The Diva is in the Details

I don't know if this is true, it certainly SOUNDS true, but I once heard that 80% of what you wear constitutes only 20% of your wardrobe. I certainly belive it. I'm sure that most days (work days) I wear variations of the same things. And because I work in a law office, conservative clothing is the rule. So I rely on a few good basics (more about these in my next essay), black pants, trench coat, white button down shirt and a couple of good suits. But where you can really express your style, especially when the rest of your outfit is mandated to be sedate, is in your accessories.

I am not suggesting you go out in a chic grey pinstripe suit and wear big round hot pink plastic dangly earrings. Save those for 80s night at the club. But a great scarf some unusual jewelry that still goes with the outfit, or a slightly unexpected bag are the fun that gives your outfit some kick. On the weekends, when you are wearing your favorite pair of pink paisley capri pants with a hot pink top, the clothes are speaking volumes for themselves so you MAY wish to tone down the jewelry. Think in opposites: conservative clothing = outstanding accessories and vice versa. Don't make the clothes and accessories compete for attention, or the whole outfit winds up in fashion chaos. And we know where that look goes. Don't go there.

The ONLY thing that I could possibly not like about warm weather finally finally arriving is that I no longer get to wear chunky fun winter scarves. And then what do you know, a whole crop of beautiful summer scarves has come into fashion. Tied around handbags, they become a flash of color. Use them as headbands. Use them as belts or cuffs. Neck wear is my favorite for scarves though. Remember that Billy Joel song (god, I am showing my age here) where he wrote you can't dress trashy till you spend a lot of money? Well thank goodness the opposite is true this summer. Sure you can drop a few grand on a new Dior Girly Bag (they are too cute for words but too impractical for both my wallet and lifestyle) but instead, lets look at how you can look fabulous on the cheap through, you guessed it Diva, accessories.

Here is yet another ringing endorsement for my faqvorite bargin with syle, hats from Target. I have 3 cotton bucket hats, costing $2.99 each. The are practical, cute and cheap. If you want embellishment, that's no further away than your imagination and a hot glue gun. Seriously. I noticed at a local department store they were giving out samples of the new Burberry Brit perfume sprayed on Burberry patterned 6-inch pieces of ribbon. I figure I need to only visit the sales counter three times to habe enough ribbon to go around the base of the brim of either the khaki ir balck bucket hat. Viola, a Burberry inspired hat.

I also found a few fabulous summer scarves at Target, but you can find these gems a lot of places. Vintage stores, specialty shops or department stores, depending on both your tase and budget. As I write this I am wearing a brown shell top and my $4.99 brown, pink and baby blue scarf. It's just the right touch of funky color, but still looks classy enough to wear to the the law firm with my brown suit. Retro styles are hot in scarves right now, but you can find just about anything from cowboy inspired designs to mod graphic prints.

I am still on the search for the perfect summer bag. There are a ton of choices and price ranges. More on that later.

There's so much that COULD be written about accessories in the summer that it's more that 1 essay can tackle. Just keep in mind that basics are great foundations, but accessories make it look like you don't wear the exact same thing every day.

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