When I was getting ready to go out to dinner on Sunday with my husband to celebrate our wedding anniversary (Did I tell you it was my 7th anniversary on October 7th?), I came up with an idea for a blog post while making the decision to wear this basic burgundy dress that I wore to dinner.
I think we can all agree, this dress isn’t anything to write home about. It is a basic, 3/4 sleeve, jewel neckline jersey shift dress that I got from Old Navy. Seriously, a dial tone is more exciting than this dress. However, I love it because of all the things I can do with it simply by changing up my accessories. If you’re bored in your basics, know that accessorizing is key. In today’s post I am welcoming you into my wardrobe by showing you some different ways I have styled this dress in the past and to give you my tips on how to have the right accessories to change up your looks.
Outfit #1
Let’s start with how I wore it out Sunday night. When choosing accessories, I usually start with mood and what I am feeling. Knowing it was a dress-casual dinner, paired with the fact that I was in a rugged mood, I decided on these earrings. I knew I was going to wear my denim jacket and loved the dressy, yet rustic feel of these earrings with denim. Because of the size of the earrings, I didn’t want to wear a necklace, however, I did decide to add a very lightweight brown scarf. Lastly, I grabbed my cognac boots, slipped into some brown tights and loaded up my wrist with a ton of different sized and colored bangles, including a yellow one.
Think of putting an outfit together like layering. You start with your base. From there you add. Sometimes you’re in a mood to add lots of layers and other days it’s about keeping it simple. The key is to not stop at just the outfit. You want to think more like you are building an outfit and that the clothing itself is just the foundation.
Moving on. On Monday I put more looks together, all which I have worn before. Using my accessories and this same dress, I created nine more outfits. My apologies in advance for these somewhat crude photos. I could have done actual outfit photos of myself wearing them but didn’t have the time. Plus, my cat, Titus, kept getting in the way. I guess he thought he was helping. Either way, you’ll get the point with these photos.
Outfit #2
In this outfit, I changed up my scarf and, using the green as the pop shade, added the earrings and used this cuff and brown suede boots. I would probably wear brown tights or bare legs, depending on weather. Burgundy and green is one of my favorite color combinations.
You might be wondering if the purchase of the earrings and scarf were purposeful or bought together. This is definitely not the case. I only got the scarf a few months ago and the earrings are well over a year old. It was pure luck.
Outfit #3
In this outfit, I can go a variety of different ways with my shoes. For warmer weather, my turquoise flats or gold Tieks work. And, for chillier weather, I can go with my cognac boots. Multi-colored jewelry is so important because, as I have said before, they can be wonderful little road maps in color combining. Few would think to wear turquoise and burgundy together. However, these earrings show that it works. Take a look at some of your colorful jewelry for interesting ways to put your wardrobe together.
Outfit #4
It may seem weird to mix orange and burgundy together. However, if you look closely at the scarf there is burgundy in there. I went with my more casual Naya boots and, kept my jewelry simple with gold and leather. I like this combination takes the dress in a totally different direction.
A key piece to have in your wardrobe is a long gold necklace. I think you need at least one (gold or silver) or at least one in each color. It’s a great fail-safe. I always throw it on when I want to add some interest but don’t want a lot more color.
Outfit #5
I wore this dress on warmer days too, when it wasn’t too stifling outside, and often wore it with these yellow wedge sandals. “Yellow and burgundy?”, you’re thinking. Yes, yellow and burgundy. Here again, this necklace is great for giving color direction. In fact, I have even wore this necklace and dress with my turquoise flats too.
Outfit #6
And speaking of yellow and burgundy. Here is an outfit I have worn on rainy days.
Outfit #7
And here the shoes are again. I have worn this dress this way a ton of times. This necklace always gets a ton of compliments and, surprisingly works with so much of what I own. Colorful jewelry doesn’t just work with colorful pieces, but it can be used to liven up neutral items as well.
Outfit #8
For fall, I wear this look with tights. Even without the scarf, I like the way this necklace adds some excitement to the dress without adding a ton of color. However, I also like the way the scarf works with the dress while introducing other colors to the outfit. What I also like is that I don’t have to commit to these boots, they are only one option. I could also wear my yellow wedges, turquoise flats and my cognac or brown boots. I can also wear…
Outfit #9
…the grey boots that are in this photo. This is a softer look using these green earrings that I love.
Outfit #10
And here we are, back to the original outfit, only I changed up the earrings for turquoise blue ones and added a different bracelet.
Now, I could have gone on. I didn’t even grab my cardigans, or mix-and-match as many outfits as I could have, but, I think you get the point. If I can quickly create 10 different looks using one dress simply by changing up how it is accessorized, imagine what you can do with an entire wardrobe and a variety of accessories.
You may also be thinking, “That’s great, Bridgette, but I don’t have nearly as many accessories as you do.” Well, the truth is, I don’t have as much as you probably think I do. Yes, I LOVE accessories, but I am very discerning about what I have. Here is basically what I own. I recently culled down and got rid of everything I don’t use regularly.
All of my necklaces
These are my necklaces. I do have one other really cool pendant that isn’t photographed here. It’s currently a tangled mess and, after several minutes of trying to untangle it I just decided not to include it. I also have a more expensive pendant necklace that my husband gave me for Christmas that I forgot to include. Despite these pieces missing, you still get a good idea of what I own.
I separate my necklaces into three categories: My colorful pieces, my gold and silver toned and my naturals. How I approach it is I will not add any more gold or silver unless I get rid of any of them. I will also not add any colored necklaces in the shades I already own. For the naturals, I will only add pieces in materials I don’t own already. This is how I keep things streamlined and how I make sure to use what I own.
I take the same approach for the rest of my jewelry.
My earrings
I always make sure I am covered in the basic gold and silver tones in both smaller and statement earrings. Because I wear more yellow gold than silver tones, I really don’t’ invest a lot in silver earrings. What you will also notice is that I don’t duplicate color unless the style is different enough to warrant doing it.
Bracelets
Here are my bracelets. I just realized one is missing, but you get the general idea. Same rules apply to my bracelets as my other jewelry.
How to Have the Right Accessories to Change Up Your Looks
Finally, here are some tips to consider when buying accessories and building your own wardrobe.
Something is always missing, you’re never totally done
The truth is, accessories are always evolving. I am always adding and taking accessories away from my collection. However, what always remains is that I never duplicate. This is a common problem I see with many clients. They will show me their five silver necklaces or three pairs of hoop earrings. If you have a pair of hoop earrings you don’t need another pair unless they are different enough to warrant having both. The best way to ensure you will have enough look changing accessories is to make sure you have enough variety.
Have an emotional reaction to your accessories
While I’m very pragmatic, I always have an emotional reaction to my accessories. For the most part, I keep my wardrobe very basic and rely heavily on my accessories to make my outfits pop. Going back to my absurdly dumb burgundy dress, without the accessories, it’s just a dress. What makes it look good, and me feel good wearing it, is how I accessorize it.
Color
Color is crucial. I think everyone should have their basic metals covered, but, beyond that, color is crucial. On Sunday, I posted about this when it comes to basic cardigan outfits for work. What can make or break an outfit is how the colors are combined. Don’t be afraid of color. Even if it is adding one color to a basic neutral outfit, or several colors in one look. You will be surprised by how much more interesting an outfit is when you do this.
You don’t need a lot to get a lot
As you saw, I don’t have as many accessories as you probably thought I did. However, if you have enough variety and colors covered, you don’t really need a lot. I would love to have more, but I don’t necessarily need more. Start your accessories wardrobe with a one-and-done approach. Have a silver necklace? Done. Don’t buy more. Have a green bracelet? Finished. I would rather see you have more variety with less stuff than the opposite.
Commit to accessorizing
Lastly, the reason most women don’t accessorize is simply because they don’t do it. Commit to it and see how much better you feel in your clothes and how much more you have to wear with less in your closet. Just decide that you are going to add one interesting accessory to your outfit each day. You will start to notice how much of a difference these slight additions to your outfits can make and, after a while, your outfits will feel incomplete without them.
Have an accessorizing question? Ask it in the comments section below and I will give you my advice.
One of my favorite posts! I have a similar burgundy and blue dress that I wear similarly but this gave me some other ideas! Love your blog…
So glad it helped Sandra! I think a lot of people don’t realize how versatile burgundy is.
I struggle with accessories and this post really makes sense of them; so helpful! Your blog is the best!
Thank you SO much!!!
I struggle with the multiple long silver necklaces dilemma. Thank you for telling me I only need one!
In the last 6-8 months I’ve been reading your blog daily and I’ve actually been changing my earrings nearly every day. Prior to that, I wore the same diamond studs for probably 2.5 years straight. Baby steps.
That is AWESOME!!! Yes, I like a one-and-done approach to my wardrobe. If you have something filling the role you don’t really need more! Baby steps are great! Rock on!
I would love to see an example of how you style the necklace and scarf together. I have tried to do this and most of the time it doesn’t seem “right” and I just wear one.
Sure! Let me take a photo the next time I do it. I usually do it with lightweight outwear scarves and just wind them once and let them loosely hang. It’s so hot today that the last thing I am thinking about is scarves. Haha.
Voila! Sorry about the photo being turned. I don’t know how to flip it. 🙁 Also, ignore the fact that I am makeup-less. Haha. When I wear a scarf with a necklace the necklace is usually long and the scarf can be easily wound. I hope that helps.
Wait the photo didn’t post. Let me try again. argh!
This is one of the most useful posts you’ve written, at least for my own needs. I have never been a “jewelry person,” but I’ve been revamping my wardrobe in the past several months and you are the main person who is convincing me that I need some jewelry to make everything sing together in harmony. I have added a few pieces that i really like, but I want to do it in a smart, efficient way because I don’t like clutter. Thank you so much for these guidelines and ideas to keep in mind.
You are so very welcome! I am sure your wardrobe is looking better and better everyday! Good for you!! Keep me posted!
Awesome post Bridgette! Very useful for me as I tend to wear the same jewelry over and over. Plus, I have a lot of similar items and now know I need to branch out for something different. Thanks!
You are so welcome! It’s funny, I really struggled through this post yesterday. Not that I wasn’t inspired by it, but some days are harder than others to write. I had a horrible headache and just wasn’t as happy as I wanted to be when I was finished. But I was running out of time and had to let it go. So, getting all of these amazing comment back has been great! Thank you for taking the time to comment and for being a loyal reader!
I was sooo happy to see that you don’t have a lot of accessories!!! Since I have been reading your blog I have been accessorizing more, but don’t have the room for a lot of accessories and glad to see you can make a lot of outfits with just a few key pieces….I do have a question, though, I have an Antonio Melanie emerald green ponte dress…can I accessorize it with my multicolored cotton scarf or should I look for a silk scarf? Thank you!
Oh yes! I think people would be shocked by how small my entire wardrobe is. Sure, I would love more, but I don’t have the space or the money to have an endless wardrobe. We can always add more but we don’t necessarily need more, in most cases. If we can’t work with what we have it’s not necessarily true that adding more will solve the problem. In regards to your question, absolutely! I use a lot of cotton scarves. I think it is just fine. I really don’t have a lot of silk scarves because I don’t really need them. Have fun with some lightweight cotton ones!
Hi, Pat, me again. Your fans can ‘t get enough of your thought process. What did you mean when you said you don’t have a need for silk scarves?
To me, silk scarves are dressier. My life is really casual, even when I am seeing clients. I think it is more of a personal preference.
Bridgette – thanks for all the great ideas on accessorizing from this and past posts! Today’s post was especially helpful and a great way to show how you can get lots of different looks from a few well chosen and versatile pieces plus some great accessories. Lately I’ve taken to purchasing a new accessory as a memento when traveling (if I find something that speaks to my heart and wardrobe needs) Today I am wearing a pair of handmade sea glass earrings purchased on a recent trip to California. They are an affordable reminder of a special trip, took little room in my suitcase, and I pulled together a new look by mixing them up with things I had at home. Thanks for all of the inspiration!
Hi Cheryl! I am so glad you said this! I think that is a great idea. Do you watch my videos on YouTube? When I had my mom on she talked about the same exact thing, how she gets her accessories when she is traveling. I think it helps with the emotional feelings around the pieces because they feel even more special and remind us of our travels. Thanks for the feedback!
I did see a few videos with your mom….she is wonderful and full of great ideas too!I
Yes, she’s a hoot. She’ll be visiting soon. I just picked up a few of her favorite bras for her at my friend’s lingerie shop so she’ll have to swing by eventually to pick them up. I’ll get her on camera!
Bridgette, Titus is a beauty… Your mom must be proud of your teaching ability. This illustration has been a great tool for all your fans to revamp our jewelry drawer. You’ve made it perfectly clear to me why some of my ensembles feel a little off.
Thank you!! I am purging today and making a list.
As always, a faithful fan,
Pat
Hi Pat! Yes, Titus is stunning. He is a half Abysinnian, half Tabby mix rescue who we adopted along with his “sister” Clementine, who is a Calico. They’re not really brother and sister. Titus is also HUGE and he is obsessed with my husband. He can take or leave me unless I am doing something interesting.
Anyway, I am glad this post helped you. I really didn’t know it would be this helpful for everyone. I will have to do more. Thank again for your faithful readership!
I agree – this is one of your most useful posts, and I find all your posts useful.
Wow, thanks, Susan! I’m still pretty blown away by how helpful everyone has found this post! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Fantastic post! Do it again with something else you think is ” boring” !
Hahaha! I will. I have a ton of boring stuff. A lot of my wardrobe is very basics driven.
Oh my gosh, I have this same dress, which I have *never* worn. It and its twin, in gray (which made me think “prison matron” every time I looked at it. Seriously, do you remember that Diet Pepsi commercial of the Russian fashion show where every outfit was the same grey shmatta? “SVIM VEAR!” Why did I buy a dress that made me think of that??) both ended up on my goodwill pile, but I had second thoughts and rescued the cranberry one and have been waiting to wear it. Now I have some good ideas to make it not so bland. (And minor regrets about ditching the grey one. But still, prison matron…) Date night here I come!
Seriously, Renee, I just howled out loud when you mentioned that commercial. Actually, it was a Wendy’s commercial! Good for you! Basics aren’t boring. They’re only boring when you don’t do anything to them! Just don’t accessorize with a flashlight for EVENING VEAR!
Oh my goodness, Renee – just like Bridgette I roared with laughter at the thought of that commercial! My kids demanded to know what was so funny, so of course I had to pull up the commercial on Youtube. That poor Soviet woman – to think, if she had been able to consult Bridgette, no one would have noticed she wore the same thing for DAY VEAR, SVIM VEAR, and EVENING VEAR!
Still giggling . . . .
Rose (Disqus won’t let me sign in for some reason)
Hahahah, isn’t it funny when we can remember something so vividly and then are reminded by how old we are when we mention it to someone too young to remember it? I has this happen with my intern recently when I told her about Garanimals. Remember them? This term is so widely used in fashion that it sort of bums me out that it will eventually fade because of young people who have no memory of them.
Hi Bridgette, I was surprised/inspired to see how relatively few necklaces you have. I have 2 gold necklaces, both of which I bought recently after reading your fantastic blog. My first question is about scale/ which necklace to wear with what? One is long and delicate (stella and dot Avalon Station, the long piece); the other is same company but the Kimberly (more bohemian/hippie). My other question is, let’s say you wear yr burgundy dress once or twice a week. Do u think people notice u r wearing the same thing over and over, or are do you think peopledont really notice? One issue re that for me is that I don’t look good in most super saturated colors. So, much as I love the yellow with burgundy, and the orange, I don’t look good in either color. I’m a dark autumn who looks best in camel, teal, turquoise, coral,, wine, black, ivory, navy, certain greens and browns. So I’m limited it feels like in how much I can change up an outfit. One other ?: I saw a summer purse recently that is bright, bright blue, not a good color for me near my face and not one I wear. But I just love it (it is rare, from cambodia, oversize, mesh w a Valentinio-inspired mesh flower, $60 – very whimsical). Was I wise not to get it because it was so far out of my color zone? Last question — is my deep almost obsessional interest for the first time in my life in my mid-50s crazy? How do I justify myneed to learn how to dress? Shd I just relax and enjoy it? Thank very much for yr terrific, extremely personable, helpful and well -written blog.
Hi Trace! Well, I can always add more. As I said, we’re never really done. In regards to scale, I tend to suggest the finer long ones (like your Avalon Station), when you want just a small bit of pop without making too much of a statement. Bigger ones work better for times where you want your necklace to stand out more.
In regards to wearing my burgundy dress more than once a week. Admittedly, I have never done that. I am also in a position where I rarely see the same people more than once a week (except for my husband) because I work from home alone and, if I am working with clients, I see different people. But that’s a good question, if people would notice. I really don’t know. On the one hand I think many wouldn’t because most people don’t really pay attention. However, I’m sure someone would pick up on it and probably be impressed by how different I could make one dress look.
Given your coloring, I’m not sure you’re seeing the colors you wear as versatile as they can be. My coloring isn’t far off from Autumn, I am spring but I frequently borrow from the Autumn palette. Camel and teal are two HIGHLY versatile colors. You can do just about anything with camel. Teal is one of those colors that work so well with other colors- like coral, burgundy, shades of greens, grey, brown, and more. That blue bag that you are talking about would be GORGEOUS with camel, and wine, navy and brown. So, YES, you can probably do a lot with it.
Lastly, your new found obsession with clothing at your age. Why not? I don’t think you need to justify your need learn how to dress at your age or your interest in it. You don’t owe anyone any explanations. Just enjoy it, for sure!!!
I appreciate your kind words! Enjoy the way you look, your interest in it, and have FUN!
Just read this and had to ask. Are dark/deep autumns not meant to wear burgundy/mustard?? I attempted to do the colour analysis “on” myself and ended up concluding that I’m a deep autumn. (I may be completely wrong of course. I am of Indian ethnicity, with very dark brown hair/eyes and mid-brown skin tone). Reason I’m asking is I love these colours and even got myself a mustard scarf! 🙁
Oops, to be clear: I meant my obsession with clothes/style/fashion at this late age.
Hi Bridgette! Greetings from Germany. I just found your blog a month ago and I think I have already manged to read most of the posts. I’m going through a transitional phase in my life and was suddenly thinking about my relationship with clothes. I admit to owning 50 dresses at any one point over the last 5 years, but I do not own any black pants at all ;). Yes, I realise I need to fix something here. Your blog has been extremely helpful and encouraging and I want to thank you for sharing all your knowledge so freely with us!
Wow, you have been busy! I am so glad you found my blog, welcome!! I am happy to share my knowledge. When I started my consulting business 12 years ago it was my goal to act as a filter between fashion and women to make getting dressed easier. Thank you for reading!!
Facinating to see your wardrobe of accessories (and interesting to realise that mine is probably twice the size!). I am probably guilty of hoarding some pieces that I’ve been given or bought and don’t feel like parting with. I’ve got quite a few with sentimental value that I don’t really wear and quite a few bits of ‘proper’ jewellery that I make myself wear to work every so often.
Might be time for an audit and a bit of a prune…
I think it is good to do a check in every few months. That’s what I did recently and got rid of about half of what I owned. It can be hard to part with sentimental pieces, and many accessories are just that. I once had a client who had some sentimental items and we stored them and treated them differently than the ones she used regularly. For her, these pieces were items that were given to her by her recently deceased mother. I like to keep the accessories I use regularly in eyesight while I do have some other sentimental things stored away, like a cool pocketwatch that was my great grandfather’s as well as a necklace that was my great-great aunt’s that I totally forgot to photograph.
Thank you for putting so much effort into this most helpful blog post! 🙂 It really shamed me to see how few jewellery pieces you have in your wardrobe now: I probably have three times as much and it never seems enough. I think this is partly due to the fact that I have yet to take a census of my jewellery drawer. I have already done it with my clothes, footwear and other accessories (bags, hats, scarves, etc.) and I have found that having everything written down really helps in adopting the one-done approach. It also makes easier experimenting with new combos. Looks like I’ve got homework to do for the weekend 😉
Hi, Please, PLEASE don’t feel shame! Seriously, I have clients who have double and triple what I have and, seeing that I oversee their wardrobes, I think it can be perfectly acceptable to have more. The trap you want to avoid is having too much duplication. It is also important to point out that I just did my own accessories purge recently so my accessories are at a definite low in size. Sometimes I think we buy more thinking we don’t have the right thing. However, the truth is, often, we just don’t know what to do with what we already own. There is a saying about money that applies to this: If you can’t manage a small amount of money, you’ll never be able to manage large amounts either. If you can’t manage a small amount of accessories, having more won’t necessarily make it any easier. I totally want to add more accessories, and definitely will be. However, I am just using what I have one hand now. It’s always evolving. So, don’t be hard on yourself or feel any shame, but if an accessories cull is on the agenda for you, I think it will definitely help bring you greater clarity! Let me know how you make out and thanks for the comment!
I agree with other posters: your blog is SO helpful, and this is one of the most helpful posts I’ve read anywhere in a long while. Actually seeing your whole jewelry collection and reading how you categorize and mix them is enormously instructive. I’d love to see you do this with your shoes, scarves, outerwear and the rest of your wardrobe, too, if it’s not too weird to ask you to post All Of Your Things. :o)
Hi Amy! Thanks so much! I am glad you found this post helpful! It’s funny, you just never know what will resonate with readers. I was just thinking of doing a post on my boots because I take a very organized and streamlined approach to them which can be helpful because it can be so easy to get swept away by all the shoes out there. However, when you have what you need you can go through the shoe department with more of a discerning eye knowing that you are covered. This happened to me last year when I had some money burning a hole in my pocket and wanted a new pair of boots. Every time I considered a pair I thought about what I had and that I owned something that already filled the need. I do have some thoughts on some new pairs that I’d like this year but there is nothing I need so badly that I’d be lost without it.
[…] link in the color coordination section above, but here it is for those who want to check it out: https://www.bridgetteraes.com/2014/10/15/how-to-have-the-right-accessories-to-change-up-your-looks/ That is a MUCH more manageable accessory collection and it is SO versatile, too. I hope to be able […]