When we shop we gravitate towards interesting things - a bright print, embellished collar, fancy pockets, and so on. All of these are called accents - something your brain notices most when you look at an outfit.
Here are a few examples of accents below:
All images @ Pinterest
So what’s the best way to wear accents and integrate them in your outfit?
Here is my rule 101 to help you utilise your wardrobe:
Stick to as few accents per outfit as possible and support your accents with basics.
What is a wardrobe basic?
It’s the most plain t-shirt/shirt/turtleneck/jacket without any fancy pockets, logos or frills, plain trousers, and simple jeans without any embellishments. Another important basic you might want to invest into is a black/white/skin tone camisole which can go under jumpers or low cut/transparent shirts.
Here are some examples of how to combine your basics with your accents in an outfit:
Images @ Pinterest @ Sezane
When someone’s got too many accents which are not supported/diluted by basics, there are a number of problems you might encounter:
Your eyes keep jumping from one thing to another while looking at them and you might find it hard to concentrate, whether it’s conscious or subconscious.
See more visual examples here.
Your outfit might suffer from looking like you tried too hard. If you tone your accent down with basics you will achieve that effortless look, which says: “I don’t think hard about what to wear, I just threw a few things together and they worked”.
Why don’t you scan your wardrobe for accents and basics now? Have you got enough basics? If you feel like the majority of your stuff is in “accents'“ category, perhaps you might need a couple of basics to tie it all together.😉
