Pearls, sparkle, sumptuous texture, curved shapes, beautiful earrings, decorative belts and jewellery that catches the light. You don't always need lots of accessories, sometimes one gorgeous piece near your face is enough.

Remember that very few of us are just one clothing personality, most of us are a mix of 2. For example, a Natural Romantic will accessorise quite differently from a Natural Classic.

Don't Forget About Scale

This is one of those little styling details that can make an enormous difference.

An accessory can be the perfect colour and the perfect style but still feel wrong because its scale isn't quite right. Tiny, delicate jewellery can disappear on someone who needs more presence. Similarly, an enormous necklace can overwhelm someone whose scale and features call for something finer. This isn't about rules or telling you what you can't wear, but about understanding how to wear something so that we notice you before we notice the accessory.

This distinction matters.

The £0 Styling Challenge

Yes, £0. Before buying anything we've just tempted you with, open your jewellery box or drawer where you keep your accessories. Find one accessory you haven't worn for at least a year and give it another chance, but this time wear it differently.

Our favourite candidate for this challenge is a brooch. Brooches are no longer reserved for the lapel of your best coat, they are one of the most versatile pieces you own. See our examples below.

The Last Word

We will always love clothes, it's probably rather late in the day for either of us to pretend otherwise! But great style isn't about endlessly buying more of them. Sometimes the wardrobe you've already got is perfectly good, it just needs finishing.

So before you buy another top this week, try adding a belt. Put on some earrings, dig out a scarf and rescue that forgotten brooch. Sometimes the smallest thing you put on makes the biggest difference to how you feel.

So until next weekend...have a wonderful week.

Best wishes,

Jenny & Judi xx

Next week in The Weekend Read, we'll be looking at what happens to you after your Colour Analysis consultation and your most important first steps.

Click Here For Our Under £50 Accessories Catalogue