I love accessory families – I think that a really productive way to analyze a potential purchase (of accessories OR clothing) is to think of your possessions as a family, and try to envision the candidate for inclusion playing nicely with what you currently have…There were a bunch of these posts at the beginning of 2015 which remain favorites of mine!
Ah, I love the celadon accessories in the first link (except that I prefer silver to gold) — those things would go beautifully with the Capri scarf outfit you posted yesterday. I'd love to see what the woman with this wardrobe would wear in the winter.
I didn't even know about the concept of accessory families until I read this blog. Gosh it simplifies planning and buying etc.of accessories. The power of the accessory along with the power of the neutral. Its wonderful… Its marvellous… Carol S
Thank you Janice- it helps to think about accessories as families… I have a question that I hope you can help with. I have 2 types of jewelry that I'm drawn to- a modern, organic, freeform style, especially in gold (leaves, feathers, suns, insects, animals, etc. with curved shapes and lines- not Art Nouveau) and a geometric, linear style, especially in silver (Art Deco, Edwardian, etc.). I have trouble reconciling the 2 styles because they are so different. I wear classic clothing in mostly neutral colors and I have neutral coloring (olivey skin, greying dark hair and eyes) and can wear gold or silver. Possibly you can help me determine how to figure out a family of jewelry?
Two families, with one thing in common: you! You really don't have to be limited to one family, if you truly feel equally drawn to both of them. As time passes you might find that you move one direction or the other, but you should never give up things that truly speak to you.
If you feel that you want a logical way to "partition" them, maybe it can be time of day (curvy is for evening, angular for day?) or seasonal (curvy in transitional season of spring and autumn, angular for the "extreme" seasons of summer and winter).
Let me know what you decide; it's an interesting question!
Thank you so much Janice! I do tend to wear more gold in the summer along with my summer colors- tan, creams, whites, blues and blush; and more silver in the winter with black, charcoals/greys, pinks, purples and occasionally red. So, for me, it does make sense to think of jewelry families as seasonal in nature… Thank you again, you have pinpointed what I could not identify- your blog is invaluable to me and I read it daily.
Hi Janice, Thanks so much for your blog. I'm a new reader. I've been going through the starting from scratch series. I'm on the first round of accessories now so these are interesting. Im not clear on one thing though. Are the chosen colors meant to be seasonal, forever or somewhere in between? I am finding my wardrobe coming together nicely. I did adapt it somewhat as I am a stay at home homeschooling parent and we live a very rural lifestyle with pets. Surprisingly enough the basic principles work great. I've substituted jeans for slacks and kept tops apropriate to my life. Shoes are a bit of an uncertainty though. Maybe you could give some tips for achieving a personal style in a rural environment. Thanks again I love what you've done here. Kay
These families can be season (see my response to tmm964 above), but you can use any accessory family dan and night all year 'round if you want to. I'm not too much about strict rules, so long as you're dressing like yourself, and you truly love what you wear!
Thanks so much for your reply. I'm sorry I was not clear. The color families I am refering to are the 2 neutral, 2 accent, and one white of the basic wardrobe.
Favorites of mine too! Thanks, Janice, for reposting these.
Ah, I love the celadon accessories in the first link (except that I prefer silver to gold) — those things would go beautifully with the Capri scarf outfit you posted yesterday. I'd love to see what the woman with this wardrobe would wear in the winter.
Beautiful collections of accessories. The blue makes my heart sing!
I didn't even know about the concept of accessory families until I read this blog. Gosh it simplifies planning and buying etc.of accessories. The power of the accessory along with the power of the neutral. Its wonderful… Its marvellous… Carol S
Thank you Janice- it helps to think about accessories as families… I have a question that I hope you can help with. I have 2 types of jewelry that I'm drawn to- a modern, organic, freeform style, especially in gold (leaves, feathers, suns, insects, animals, etc. with curved shapes and lines- not Art Nouveau) and a geometric, linear style, especially in silver (Art Deco, Edwardian, etc.). I have trouble reconciling the 2 styles because they are so different. I wear classic clothing in mostly neutral colors and I have neutral coloring (olivey skin, greying dark hair and eyes) and can wear gold or silver. Possibly you can help me determine how to figure out a family of jewelry?
Two families, with one thing in common: you! You really don't have to be limited to one family, if you truly feel equally drawn to both of them. As time passes you might find that you move one direction or the other, but you should never give up things that truly speak to you.
If you feel that you want a logical way to "partition" them, maybe it can be time of day (curvy is for evening, angular for day?) or seasonal (curvy in transitional season of spring and autumn, angular for the "extreme" seasons of summer and winter).
Let me know what you decide; it's an interesting question!
Thank you so much Janice! I do tend to wear more gold in the summer along with my summer colors- tan, creams, whites, blues and blush; and more silver in the winter with black, charcoals/greys, pinks, purples and occasionally red. So, for me, it does make sense to think of jewelry families as seasonal in nature… Thank you again, you have pinpointed what I could not identify- your blog is invaluable to me and I read it daily.
Hi Janice, Thanks so much for your blog. I'm a new reader. I've been going through the starting from scratch series. I'm on the first round of accessories now so these are interesting. Im not clear on one thing though. Are the chosen colors meant to be seasonal, forever or somewhere in between? I am finding my wardrobe coming together nicely. I did adapt it somewhat as I am a stay at home homeschooling parent and we live a very rural lifestyle with pets. Surprisingly enough the basic principles work great. I've substituted jeans for slacks and kept tops apropriate to my life. Shoes are a bit of an uncertainty though. Maybe you could give some tips for achieving a personal style in a rural environment. Thanks again I love what you've done here. Kay
These families can be season (see my response to tmm964 above), but you can use any accessory family dan and night all year 'round if you want to. I'm not too much about strict rules, so long as you're dressing like yourself, and you truly love what you wear!
Thanks so much for your reply. I'm sorry I was not clear. The color families I am refering to are the 2 neutral, 2 accent, and one white of the basic wardrobe.