We all need clothes. New clothes, borrowed clothes, warm clothes, summer clothes – there are clothes for every occasion and without them, you’d be pretty cold and find it hard to express yourself. Clothes are important, but so are accessories. Accessories don’t just make you feel good, they can change the whole look of an outfit and help you express your style. The problem is that it’s often very difficult to know where to get started when it comes to accessorising yourself. How do accessories work with your own personal style. For me, my style always includes a headband (the bigger and more crown-like the better), designer bag and designer shoes.

Accessories are often confused with jewellery. When I talk about accessories in this post, i’m talking about bags, shoes, scarves, belts, headbands, hats and even watches (ok, so that one crosses over into the realm of jewellery). Whether you wear a watch from one of many small independent watch brands or an expensive designer one from Bottega Veneta, they serve the same purpose – they are an expression of who you are and what your personal style is. Accessories are pretty powerful things as they can totally turn an outfit on its head, or actively mould someone’s initial impression of you. Whatever accessories you wear, it’s important that you know how to use them to their full potential and to elevate your outfits. Here are five reasons why accessories are so important…

Accessories bring a lot of enjoyment. It’s fun to shop around and find things that will match your style, your tastes and the colours of your clothes. We often tend to spend a bit more on accessories than we do on clothes, so accessories purchases tend to feel more like covetable treats. Accessories are for everyone as they’re not dictated by clothes size, so it’s often less demoralising to go on an accessories shopping trip than a clothes one.

Accessories can drastically change your look. Regardless of the clothes you are wearing, you can make a difference to the way that your outfit looks and the way that your outfits are received by others, when you have accessories on/with you. For example, if you like basic outfits like leggings and a knitted jumper most days, you can really add more of a fashion-forward element to your outfit with accessories. Suddenly you go from looking like you’ve not put much effort in, to looking like you really follow fashion. Similarly, if you can only afford to shop on the high street and fast fashion, you can really elevate your look with a designer accessory. Accessories last forever, if you look after them, so if you save up to buy a designer bag, that bag can change your whole outfit’s look in seconds for years to come. You’ll save time too. Hate your wardrobe? Can’t shop til payday? Change your outfit with the help of your accessories and you don’t need to bother searching for new clothes.

You can make your wardrobe for further with accessories. If you only have a capsule wardrobe, you can change one outfit into three or four different ones just by mixing up the accessories. Knowing how to style an outfit with accessories, to make it look different, is a great skill to have. Belts are especially great for this.

Accessories amplify your personality. You need to be able to express yourself, and while you think your clothes say everything about your style, you’ll be surprised! Maybe your clothes say nothing about your style but are just what you can afford? Accessories can really take your personal style to the next level. Experiment with colours and trends to show who you are to the world.

You’ll be wearing conversation starters. People comment a lot more on other people’s accessories than they do on the clothes that you’re wearing. You are more likely to receive a comment from a stranger on an accessory that a piece of personal clothing.The right accessories will get people asking all about what you’re wearing or where you found it and that can help you to start a real conversation. Accessories are easy ways to stand out. My headbands are always fantastic conversation starters.

It doesn’t matter who you are, accessories matter. They work with all occasions and for all people, so really use them to their full potential!

You can see what I’m loving, and what I’m doing, over on my Instagram.