You’ve got an event coming up, and you’ve picked the perfect outfit. You’ve got your clothing, most of your accessories, and your bag, but now you have to find the best jewelry to match. What should you pick?
Finding the right jewelry for a specific ‘fit isn’t always easy, but we’re here to help. Read on for a few quick style tips that can help you make your decision.
First: Consider the Situation
Whenever you’re trying to pick a piece of jewelry for an outfit, or even pick an outfit, you need to consider the context. What type of outfit is it, and what type of situation are you going to be in?
There’s no “wrong” time to wear jewelry per se, but there are wrong times to wear certain types of jewelry.
For example, if you were going to be spending a lot of time outdoors being active, like on a hike or at the beach, you wouldn’t want to wear anything too expensive or anything that would be easy to lose or drop.
If you were going to be working with your hands or lifting weights, you wouldn’t want to wear metal rings (both because of the potential of losing them and the potential of hurting yourself).
Conversely, if you were attending a fancy event, you would want to choose nicer jewelry that wouldn’t fit in as well in a casual setting. You would also want to avoid anything too “gaudy” that may draw too much attention (unless, of course, you prefer a more “out there” look, which is completely fine).
In short, not every piece of jewelry is situationally appropriate for every setting. Read the room.
Look For a Running Theme
Sometimes you can find pieces of jewelry that match an outfit’s theme so well that it would be criminal not to wear it. This works better with shaped pendants and rings.
Here’s an example. If you’re wearing an outfit that features a flower or another type of botanical design, what shapes would pair well with that? Butterfly and flower-shaped pendants and rings!
Matching your outfits to your jewelry in this way looks whimsical. Some people may consider it over-the-top, but anyone who notices small details in people’s outfits will appreciate your choices.
Choose One Statement Piece
For most people, one large piece of jewelry is enough. Other pieces of jewelry will complement that statement piece.
You can have multiple statement pieces, but each new one will take away from the others (so they’ll make less of an individual statement). Again, this can also lead to an over-the-top look, and if that’s what you’re going for, that’s okay. It’s just not conventional.
Statement pieces tend to be necklaces or earrings because they’re central. They can be large, dangly, or colorful. The statement piece also shouldn’t compete with the outfit itself (more on that later).
Be Cohesive
Again, this is optional, but most people tend to want a cohesive jewelry look. Try to get all of your pieces to flow together and match.
This doesn’t mean they all have to look identical. Look for things that different jewelry pieces have in common. That could be the tone of the metal, the color of the gems, or the overall shape of each piece of jewelry.
You can mix and match colors and still be cohesive as long as there’s at least one consistent feature.
Consider Your Neckline
If you plan on wearing necklaces, consider the neckline of the outfit. That will help you determine the length and shape of your ideal necklace.
Turtlenecks and mock necks do well with either long or short chains, but those chains shouldn’t be too thin and there should, ideally, be a pendant on the end. If the chain is quite thick (or beaded, like a pearl necklace), a pendant isn’t necessary.
For a deep v-neck, you want a necklace that will be about an inch or two above the bottom point of the v.
Medium necklines do well with shorter necklaces. You don’t generally want the pendant to fall over the neckline.
With a high neck or a deep v-neck, layering necklaces is a great idea to add more emphasis to the area. Three necklaces going from choker-length to long will look great together.
Balance Your Outfit
Finding the perfect jewelry for your outfit means balancing the jewelry with your clothing.
If you’re wearing an outfit that’s bold, bright, and over-the-top, understated jewelry tends to be the better choice. You don’t want to “take away from” your clothing.
Monochromatic and simple outfits can be balanced out with more interesting and bold jewelry choices. For example, if you’re wearing an all-black outfit, you can get away with a lot of chunky gold jewelry and still look refined and understated.
Match Your Personal Style
At the end of the day, your personal style matters most when you’re choosing jewelry for your outfit. There are no hard “rules” when it comes to picking the right pieces.
Some people love basic and simple jewelry, and stick to classic pieces like earrings and bracelets. Others like a flashier look and adorn their faces and bodies with navel rings, nose rings, and lip rings.
You’ll look best in jewelry that makes you feel the most “you.” Keep this in mind when you buy jewelry. Don’t necessarily buy what’s trendy or what influencers are telling you to buy.
What’s the Best Jewelry for Your Favorite Outfits?
Choosing the best jewelry for a particular outfit shouldn’t be stressful. It should be fun! Jewelry and fashion are all about personal expression, so don’t overcomplicate it.
For more helpful articles about fashion, style, and more, check out the rest of the site!
