There are many things that help to influence our style and the way we dress.  Accessories are the perfect way to enhance our personal presentation within our work or social environments.  Here are some guidelines to help you accessorize with jewellery at work.

Your profession during the working week may dictate or shape your approach to jewellery at work whilst the weekend for many, is the time to inject more personality into your look.

In some working environments, a jewellery ban is totally justified and certainly our work place is not the place for sparkly, dangly or even noisy styles that only serve to distract our audience.  There is however a way to introduce a carefully chosen accessory to give your work outfit an instant lift.

So what is appropriate and how do we accessorize our working look?

Consider your environment

Simple studs remain stylish

Working in a more traditional culture such as a corporate office, your choice of jewellery at work will differ greatly to one working in a more creative field.   Selecting accessories for a business environment can be a challenge so wear your accessories wisely.  I would go for simple, discreet and nothing too distracting although not at the risk of removing the joy and fun that wearing jewellery can bring.

Keep it simple

Everything we put on our bodies says something about us and whilst we want our outfit and accessories to reflect our personality, take the ‘less is more’ approach.  It is still possible to make your look simple but classy with jewellery appropriate to your role, status and environment.  A delicate necklace or pendant or gemstone ring can help to turn your outfit from boring business to simply stylish.

Recalling a Coco Chanel quote – “Before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror and remove one piece of jewellery”.  When was she ever wrong!

Inject some colour

Image credit Pexels

I have to admit that it can be difficult finding business suits in colours other than black, navy and grey however colour is important here, don’t feel you have to stick to these conformist colours when it comes to the shirts or blouses you wear with them.   Don’t be too afraid of colour.  There are clever ways to infuse some personality to your working outfits.  A day in the office should not be treated as a fashion parade but think classic cuts and add your own stylish twist using jewellery or if appropriate, a pair of killer heels to give your outfit the edge.

Choose a single statement accessory

As multiple pieces can sometimes create an unprofessional working look, consider a single necklace - the longer the choice, the taller and slimmer you will appear.  As we coast towards Autumn, pair a block colour knit with a single necklace to look stylish.  A growing trend favours brooches as a way to introduce interest with maximum impact either on a jacket lapel or well placed on a smart knit.

 

Create Balance and proportion

Each piece should complement your scale and facial features – for example, a petite frame will be overpowered by large scale jewellery whereas a larger frame will be complemented by larger accessories.

Gold or Silver?

The effect of different metals against our skin tone, hair and eye colour can help to illuminate our natural skin tones.  If chosen well, the metal can bring out flecks of colour in our eyes and complement our hair colour.  Yes, really!  It is a real benefit when we know the colours that work for us.  You may see here details of my Colour Analysis service which ascertains your individual colour palette.

Consider also that silky or finer fabrics are best complemented with shiny jewellery whilst matte jewellery looks more at home with textured fabrics.

Choose versatile pieces

I am a great advocate that like our clothes, our jewellery is best when it can mix and match with a number of outfits. In my book, our jewellery collection is as important as our clothing selection allowing us to create a variety of dressy or casual looks.

And finally…

Here’s a thought…..

If like me you already have an eclectic selection of amazing  and perhaps sentimental pieces within your jewellery box?  Gathered over time to go with ‘this and that’.  Why not take a peek into your box and next time you feel stuck in a style rut and want to ‘re-charge’ your work outfit revisit your selection and you may find a forgotten gem!  As I did right here………

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading my styling insights about jewellery at work but if you are still at a loss about knowing what suits you, please do call me for a chat on 07494 644788 or visit my website here.

Colours . Clothes . Confidence