As a stylist, it may surprise you to hear me say this, but if you’re feeling bored with your wardrobe, my first recommendation probably isn’t going to be more clothes.
In fact, if you still love the pieces you own, they fit well, and they reflect your personal style, I would argue that adding more clothing might be the least effective way to make your wardrobe feel interesting again.
What you may be missing is a different way of styling what you already have.
Think about the women whose style you admire. The ones who can wear a simple pair of trousers, a sweater, and a blazer, yet somehow look infinitely more interesting than everyone else in the room. Often, when you break down what they’re actually wearing, the clothing itself is relatively uncomplicated. It’s the way they’ve put it together that makes you look twice.
A sculptural cuff over the sleeve of a sweater. A pendant that gives an oversized blazer a sense of proportion. A silk scarf casually draped over a shoulder. None of these pieces is particularly complicated, but each introduces something the outfit didn’t have before.
This is one of the distinctions I make with clients: having a wardrobe full of beautiful clothes and knowing how to style those clothes are two entirely different things.
And while the former is often a matter of knowing what to buy, the latter is about understanding how the smallest details influence the entire composition of an outfit.
Accessories are particularly powerful because they allow us to change the personality of an outfit without changing its foundation. The same black dress can feel architectural and commanding with a sculptural gold cuff, feminine and sophisticated with a silk scarf, or modern and understated with a single pendant.
The dress hasn’t changed. The story you’re telling with it has.
Of course, the answer isn’t to add more accessories for the sake of adding more. In fact, the most compelling outfits often have one intentional point of interest rather than several competing for attention.
There are five accessory categories I return to again and again when styling my clients. And while you certainly don’t need a collection of ten in each category, having one or two pieces that genuinely reflect your personality can completely change the versatility of your wardrobe.
Here’s what I look for, how I use them, and why they work.
01. The Sculptural Brooch
Think of it as a styling tool, not simply a piece of jewelry.
For years, brooches were associated with a very specific kind of dressing. Beautiful, certainly, but perhaps a little too traditional for the modern wardrobe. Lately, I’ve been particularly drawn to the way they’re being reinterpreted through sculptural shapes, unexpected placements, and more architectural designs.
And while I love the personality they introduce, what interests me most is their ability to change the structure of a garment.
Consider a blazer you wear every week. On its own, it’s polished and predictable. Add an oversized, sculptural brooch to the lapel, and suddenly there’s a point of interest that gives the entire outfit a different perspective. The blazer hasn’t changed, but the way we experience it has.
Where I think brooches become particularly interesting, however, is when we stop treating them exclusively as decoration.
I’ll use one to gather the fabric of an oversized sweater at the waist, creating shape without the predictable front tuck. I’ll fasten one near the shoulder to change how a knit drapes across the body, or position one slightly off-center on a cardigan to make a familiar silhouette feel more considered.
These are the kinds of subtle styling decisions that can make an ordinary outfit look entirely different.
The goal isn’t to make the brooch the most noticeable thing you’re wearing. It’s to make the entire outfit feel more intentional because it’s there.
02. The Statement Pendant
The easiest way to introduce direction and proportion.
If I were recommending just one accessory to someone who feels her everyday outfits are becoming repetitive, a pendant necklace would be very high on my list.
Specifically, I love a substantial pendant suspended from a relatively delicate chain or cord. That contrast between the weight of the pendant and the simplicity of what holds it is what makes the piece feel modern rather than overly ornate.
But the real reason I use pendants so frequently has less to do with the jewelry itself and more to do with proportion.
When we get dressed, the eye naturally looks for points of interest. Without them, an outfit can sometimes feel like one uninterrupted block of fabric, particularly when we’re working with oversized silhouettes, monochromatic dressing, or high necklines.
A pendant gives the eye somewhere to land.
Take an oversized blazer layered over a simple top. The blazer introduces width and structure, but a pendant worn at the right length creates a vertical line through the center of the body. It can help balance that volume and bring definition to an otherwise relaxed silhouette.
The same pendant can be shortened to sit just below the neckline of a dress, introducing interest without competing with the garment’s shape. Or worn long over a fine-gauge sweater, where the contrast between the smooth knit and sculptural jewelry creates just enough dimension.
And perhaps my favorite use is the simplest: a great pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, and a pendant that makes the whole thing feel like an outfit rather than something you threw on to run errands.
03. The Architectural Cuff
An unexpected way to introduce dimension, especially in fall and winter.
Of all the accessories on this list, cuffs might be the one I find myself reaching for most often when styling fall and winter wardrobes.
There’s something incredibly sophisticated about a substantial cuff worn over the sleeve of a sweater, blazer, or long-sleeved dress. It feels a little unexpected, yet when done well, entirely natural.
And once again, there’s a reason it works.
Fall and winter dressing tends to introduce more fabric, heavier textures, and longer silhouettes. We have beautiful layers, but sometimes all that material can leave an outfit feeling visually heavy.
A cuff introduces a deliberate interruption.
Imagine a fine black turtleneck tucked into tailored trousers. Beautiful, but relatively simple. Add a wide gold cuff over one sleeve, and suddenly there’s contrast between the softness of the knit and the rigidity of the metal.
That tension is what makes the outfit interesting.
I particularly love cuffs over the sleeves of long-sleeved dresses, where they create a focal point without interrupting the neckline. They can also work beautifully over a slim sweater layered beneath a blazer, with the cuff positioned near the wrist so it becomes visible as you move.
And yes, they can be functional, too. A well-fitting cuff can help keep a pushed-up sleeve in place, creating that relaxed, slightly undone effect that so many women love but struggle to replicate.
And don’t feel compelled to wear one on each wrist. Sometimes the asymmetry of a single cuff is precisely what makes the styling feel interesting.
04. The Unexpected Scarf
The piece that introduces movement, softness, and a little personality.
Scarves are hardly a new accessory, but the way we’re wearing them continues to evolve, and I’m particularly interested in the return of smaller triangular silhouettes and casually draped styles.
What I love about scarves is their ability to introduce something that structured wardrobes often lack: movement.
Many of my clients gravitate toward beautiful tailoring, refined knitwear, and relatively classic silhouettes. These are wonderful foundations, but when every piece in an outfit is structured and predictable, the overall effect can sometimes feel a little too controlled.
A scarf can soften that precision.
Think of a triangular scarf draped across the shoulders of a blazer, with one end falling slightly longer than the other. The asymmetry introduces movement and makes an otherwise tailored outfit feel more relaxed.
Or a silk scarf tied loosely at the neck of a simple T-shirt, adding a little color and pattern without requiring an entirely different outfit.
I also love using scarves to introduce color into wardrobes built primarily around neutrals. A burgundy scarf against chocolate brown, a muted blue against charcoal, or a patterned silk scarf that pulls together several colors already present in an outfit can create a sense of depth without feeling overly coordinated.
This is where I often encourage clients to move beyond the instinct to match everything perfectly.
The most interesting color combinations aren’t always identical. They’re related.
A scarf doesn’t need to match your handbag or shoes. It simply needs to feel like it belongs in the same conversation as the rest of your outfit.
And when you don’t want to wear it, tie it loosely around the handle of your everyday work bag. It’s an easy way to introduce a little personality to an accessory you carry almost every day.
05. The Chunky Earring
For the outfits that need a finishing touch, but not another layer.
Hear me out on this one, because I know substantial earrings can be polarizing.
If you’re accustomed to wearing delicate studs or small hoops, the idea of a larger, sculptural earring might feel like too much. But I would argue that there are certain outfits where a statement earring is actually the most restrained choice.
Consider a beautifully tailored blazer worn over a high-neck top. Or a structured work dress with an interesting neckline. Perhaps a chunky turtleneck with a strong shoulder.
These outfits already have a lot happening around the neck and upper body. Adding a necklace can sometimes compete with the garment rather than complement it.
An earring solves that problem.
It introduces a point of interest near the face without interrupting the lines of the clothing. It can bring lightness to a dark outfit, balance a strong shoulder, or simply give a familiar silhouette a little more personality.
I particularly love sculptural gold or silver earrings with relatively simple clothing. An oversized dome, an organic shape, or an architectural drop can make a basic black dress feel incredibly sophisticated without requiring much else.
And while they’re certainly appropriate for evening, I think they’re just as compelling during the day.
A simple cashmere sweater, tailored trousers, and a pair of substantial earrings can feel polished enough for a client meeting while still having that subtle element of individuality.
The Real Secret Is Knowing When to Stop
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s that great personal style isn’t necessarily about having more interesting clothes. It’s about knowing how to make the clothes you already love feel interesting.
Accessories are one of the simplest ways to do that. But there’s an important distinction between adding personality and adding noise.
When I’m styling a client, I’m not looking at an outfit and asking how many accessories I can incorporate. I’m looking at the composition and asking what’s missing.
Does the outfit need structure? Perhaps a sculptural brooch or cuff.
Does it need proportion or a stronger vertical line? A pendant might be the answer.
Does it feel a little too rigid or predictable? A scarf can introduce movement and softness.
Is the neckline already doing enough, but the look still feels unfinished? That’s where a great earring comes in.
And sometimes, the answer is nothing at all.
The secret isn’t knowing how to wear all five. It’s understanding what each one contributes, so you can decide when to use it.
This is how personal style becomes intuitive. You begin to recognize why certain combinations work, how different shapes and textures interact, and which details feel authentic to you.
You stop trying to replicate an outfit exactly as you saw it on someone else and start understanding what made you admire it in the first place.
Maybe it was the contrast between a masculine blazer and feminine jewelry. Maybe it was the unexpected color combination, the asymmetry of a scarf, or the way a sculptural accessory transformed an otherwise simple silhouette.
Once you can identify that element, you can interpret it through your own wardrobe, your own proportions, and your own personality.
And that’s when getting dressed becomes a lot more interesting.
Because the goal was never to look like someone else.
It was to understand your own style well enough that even the simplest outfit feels unmistakably like you.
xx,
