https://www.welcome fashion folk! it’s time to set down your troubles and turn your attention to the glittering world of accessories. the adornments we often forget the importance of in the larger fashion conversation but that are important nonetheless.
i’ve never really thought of myself as a “real” accessories person, i don’t have a door frame sagging under the weight of colourful scarves and studded belts, or a vanity littered with chunky bangles, pearl necklaces and statement rings. i’m more of a minimalist i guess (i don’t even wear stud earrings). but every so often, i forget all of this and march out the door ready for my accessories redemption.
this is how the situation usually unfolds. i put together an outfit for the day, then after seeing some cute girl on pinterest wearing a bunch of bangles, a chunky belt and a fun scarf, i think i should do the same. convinced that the outfit looks way better and that i have pushed myself stylistically i stride out of the house. i get about 5 mins from home and immediately the scarf is strangling me, the belt is riding up, the bangles are too loud and i look insane. i turn and sprint back up my stairs to rip everything off and return to my original outfit. and despite this being the outcome every single time, still i persist, trying to figure out what all of these people know about accessories that i don’t.
my aversion (and resulting sprint home) comes mostly from feelings of overstimulation. i’m not sure how people can handle so many things hanging off of their bodies all at once and don’t even get me started on the constant adjusting. with every step i take something needs to be moved in order to remain in the perfect place. just as i get all of my rings to face upwards, my belt rides up and as i pull that down, the clasp on my necklace is showing. im just not a person who likes accessories.
i realise i’m being slightly dramatic (shocker i know) but this was my subscribed reality until very recently. i was doing research for an upcoming what’s my style episode, going through a year’s worth of daily outfit videos, trying to find a through-line that carried across all of them and to my utter surprise i realised the only through-line was my accessories. identity and reality shattered, i tested and re-tested the theory. the results? not only was i actually an accessories person but no matter how my outfits changed, my accessories stayed consistent without me realising it, they’d become the clearest thread in identifying my personal style.
now let’s be clear, i didn’t suddenly realise that i was actually iris apfel and didn’t know it, but i did realise that accessories played a far bigger role in my personal style than i initially anticipated. regardless of season, trend or period in my life, i was always wearing some kind of fun eyewear, a statement bag and a cute pair of shoes. the brand and design of each would change but the combination remained consistent. and as i swiped through pictures of myself (an activity i don’t recommend btw) for a moment i glimpsed myself as others see me and in the process saw my personal style.
i know, i know “glimpsed myself as others see me” it’s a tough read but unfortunately it’s the truth and actually it’s been quite a comforting discovery. now when i get dressed, rather than feeling like i need to put together the chicest and most elaborate outfit ever to feel like i am expressing myself. i instead feel just as fulfilled putting on a simple outfit, along with eyewear, a cute bag and fun shoes. these simple accessories have me feeling more aligned with my personal style than any amount of clothes ever have. maybe the secret to personal style isn’t more clothes — it’s better accessories.
OR maybe my head is so far up my proverbial fashion a** that i spend my tuesdays realising things that are just inherent and don’t need to be discussed at length in a substack blog post, i guess we’ll never know.
if you take anything away from this post, i hope that you will go to your wardrobe and take a long hard look at your accessories. what accessories do you gravitate towards every day? and which make you feel your most you regardless of the outfit you have on?
and with a flick of her scarf and a dramatic open-ended question she vanished! make sure to return next week when we discuss style icons & influence: am i inspired, or am i just copying? (she’s a biggie).
okay, we have now reached the portion of the blog where i pause my existential fashion ramblings, and together we go through my literal open tabs. AND in the spirit of today’s topic, all of my open tabs are accessories.
IZZYS OPEN TABS
ASHLEY WILLIAMS TRASH MELODY FLATS
i have lusted after these shoes all year and at £490 im no closer to getting them but a girl can wish cant she!! they are really just everything i could ever dream of in a shoe
FRUITY BOOTY GRETEL BRA
(not technically an accessory but we’ll count her) obsessed with the colour and the overall shape of this bra, im not really a big bra person but this one is so cute and looks super comfy too
KERNE MILK RUSH SUNGLASSES
i gasped when i saw these. i haven’t really seen a shape like this before, its the perfect mix of wrap around and like early 2000’s sleaze. obsessed
IM SORRY BY PETRA COLLINS HEART NAIL EARRINGS
petra collins can do no wrong in my eyes and these nail earrings are so playful and chic, from the barbie pink to the diamante hearts, im in love!
BALENCIAGA LEATHER MOTORCROSS CLASSIC CITY BAG
i need a city bag so badly and i have spent literal nights going over in my head which colour to get first and this blue is top of my list right now. timeless, a little bit trashy and very CHIC
NINA BOW MEDAILLON
nina bow is one of my favourite brands and their ribbon medaillons are the best you’ll find, they have the cutest colours and they’re the perfect size!
c u next friday <3
izzy.opentabs.com