Tips for Choosing the Right Jewelry for your Outfit

If you are a fashion lover, you certainly know that accessorizing with jewelry can take your outfit from boring to one that will get other’s attention. The right bracelet, earrings, necklace, or rings can spice up any attire that would otherwise appear gray and dull. Fantastic, isn’t it?

Consider this, the jewelry you wear is essential to the finish of your overall look as toppings are important on every pizza. It doesn’t matter if the pizza is delicious. If it isn’t dressed up with toppings, not many people are going to choose to eat it. This metaphor proves true for the importance of jewelry to a fashion lover’s overall look.

Jewelry is a timeless accessory classic that every beauty lover needs in her collection. Without enough of the right jewelry, your outfit can easily appear monotonous and dull. On the other hand, with too much jewelry or even the wrong jewelry, a lovely look can transform into a cheap appearance or distract you from your wonderful personality. The point is, the right jewelry will enhance your overall look and provide the fashion statement you want to project.

But sometimes, choosing the right jewelry can be confusing as picking out the perfect outfit can be frustrating. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone! Women all over the world are stuck in this mess every week, if not every day! In truth, women spend an average of 90 minutes a week in their closets choosing what to wear.

But here’s some good news for you, there’s no need to struggle with pairing up clothes and jewelry. To make this task more manageable and easier, here are tips for choosing the right jewelry for your outfit that will turn heads everywhere you go. 

Before I jump into the details, you must remember that you need to be aware of what is considered proper attire for each situation or occasion so you can choose your jewelry accordingly. 

■ JEWELRY FOR EVERY DAY USE

There are some pieces of jewelry or accessories that you may wear every day. Of course, wedding rings for married couples is an example. Or a wristwatch if you like to keep track of the time. A simple piece of jewelry like a necklace, rings, bracelet and earrings can be also worn every day. 

But here are some helpful tips that you may pair with your regular or daily outfit:

Match Bracelets to Sleeves 

If you are a bracelet collector, you should be familiar with the rule for choosing bracelets or bangles to pair with your different outfits. A general principle is that when your sleeves are longer, the fewer bracelets you should wear while the shorter your sleeves are, the more bracelet you should wear. 

Likewise, thick wide bracelets look great when paired with your sleeveless dresses. Thin, delicate chain bracelets work better with your long-sleeved sweaters or sleeves that extend past your elbows. 

Long necklace for loose clothing 

Loose clothing might be the most comfortable clothes for you but can make you appear shorter or wider than you are. But don’t worry, long necklaces can be a great way to balance out your look. 

So if you decided to wear a loose T-shirt or dress, pairing it with a necklace that has a long chain and one large pendant can help add harmony and balance to your appearance.

Match the jewelry to the shape or design of your clothes

Here’s a tip for you–if you want to look great on your favorite shirt or dress with a bold print or pattern, you should also buy or wear pieces of jewelry that have the same shape as your clothes’ print. For example, if your dress has a round pattern, it is also best to wear earrings with round shapes or necklaces with round pendants.

The point is, when it comes to pairing jewelry with clothing, the shape of your earrings or necklace should match the shape of the design on your outfit.

Never pair large or bold jewelry together

The general rule of thumb when it comes to wearing large or bold jewelry is to never pair it together. You should avoid wearing a long dangly earring with a large shiny necklace and bold wide bangles.

So if you want to wear a chunky tribal necklace, it is recommended not to add other pieces of jewelry to avoid a gaudy and overwhelming look.

■ JEWELRY FOR OFFICE SETTING

If you love to wear jewelry at work, considering your office environment might help you in deciding what kind of pieces of jewelry you should wear. Wearing noisy bracelets and a large earring in a conservative office may not be a good idea as it might offend your higher-ups and annoy your co-worker. You probably heard people saying “less is more” which is a correct idea in this situation.

When you’re doubtful if you’re wearing too much jewelry to the office, go with the fewest pieces possible. A general principle is that it’s okay to wear a pair of earrings, a watch or bracelet, a ring, and a necklace. Anything more than that is presumably too much for most workplaces.

■ JEWELRY FOR FORMAL EVENTS

It’s indeed time to bring out your best pieces of jewelry or gemstones such as diamond and gold if you are going to attend a formal event like a wedding or anniversary. However, here’s a word of caution, don’t overwhelm your appearance with too much jewelry. 

For example, pairing stunning large earrings, necklace or bangles to your gown or formal dress is not a good idea. Oftentimes, the opposite is always better. 

In reality, simple small jewelry pieces look best with long, fancy gowns or other formal outfits. One good piece of advice is to select one statement piece and downplay the rest of your jewelry. 

As such, it is best to wear your favorite shiny gold or diamond stud earring to add style and elegance to your outfit rather than blinding the audience with your extra-large rhinestone and long dangling earring. This can bring people’s attention to your face and show how elegant you can be. So when you wear dramatic jewelry, keep the rest of your look simple and never pair more than two statement pieces together at a time.

■ JEWELRY FOR A NIGHT OUT PARTY

So it’s Friday night and you’re hanging out with your friends. This time, you may wear your clanging bangles, blinding bling-bling and extra-large earrings. Of course, almost anything goes with this occasion but although it’s acceptable to sparkle all over, don’t forget that too many accessories will steal the attention away from you, and the pieces of jewelry will overshadow your great personality.

But wait there’s more-you might have heard that even the tone of your skin and the color of your eyes should match your jewelry! Well, you’re right! I fully intended to write this section but I realized that this was too substantial topic to be included in this lengthy post. As a result, I decided to make another article that might help you more when it comes to pairing and matching your pieces of jewelry.

It’s time to finally match your outfit with your pieces of jewelry

Now that you learned the secrets of pairing and matching pieces of jewelry to your clothes and occasion, then you are ready to spice up your outfit with the right pieces of jewelry. You’ll be able to find clothes to complement your pieces of jewelry and you’ll feel more confident every time you wear them. 

Don’t hesitate to spend time and money developing your jewelry collection. In time, the effort you put in will be all worth it.

May Joy is a writer and editor with extensive background in journalism and academic writing. She also writes for blog post contents with knowledge in SEO. She graduated as Cum Laude at the University of the Cordilleras.