From statement earrings to colorful shoes, accessories can be a metamorphic element in any outfit. The power of accessories fosters unique individual style and can distinguish one look from another. 

Sometimes, accessories can feel like an afterthought following the planning of a base outfit. However, junior Alice Brandenburg says that accessories stay at the forefront of her mind when planning a look.

“If I know that I want to wear a piece of jewelry, I’ll style my outfit around it,” Brandenburg said.

This styling is what brings a look together, actualizing a cohesive vision for an outfit. Junior Mae Cornwell explains how she uses styling through accessories to change up her day-to-day outfits and make them stand out.

“[When] you’re wearing a white shirt and jeans, if you add a cool necklace or a cool jacket, it looks a little more interesting,” Cornwell said. “Statement pieces change everything.”

Sophomore Kaliope Hendershot adds that accessories can serve a greater purpose when styling a basic outfit.

“Even if you’re wearing something kind of boring, putting on a few pieces of jewelry makes it seem like that’s the look you’re going for and not like you just rolled out of bed,” Hendershot said. “It’s an easy way to make yourself look like you take yourself seriously.”

In addition to adding sophistication, accessories are a form of expression. Junior Siri Schaefer-Bastian finds that accessorizing is the perfect way to personalize an outfit and individualize your style by showing who you are through clothing. 

 “[Accessories] are a way to show your personality in a way where you don’t need to talk,” Schaefer-Bastian said. “At first glance, people can get a sense of who you are.”

Moreover, accessories not only serve as a translation of personality to others but also a moral boost to oneself. 

“I think that accessories are important because they make me feel confident overall,” Hendershot said. “Sometimes when I’m working, it just makes me happy seeing what rings I’m wearing.”

Hendershot further explains that this mix of emotional uplift and personal expression lead to the height of her distinctive style.

“I think that my style is at its renaissance when I’m accessorizing,” Hendershot said. “When I accessorize it feels like it ties everything together.”

Without accessories to pull together a look, there can be a lack of intrigue in an outfit.

“In middle school I didn’t know how to accessorize, so I would just wear the same boring thing all the time,” Cornwell said.

When she was in middle school, Junior Katya Oks began her accessorizing journey, where she realized the power accessories wielded to complete a look.

“As someone who did jewelry-making in freshman year, that’s when I started really getting the importance of jewelry and accessorizing,” Oks said. “I feel like it can say a lot about a person [depending on] the type of accessories that they choose to express themselves with.” 

 Junior Kai Silverberg-Shirota points out that while the extensive world of accessories may seem daunting, the impacts they can have are well worth the exploration and investment required.

“It’s kind of hard to get into [accessorizing] because there’s a variety of price ranges and different kinds of accessories, but I think generally if you put accessories on you or on your belongings it adds a personal splash to it,” Silverberg-Shirota said. “I think it kind of tells a story.”

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