In some cases, the best advice you’ll ever hear is to take a step back, take a deep breath, and look at the big picture.
In other cases? Sometimes you should sweat the small stuff.
The small stuff distinguishes a fashion amateur from a fashion expert, and this Fashionista knows it. At first glance, her look appears simple: black turtleneck, burgundy leather jacket, jeans, black boots. It’s a basic color scheme tied seamlessly together with common closet staples. The big picture here is clear, simple, and stylish.
Try zooming in.
A closer look proves a basic leather jacket becomes so much more through the addition of angular cuts and silver accents. The accents are tied to the silver buckle of a black belt, which keeps the look unified and uncluttered. A black turtleneck creates a focal point upon which the eyes can settle before they identify the matching shades of black in the top, belt, and boots.
Featuring an elaborately stitched pattern, the black boots appear to have been very clearly selected for their unifying appeal. Raised silver accents match the silver of the jacket and belt; the decorative pattern that encompasses them offsets the simplicity of the rest of the look. Just above them, the raw hem of her jeans gives the look a personality, transforming the practical into the trend-setting. The two detailed features are unified through exposed ankles, which once again give the eye a familiar focal point upon which to distinguish the accents and identify the sophisticated uniformity of a deceptively decorated outfit.
So as not to leave the look unbalanced, this Fashionista matches the details near her feet with an equally detailed hair accessory up top. A black, dyed bandana with white accents is consistent with the outfit’s color scheme and overall level of intricacy. Tied simply around her ponytail, so as not to overwhelm her hair or face, the bandana adds another perfectly understated dimension to the look.
When it comes to crafting an outfit with several details, strategy is crucial. Coordinating details around a color scheme, a variety of textures, and a range of daily activities is no easy feat. Coco Chanel is credited with advising young women everywhere that “before leaving the house, a woman should look in the mirror and take off one accessory,” but I’d have to disagree. While it takes a certain degree of fashionable finesse to identify when you’re overdoing the accessories a bit, it takes even more skill to rearrange these accessories and to turn them into practical, striking accents. So, while accessories may be over-the-top, and strategy is crucial, a true Fashionista understands that accents are everything.
