Accessory Essentials

By midlife our personal style is sufficiently honed. We’ve had time to curate a signature style and achieve quality over quantity, upgrading basics each decade to eventually amass a closet full of investment pieces. This is also the time when we embrace less is more, pumping the brakes on conspicuous consumption and leaning more on what we have. This dovetail oftentimes overworks core basics, making the morning dressing routine sometimes dull, boring and uninspired. The solution? Avoid a wardrobe rut by livening up your look with accessories. The right ones will freshen and polish each outfit, so make sure you have the essentials and that they’re quality, spiffy and up to date:

1. Classic studs
   A classic stud earring is elegant, stately and refined. Make sure you have a premium one for everyday like classic pearls, diamonds or a high-quality imitation. Clean them regularly so they can do their job of framing the face and moving eyes upward to it. The setting should be in silver if your undertone is cool, gold if it’s warm.

2. Sunglasses
   Sunglasses are more than an accessory — they’re an attitude. Make sure you have a high-quality pair that echos the shape of your face (curvy or angular) with hardware that matches your skin tone (silver for cool, gold for warm. Don’t shy away from statement frame colors (tortoiseshell, Havana, amber), lens colors (green, blue, yellow) or frame shapes (oversized, cat eye, librarian round). If you haven’t already, consider transition lenses if you have a prescription. Above all, have fun with it and once you find the perfect pair, consider getting a light color for summer and a darker one for winter

3. Opaque black tights
   As we age, black opaque tights become a wardrobe essential. They help elongate the silhouette when paired with a black skirt and conceal scars, discoloration and leg veins, making them an utter magic trick. They also keep any outfit parsed into thirds (the most flattering proportions) and allow for shorter hemlines thanks to the opaque coverage. Pair with knee-length (or slightly above it) wool skirts and equestrian boots from fall through winter for a chic signature look.

4. Pashmina wrap scarf
   The all-purpose, all-weather pashmina is a lifesaver. Always have one at the ready for fluctuating body temperatures, air conditioning or the unexpected, and savor its year-round flexibility — from neck scarf (winter) to shawl (evening) to blanket and pillow (travel). Consider stocking up on multiple colors in your best dark neutral, best light neutral and best accent color. Best investment ever!

5. Elevated sneaker
   Comfortable footwear is paramount at any age, though that doesn’t mean style needs to be sacrificed. Thanks to footwear innovations in recent years, many sensible shoes are now fashion-forward making it easy to stay stylish. From lifestyle footwear to fashion sneakers to hybrids, the choices are endless. Keep it simple by choosing a leather slip-on in black or white to elevate your daily uniform, keep the lines clean and the upkeep low. It’s “quiet luxury” at its finest, making you look polished, sophisticated and expensive but not over the top.

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