Different Types Of Fashion Accessories
How To Choose The Right Fashion Accessories
Fashion accessories are fashion items that individuals wear with their pieces of clothing to make them look great and complete in their outfits.
Any kind of embellishment or accessory that you pick ought to have the capacity to demonstrate your disposition and identity. Accessories have numerous hues and shapes, ensure that you select the ones that can make you appear gorgeous and interesting.
You don't essentially need to wear new garments always, in the event that you have the ability to select the right kind of accessories, you can make your old outfits to appear as new and exceptionally in vogue. The expansion of style of fashion accessories to your wardrobe can perform wonders.
Accessories can make any inexpensive piece of clothing to seem costly. It can make you look different, it can also add unique styles to your match and mix wardrobe. Accessories can completely change the way you look, even when you are wearing the same garments.
How To Use Accessories With Outfits
Accessories can be used as a way of completing our outfits or as decorations. Accessories that are used as decorative items with outfits are neckties and bracelets. Choosing accessories is one thing, using the right kind of accessories that are appropriate for the occasion and outfits is another.
You can accessorise with any type of outfit. Whether the outfit is plain, light or heavy, it can accessorise. Look at your size before you use any accessory style. Make sure that accessories that you want to wear be in direct proportion or size to your body. If, for example, you have a small size, wear small accessories. Large body size is better to wear accessories that are large.
Whatever style of accessories you choose to wear, bear in mind that just like all garment designs can change your look, accessories play the same role too. If you want to draw attention to a particular area of your body, wear accessories near such body part. Do you know that you can add height to your body by wearing a long necklace? A wide or contrasting belt will reduce your height.
You can express your fashion statement by combining accessories with your outfits. Experiment with different types of accessories with various outfits. This will allow you to find out new and different ways of wearing them together. Wear simple accessories that will not draw too much attention away from your garment.
If you are not so sure how you can combine your outfits and accessories, get yourself some fashion magazines and see how models accessorise their fashion apparels, and how they look. Store displays and advertisements also show how clothes are accessorised. If you want to wear a garment that is plain, make sure you use accessories to add flair to it.
Types Of Accessories For Men and Women
These are the types of different accessories that both men and women can use to coordinate their looks:
Belts
Belts are available in different materials, colours and width. If you feel that you have a thick waistline, use belts that match the colour of your outfit. Tall people should use wide belts.
Handbags
Make sure that your handbag goes with the shoes you are wearing, even though they do not necessarily have to be the same colour. If your shoes and bags have different colours or do not match, make sure that the colour of the shoes are lighter than the colour of the handbag you are carrying. You can also treat yourself to a beautiful designer handbag.
Scarves
You can wear a scarf to keep you warm or as a decorative item. Scarves have different designs as well as different colours, sizes and fabrics. Any scarf you wear will add colour to your face. You can wear scarves on the head, neck, waist, hat tie, shawl ties, overhang, side loop and others.
Eye wear
Eyeglasses, sunglasses or sunshade should coordinate your face. Wear eyeglass frames that are not wider than the area of your face that is widest. Eyeglasses should not be too decorative, but it should be able to fit your purpose and lifestyle. Sunglasses are used to prevent sun glares as well as fashion items.
There are different styles of footwear for men and women. Make sure that the type of footwear you choose does not dominate your outfits. Women shoes should go with the colour of their skirts or trousers. You can wear any type of women shoe colour that is darker than the bottom part of your garment. Men should wear shoes that blend with their belt's colour.
Jewelry
Some pieces of jewellery are so expensive. You can choose jewellery that is a classic, as these do not go out of fashion. These are pieces of jewellery that you can use to accessorise your outfits: rings, chains, pearl necklaces, ID bracelets, loop earrings, circle earrings, watches and others. If you want to make a thick neck appear slender, wear a necklace or chain that is of medium length. To make a slender neck appear wider, wear round beads necklace. To make a thin, long face appear wide, wear earrings that are round.
Head Wear
Head wear is used to keep the head warm in cold weather and also worn to complete outfit. An example is a hat. Wear a hat that fits your head size and shape.These are some of the types of head wear that you can add to your wardrobe: straw hats, knit ski caps, baseball caps and sports visors.
Neckties
Neckties are made from different fabrics and they come in various designs. Some neckties are narrow, others wide and are used according to the current fashion style. Other people prefer bow ties.
Gloves
Gloves come in many styles and are used mostly to keep hands warm when it is cold. Vinyl or leather gloves are used when driving a vehicle. Some people wear gloves are fashion items.
Handkerchiefs
Using a handkerchief to peek out of your suit's pocket can improve your appearance depending on the occasion. Some fashion handkerchiefs have border designs, others are monogrammed.
Hosiery
There are different types of hosiery for men and women. Men should always wear dark coloured socks for their dress, white socks are to be worn for sports activities. Women hosiery should blend with the colour of their skin and shoes. If you want to wear low-heeled shoes, wear thick stockings. The lighter colour of hosiery adds size to your legs. Darker colours of hosiery make the legs appear slimmer. These are the types of hosiery: leg warmers, pant hose, stockings, socks, tights, leggings. To have a good fit, wear hosiery that is stretchy.
lim728 on August 20, 2020:
Recently I bought bts caps at because I like bts accessories.
Kayk Fisch from China on November 29, 2019:
I love accessories, particular the handbags
Sarah Mohammed on February 15, 2016:
I love accessories because I always have an accessory to go with whatever i'm wearing.
Theresa D (author) from England, UK on October 19, 2015:
Thanka @JennWright33. Accessories makes any outfit come alive.
JennWright33 on October 16, 2015:
I love accessories too.They can really spice up your look. Thank you Nell and do check out some unique jewelry @
Theresa D (author) from England, UK on January 05, 2015:
Thanks Cyril and hope you have great time accessorizing your fashion.
Theresa D (author) from England, UK on January 05, 2015:
Thanks Edriel. many of us can be carried away by the daily activities and forget about taking care of our wardrobe. Great to meet you!
CYRIL PAYONGAYONG on January 04, 2015:
I love accessories, I always try to add necklaces and bracelets to try and spruice up my wadrobe. Your ideas are really good, and its a great help to give us all a boost again, we get into bad habits, so this is really good, thanks!
I love accessories. My favorite is earrings! I have been collecting since I was a teenager and now have more than 200 pairs of them. Love the hub for honoring accessories!~
Edriel Garcia on January 04, 2015:
I love accessories, I always try to add necklaces and bracelets to try to spruice up my wadrobe. Your ideas are really good, and it's a great help to give us all a boost again, we get into bad habits, so this is really good, thanks!
luxeforless on April 27, 2014:
Great post the bracelets and accessory mentioned will make complete a look in an instant. But your fashion accessories can make or break your look do you agree?
Theresa D (author) from England, UK on May 17, 2013:
Fashion accessories are great way to spice up any outfit. I collect earrings too. Thanks for the comment!
Dalila C from Denver, CO on May 16, 2013:
I love accessories. My favorite is earrings! I have been collecting since I was a teenager and now have more than 200 pairs of them. Love the hub for honoring accessories!~
Theresa D (author) from England, UK on May 08, 2012:
Thank you Nell for your visit and comment. Jewelries can do wonders to our dressing if used on the right occasion.
Nell Rose from England on May 08, 2012:
I love accessories, I always try to add necklaces and bracelets to try to spruice up my wadrobe. Your ideas are really good, and it's a great help to give us all a boost again, we get into bad habits, so this is really good, thanks!
5 Fashion Accessories to Make at Home – Remote Working Style
With COVID-19 and most people working from home, it doesn’t mean your style has to be boring. Although some industries are starting to return to work, many people are still going to be working from home for the foreseeable future.
If you are starting to get stuck in a rut with your working from home style then you can easily accessorise, which is a great way to spruce up any outfit!
Our guide provides you with 5 fashion accessories you can easily make at home to brighten up any outfit and the added bonus – it will give you something to do at the weekend!
Make Staying at Home Fun
You can make staying at home and working from home fun by making these fashion accessories. You could even purchase different fabrics, if you don’t have any spare leftover fabric pieces at home that you could recycle, and make variants of the same accessory.
It’s a great opportunity to help you to relax, focus your mind, reduce stress and anxiety and shut yourself off from what’s happening in the outside world. Being more productive with your spare time will make you feel more positive and help improve your mood. Play around and enjoy getting creative!
A Stylish Hairband
Hairbands are a great way to add some interest, colour and pattern to your hairstyle (especially if it’s getting a bit out of hand due to the lockdown).
They are also great accessories for covering up a bad hair day so your colleagues on a Zoom conference call will not notice and may even give you a compliment instead!
Betty’s fabulous team of female tailors in Tanzania, East Africa, made these simple hair bands using the fabric offcuts from our African print clothing production.
They start by making a simple fabric band with some elastic at the back to keep the hairband in place when worn. Then they make a fabric bow that can be re-positioned easily or removed entirely if preferred by the wearer.
A happy Kitenge customer modelling her African print dress and hairband
Tips: if you are not sure how to make hairbands then you could watch a ‘how to’ video guide on YouTube or check out Pinterest for some inspiration and step-by-step tutorials. If using elastic you may need to play around with the elasticity because if the hairband is too tight on your head then it is likely to come off easily.
A much easier alternative is to make a head wrap by cutting out a piece of fabric to the correct size and sewing around the edges (or joining two pieces of material together) by machine or hand. There are so many different ways to wear a head wrap, which you can discover on online tutorials.
Watch our tailor, Betty, demonstrate how to tie an African print fabric head wrap in Tanzania:
A Colourful Scrunchie
Scrunchies are a fun accessory to make especially if you have some leftover fabric offcuts at home. You could easily make scrunchies with your children if they are not able to go to school at the moment.
When school starts again then your children can wear their handmade scrunchies and show their friends what they made during the lockdown. The brighter the colours and the more interesting the fabric design the better!
A Lightweight Scarf
Scarfs are really simple and easy to make at home with or without a sewing machine. They are a good choice for adding some interest to a simple and plain coloured outfit.
You can use a variety of materials but lightweight 100% cotton will probably be most comfortable as we transition from spring to summer. You can choose to use either plain coloured fabric or a unique, patterned material.
If you don’t have a sewing machine (or a needle and thread) and have some old t-shirts that you don’t wear anymore because they are either too big or too small then why not turn them into a unique summer scarf?
Upcycling is becoming increasingly popular, as it is sustainable by prolonging the lifecycle of a garment and preventing it from ending up in landfill. Follow these simple YouTube instructions and wear your fabulous creation on your next video call:
Beautiful Jewellery
There are so many different jewellery ideas that you can make with fabric from earrings, to necklaces, rings and bracelets. You can be as creative as you like with your designs.
Do you have any old beaded necklaces or bracelets at home that you no longer wear that could be up-cycled with fabric or an old t-shirt? Watch and follow the YouTube video instructions below to find out how!
There are lots of interesting videos on YouTube that show you how to make fabric earrings and rings but you will probably need more equipment such as a glue gun, pliers and earrings hooks that can be purchased online.
When you shop online for craft supplies try to support small businesses as much as possible as they need your help and support the most during the pandemic. Etsy is a great platform for this.
A Bag for Every Occasion
The number of different bag designs is limitless. Why not start off with a simple tote bag, which is very handy to scrunch up and keep in your handbag for when you need to go food shopping. You will not get caught out again for forgetting to take a reusable fabric bag with you to the supermarket.
The below example shows a simple tote bag style that our tailor-made in Tanzania using bold African wax print fabric. They also make great gifts if you are stuck at home and would like to make a present for someone who lives with you or that you can easily post to a friend/relative as they can be folded fairly small.
For all Yogis out there, do you have a yoga mat bag to keep your mat clean and easy to store at home? The below photo shows the yoga mat bags we made with a simple shoulder strap and drawstring tie. You could also make a simple strap that ties around your mat.
For more bag design inspiration definitely take a look on Pinterest and YouTube.
Create the Perfect Accessory with Kitenge
While you are here why not take a look at Kitenge’s range of beautiful African print fabric that you can use to make colourful accessories at home?
Most fabrics can be purchased by the yard (1 to 6 yards) so you can order exactly the amount you need for your project at home.
There may also be some fat quarters available for quilters and craft lovers depending on our made to measure garments production in Tanzania.
Please read our COVID-19 update for the latest worldwide delivery information. For more great fabric ideas and further inspiration, visit our blog 20 Fabric Items to Make at Home.
We’d love to see your creations so please feel free to tag us in your photos @KitengeStore on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or send us an email at
History of Fashion Accessories
Accessories complete the perfect look. Sometimes, even when the whole outfit is flawless, a statement accessory can transform it to make it more glamorous. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, belts, neckties, and headwear add finishing touches to many outfits. Some of the types of these accessories are classic and timeless like the pearl earrings and leather belts, but some were trendy and could be out of fashion after a while. As fashion changes throughout the years and decades, accessories evolve as well.
Since the beginning of civilization, people have been wearing accessories. The history of fashion accessories is a lengthy and broad subject, so we will break it down per accessory type. Meanwhile, to order high-quality yet affordable wooden jewellery australia, we recommend you visit the given link.
NECKLACE/CHAINS
Necklaces are adopted by early civilizations around the world. These are believed to be as old as 40,000 years. The oldest forms of the necklace are made from shells, teeth or bone beads, bird feathers, carved wood, seeds, stones and other artful natural elements found in the environment. Some used more precious materials from hard-to-find places, like the valuable necklace made of Mediterranean red coral beads found in a Neolithic remains in the Alps, dated around 4,200-3,400 BC.
When metalworking was developed, it added more jewelry options for humans. A flat, crescent-shaped neckpiece made of metal, or the lunula, is found in Bronze Age Scotland and Ireland in 1,800-1,500 BC. Meanwhile, the torc, a large, rigid neckpiece made of twisted metal, was found in the Celtic, Scythian and other cultures of the European Iron Age during 800 BC to 300 AD. These neckpieces were made of gold, copper, and other metals.
The ancient Egyptians’ necklaces were more complicated. From simple stringed bead necklaces, it evolved into a broad collar and pectoral types both women and men wore, especially the royalty and the wealthy.
Jewelry with gemstones was first used by the Romans during the first century. Later on, it became a trend for women to wear many necklaces at once until it’s use waned. In the late 14th century, necklaces regained popularity.
During the Middle Ages, necklaces replaced brooches as the primary form of jewelry. Gold chain necklaces with pendants and necklace sets with gemstone were in style. Their neck accessory usually indicates their social status and level of wealth.
Materials such as gold, silver, pearls, and diamonds have long been a popular choice for necklaces since the Western history of dressing until today. These often symbolize wealth, glamour, and prestige. Nowadays, the ideal necklace for professional, business and bridal dress are made up of these materials.
Locket necklaces were widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries after photography was developed. It was mostly given as a betrothal gift. Matched sets of jewelry also became popular during this era. These sets usually included at least a matching earring or brooch, but it could also include bracelets, tiara or buckles.
Men and women both used to wear necklaces until the 18th century when this accessory became primarily feminine. This is why men used to call their necklace as chains today. American pop culture re-popularized the use of necklaces for men with the 1960s hippie “love beads” and the 1970s disco dance craze. Some included gold chains with charms like a gold cross or gold Italian horn, and some used amulets, charms and beads. Black and African-American hip-hop artists of the 20th century had platinum and gold chains with diamond-encrusted pendants as their fashion statement, which is popularly known as “bling-bling.”
Brooch & Lapel Pins
The brooch pin was originally an exclusive accessory for men. In the Greco-Roman era, brooches were used by knights and kings to fix their robes to maintain the majesty of warriors. Later, until the Middle Ages, women also began to wear brooches, and the designs of brooches became more and more diverse.
Albright, the first female secretary of the United States, published a book called “Read My Pins.” She wrote in the book: lapel pin is born with the function of expressing meaning. Compared with other accessories, pins can enhance the aura and bring a sense of strength. As a very special existence in jewelry, lapel pins are not only rich in styles, but also very diverse in wearing methods, so no matter what style of clothes we wear, personalized lapel pins can play a very good embellishment role.
AROUND THE HEAD
The one accessory trend that won’t quit? Bandanas. Whether you tie it with the point in front, fold it to make a choker or wrap an oversized version like a scarf- wearing this humble piece around your neck is both classic and incredibly chic! It’s perfect for adding some edge into any outfit from jeans suitcases during work days to party dresses at night out on town parties. Customized bandana are great for accessories because they can spruce up any outfit! Try tying one on either end of your bag handle if looking more formal.
BRACELETS
After the ornaments for the neck, another oldest form of jewelry is the bracelet for wrist, arm or ankle. Archaeologists were able to date back the earliest bracelet to 7,500 BC found in Turkey. It was made of obsidian. Primitive humans were thought to have formed ancient bangles from stones, wood, and shells, then later on, from copper and bronze. The ancient Chinese wore bracelets on wrist made from wood, jade, and gold.
During Biblical times, bracelets were worn by both men and women, according to Hebrew Scripture. Some of the oldest-known bracelets were made of gold and bronze. The gold bracelets were often unadorned, while the bronze bracelets were decorated with designs.
Bracelets in Ancient Egyptian times were mostly strings of gold beads and hoops, and some were hinged. In Ancient Greeks, Romans and Assyrians, bracelets were often in the form of coiled spiral snakes or penannular armbands with enameled sphinxes and heads of lions or bulls. During the Iron Age, the spiral forms of bracelets with animal motifs were common in Europe. Meanwhile, the bracelets with separate, hinged panels were first created by the Etruscans, but the style was still popular in the early 21st century.
These arm trinkets were not only used as an adornment. In Celtic period Britain, men wore serpent-shaped bracelets and protective armlets to protect themselves from sword attacks. The Ancient Greeks soldiers wore metal cuffs on their upper and lower arms. When the Roman army saw this, they mimicked it and made their own arm accessories.
During the Middle Ages, the bracelet became unfashionable, but it was brought back again during the 17th century. Women began wearing bangles and wrist accessories made from ribbon strings. During the Victorian era, charms and pendant-style lockets became a trend in bracelets.
Plastic became a material for bracelets during the 20th century. For teenagers and children, plastic adornments became a fashion choice. Embroidery floss or thread was used to create armbands, especially for friendship bracelets, which became popular in the 1980s. Jewelry makers also started creating charm bracelets made of gold-plated brass and sterling silver. This trend continues up to the present.
EARRINGS
The Sumerian women wore crescent-shaped gold hoop earrings at around 2,500 BC, according to archaeologists. In 1,500 BC Egypt, earrings were worn by both men and women. Ancient Egyptian earrings were usually mushroom-shaped studs or plugs to be stretched in the earlobe by an enlarged hole.
In the first millennium BC, Greeks and Etruscans wore earrings as a symbol of wealth. The wore hoop earrings, disk earrings, as well as leech earrings – a thick tube secured by a hidden wire, and box-type earrings. All these were stamped out of thin sheets of gold and were embellished with scrolls, flowers and fine palmettes
Later on, the Romans began to use gems or colored stones in earrings. This was imitated by other civilizations until the Roman influence began to decline. In the year 330 A.D., the Byzantine’s crescent-shaped, gold filigree earrings, and plain gold hoops with pearl pendants hanging on chains set the trend for ear accessory.
Earrings became unnecessary and impractical during the 11th to early 16th centuries because the stylish hairstyles and headdresses of the day covered the ears completely. It was during the late 1500s when earrings became fashionable among gentlemen and courtiers during the English Renaissance. By the late 17th century, earrings became an important part of dressing up to both men and women. It became lighter and simpler over time.
The practice of ear piercing for earrings re-emerged during the 1950s. The trend began as a fad among college girls, and Queen Elizabeth II set an example when she had ear piercing to be able to wear the diamond earrings she received as a wedding gift. By the 1970s, ear piercing became common among women. It was also when earrings returned to fashion for men, thanks to popular male music performers who set an example. Most of the men who wore earrings before were homosexuals, sailors or members of groups or gangs, but today, it has increasingly become more common and acceptable as something no other than decoration.
Multiple piercings in one or both ears also emerged into mainstream popularity in the 1970s. It became a trend to wear a second, third or more set of earrings within the ear. Asymmetric double piercing and cartilage piercing have become a trendy and acceptable practice.
Over time, different types and styles of earrings emerged. Earrings have become a form of personal expression and plainly a matter of personal choice – not indicative of social status, sexuality, moral or religious standards, and others.
BELTS
Since the Bronze Age, belts were worn by ancient people. In ancient Rome, Greece, and Crete, people used it in the form of sash or girdle. Belts were common for both genders in the Western world, but it was more common for men.
In the latter part of the 19th century until World War I, the belt was used as a decorative and utilitarian part of the military uniform.
During the 20th century, men started wearing leather belts with the purpose of preventing the pants from falling. Women’s belts, on the other hand, were often made of the same fabric as their matching dress or coat. Belts of plastic or metal links have also been worn as a trendy fashion accessory.
HATS
The earliest known hat was worn by a Bronze Age man named Otzi, a mummified body frozen in a mountain where it was found to be there since around 3,300 BC. This headwear was a bearskin cap that looks like a Russian fur hat without flaps.
Ancient, upper-class Egyptians cover their heads with headdress to keep them cool. In Mesopotamia, people wore conical hats or those that resemble an inverted vase.
During the Middle Ages, hats denoted social status. In the late 16th century, women had structured hats like those of male courtiers.
A wide range of hats were designed during the 19th century. Women often wore bonnets, but eventually, it became larger, decorated with flowers, ribbon, feathers, and gauze trimmings. By the years pass by, more exotic and outrageous designs were made with women’s headwear.
In Britain, the tradition of wearing hats to horse racing events began at the Royal Ascot’s Royal Enclosure. The British Royalty are known for their hat-wearing traditions. Weddings in Britain also required all visitors to wear hats. This headpiece was at the height of fashion relevance during the Regency era.
In the Western world, the beret hat has been worn by both sexes of all ages since the 1920s. It was adopted as part of the US Girl Scouts’ uniform in 1936 but was replaced with the visor baseball cap in 1994.
