Friday, February 25, 2011

Wear It Twice: Wild Accessories

Creating a well coordinated outfit can be a lot of work, but the results are usually worth it. Still, sometimes it’s fun to throw caution to the wind, and build an ensemble with total whimsy. Not everyone likes clothes that are matchy-matchy and tailored just-so.

For this month’s fashion collage, I wanted to see how many bold and vibrant accessories I could layer onto each outfit. I started with a multstrand tube statement necklace in a crazy palette of black, white, orange, purple, pink and blue.


I made things easy on myself, and started with an all black clothing palette. First I picked out a cute tube dress with a feathered skirt. The extra texture makes a great background for lots of flashy add-ons. Since it’s winter and anything sleeveless looks impossibly chilly, I added some boots and a simple shrug.

The accessories for this outfit feature plenty of jewels and rhinestones. There’s a gorgeous pair of Splendori embroidered earrings, a jewel encrusted peacock bracelet, and an adorable flower beaded clutch.

For the casual side, I wanted to create a bit of a contrast with the basics, so I started with military cut jeans and army boots. I topped these off with a simple black top - the three-quarter length sleeves leave lots of room for statement bracelets.

Instead of earrings, I started with a splash of color on top, care of a gorgeous Hermes scarf. A boho mosaic bangle adds some more vibrant tones, along with a batik style shoulder bag. I couldn’t resist throwing in a lovably ridiculous octopus cocktail ring to put things over the top.

As always, handmade and vintage shops are up to the challenge. Here are just a few fun ways to build looks like these:

Wild Accessories Collection

And a few of my favorite Polyvore sets featuring pieces from today’s collage:





Coco Chanel said it’s best to take off one piece of jewelry before leaving the house. So the more you put on to begin with, the more choices you’ll have!

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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6 comments:

  1. Move over Stacy London you've got some competion!!! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Move over Stacy & Clinton you've got some competion!!! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love what you did with those black outfits. That little flower clutch is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  4. WOW that was a huge amount of eye candy but oh so sweet of you to post so I can learn a few fashion tips. Ya know being SAHM I have a jeans and t shirt wardrobe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is by far the most inspiring collection I've seen. First the color combination of the accessories grabbed me.
    BUT
    The more I looked at each collection, I discovered that the accessories were like a 'direction arrow' that drew my eye straight to the beauty of the outfit they were anchored to.

    By the way I particularly loved Wambli's Birthday Dress. It reminds me of the dresses designed by RIMINI in the mid-80's.
    I made one of his dresses for an Army Ball in 1986. The asymmetrical wrap front gathered and buttoned at the hip and somehow it made me look AND feel beautiful. (which is a real accomplishment since I have a multi-laterally curved spine which distorts the shape of my torso)
    That Rimini dress magically gave the illusion that I had a nearly normal shape.
    Thank You for a VERY Happpy Memory! Karen

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks everyone! It was a lot of fun to concentrate on just the accessories this time around. Sometimes the jewelry should be the center of attention!

    Also, I adore Stacy London! I could listen to her talk about clothes all day.

    ReplyDelete

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