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An Outfit Without an Accessory is Like a Cupcake Without Icing
March 21, 2022

I volunteer at our hospital gift shop where we carry many casual, “ready-to-wear” pieces for women–including dresses, tops, scarves, kimonos. Even jewelry.

The volunteers help “style” the pieces when they arrive, and I always have fun putting outfits together for display in our window or to hang on the shop door.

Recently my co-worker, Shirley, and I found a plain black dress. Here’s how we styled it:

After we hung this outfit on the door, a woman promptly came into the shop and bought the kimono. She could visualize how it would look over a dress she already owned.

When I suggested how nice it would look with a long necklace (like the one shown), she said, “Oh, I have lots of necklaces, but I never wear them.”

Shirley and I got to thinking about her comment. We understood completely that some gals don’t want to bother with accessories or simply aren’t interested in jewelry–and we totally respected that.

Then, Shirley and I tried an experiment. (We weren’t too busy at the shop right at that moment.)

I asked Shirley to take off all the jewelry she was wearing, and then put it back on.

Of course, Shirley is beautiful either way, but her outfit seemed a bit “blah” without the texture, shine, and interest of her silver jewelry.

You may or may not agree.

The point of this simple blog is to demonstrate one concept from page 56 in our book Quintessential Style, where my co-author writes:

“If you went to your closet right now, imagine how you might combine accessories you already own to add flair, polish, or even whimsy to your outfit—to create a look that would truly be your own. That’s signature style!” … Janna Beatty

Okay, now I’m getting hungry.

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Accessories

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6 Comments


Donna Nance
March 21, 2022 at 10:03 am
Reply

A picture is worth a thousand words! Shirley looks very lovely and classy.



    Sharon White
    March 22, 2022 at 11:51 am
    Reply

    Donna,
    Classy is the perfect word to describe Shirley.
    Thank you so much for your comment!

Laura
March 21, 2022 at 7:56 pm
Reply

Sharon, anyone that knows you, knows that your best accessories are your beautiful smile and your warm and loving heart – and you can’t find those at any gift shop . . .



    Sharon White
    March 22, 2022 at 11:50 am
    Reply

    Laura,
    It is so TRUE about your smile–the ultimate accessory.
    I even wrote a blog about it a couple years ago. https://qstylethebook.com/the-one-accessory-that-completes-every-outfit/
    Thank you for your kind words.

Judy
March 22, 2022 at 8:15 am
Reply

Sharon,
Loved this post. You are so right about how adding a nice piece (or two) of jewelry can change a blah outfit into a special one. Thanks for the visual demonstrations, too.



    Sharon White
    March 22, 2022 at 11:49 am
    Reply

    Judy,
    This really was a simple blog. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded.
    Thanks for writing.

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  • Sharon White is an award-winning author who lives and writes in Central Texas. She is a former teacher and has written for literary publications and Texas regional magazines. She is co-author of Quintessential Style: Cultivate and Communicate Your Signature Look.




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