Accessorizing According to Seasons Color Images

Aug 3, 2011
James Gibson

"Handbags are the Only Item of Apparel Carried Day In and Day Out so Quality is of Utmost Importance" (Catherine Houck) - Joe Mabel

Whether you're geek chic or hip and cool, accessorizing according to seasons color image is a trustworthy approach.

Personal stylist, Elizabeth Leffler-Agia, writing on the importance of accessories, noted: “Accessories are amazing in how they can turn an average outfit into something show-stopping.” To accessorize is to add jewelry, eye glasses, hosiery, and shoes and handbags. With the seasons system the object is to pick the colors that suit the cool skin undertones of a winter or summer, or the warm skin undertones of a spring or autumn.

The Shape of Eyeglasses:

You want to match the frames of eye glasses with your face. Specmakers has the following general suggestions:

The top of the frames should be no higher than the line of your eyebrows- and it's a good idea to define the brow, preferably with a pencil (choose the right color by matching it with your hair color). Note: You can line your eyes close to the eyelashes but if you have deep set eyes, keep the line thin.
The lower edge of the frames should not sit on your cheeks, so make sure that when you smile they don’t touch and irritate.
Choose a size of frame that is in proportion to your face - if you have a small face, don't choose large glasses.
The frames should not be wider than the overall width of your face at the temples.

There are seven face shapes. Following are frame suggestions based on each shape:

Oval face - consider most shapes of frames
Rectangular face - consider large square frames
Triangle face - consider small square or rounded frames
Square face - consider oval and round style frames
Diamond face - consider wider, bigger styles
Round face - consider more rectangular and wider styles
Pyramid face - consider more rectangular and wider styles

General Accessorizing Tips:

Stacy London provides some advice on the whole concept of accessorizing. The bottom line is “don’t go over the top.” Here are some useful tips:

Choose focal pieces, instead of over-accessorizing
Don’t use day accessories for an evening event
Bags and shoes do not have to be the same color.
The size of accessory should match the size of the person (except for an evening clutch).
Buy timeless, beautiful, interesting jewelry

Accessories for a Summer Image:

Remember, when accessorizing, that a summer woman looks beautiful in pastels and colors that are medium to light in intensity:

Eye glasses: flattering colors include taupe, rose, cool blue, silver, and clear pink.
Jewelry stones: garnets, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, cool jade, pale amethyst, lapis, sapphires and pearls (pink, off-white, gray or blue)
Jewelry metals: silver, rose gold, pewter, white gold,
Hosiery: taupe or cool beige tones, gray or slate.
Shoes and handbags: gardenia white, dove gray, gray beige, cocoa brown, navy blue, and burgundy plum

Accessories for a Winter Image:

Remember, when accessorizing, that a winter woman looks best in basic primary colors with a blue undertone:

Eye glasses: Flattering colors include silver, white, clear, ice blue, charcoal and gray.
Jewelry stones: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, dark amethyst, lapis, black onyx, malachite, moon stones, sapphires and pearls ( pure white, gray).
Jewelry metals: silver, white gold, chrome, bright enamels,
Hosiery: taupe, gray, navy, black.
Shoes and handbags: chalk white, gray, navy, black, wine, gray-beige

Accessories for a Spring Image:

Remember, when accessorizing, that a spring woman wears spring bouquet and fresh colors which are clear and have yellow undertones; her color range is much broader than anyone:

Eye glasses: Flattering colors include peach, camel, gold, ivory, pale turquoise, and soft bronze.
Jewelry stones: canary diamonds, pale emeralds, warm amethyst, ivory, peridot, topaz, royal blue lapis, sapphires, and pearls (ivory and peach).
Jewelry metals: old gold, yellow gold, highly polished brass.
Hosiery: warm tones
Shoes and handbags: dove gray, ivory, warm beige, bronze, milk chocolate, camel, bright navy.

Accessories for a Autumn Image:

Remember, when accessorizing, that an autumn woman wears nature’s most basic colors including shades of gold, orange, green, and brown. Natural colors of wood and metal are beautiful on her:

Eye glasses: Flattering colors include camel, gold, warm brown tortoise shell, brick red.
Jewelry stones: topaz, canary diamonds, and pearls (ivory toned).
Jewelry metals: yellow gold, bronze, copper, oxidized gold, silver (when hair grays).
Hosiery: warm tones like suntan
Shoes and handbags: oyster white, beige, coffee, chocolate brown, bronze, forest green, olive, and rust.

Some Final Tips:

The above tips don't mean you do not have a choice. You still can be either geek or hip and cool. Or you might want to be geek chic, a fashion trend, as WiseGeek puts it "that embraces stereotypically geeky clothing and accessories and reinterprets them as cool, hip, and highly desirable. Perhaps the most prominent feature of geek chic is the use of black- or horn-rimmed glasses."

Sources:

Face Shape Information.Spec Makers
Carole Jackson. Color Me Beautiful. Random House Publishing Group, New York. 1980.
Stacey London. 5 Tips for Ace Accessorizing. MS NBC. Nov. 23, 2007.
Jane Lapham. What is Greek Chic? Wise Geek. Apr. 5 2011.
Elizabeth Leffler-Agia. The Importance of Accessories. San Diego Magazine. Oct. 2009
Catherine Houck. The Fashion Encyclopedia. St. Martins Press. New York. 1982.