With winter quarter in full swing, everyone seems to be busy hanging out with friends, pursuing interests outside of school, working to earn money, or procrastinating – I mean studying for midterms. Unfortunately, when everyone is so involved in their own things, it can be difficult to have the social life you want. Maybe you’re a first year who still hasn’t found a great group of friends yet, or perhaps you’re a third year just wanting to branch out to meet new people. Whatever the case, you should think about how you present yourself to people. If you want to make friends that share some common interests and traits with you, then you should dress in a way that most accurately represents who you are as a person. One of the best ways to do this is by accessorizing!
Accessories can be a powerful tool to show the world who you are. According to Dictionary.com, an “accessory” (noun) is: “An article or set of articles of dress, as gloves, earrings, or a scarf, that adds completeness, convenience, attractiveness, etc., to one’s basic outfit.” An accessory doesn’t have to be something that adds to the general aesthetic of your outfit (though that can be handy). Rather, it can be something adding to the usefulness of it! It can be anything ranging from gloves to scarves to jewelry to belts, shoes, hats, and bags! The main purpose of an accessory should be to finish an outfit (by making it more useful, “on point,” etc.) so that it properly showcases your overall personality.
Here’s some quick ways to accessorize based on the type of personality you want to convey:
Trendy
If you’re someone who is always on top of the newest band, juice cleanse, brand of clothing, animal rights movement, etc., then listen up! You’re a huge influence on others, so you have more leeway in the accessories you use. People look up to you for inspiration, and they’ll be super excited to see what new accessories you’re showing off. Maybe there’s a movement to preserve South American rainforests and if you buy a specific bracelet, a dollar of it will be donated to help the cause. Or there might be a great new band in town that happens to be selling pins with their logo on it. It is your job as a trend-setter to look out for these things and incorporate them into your style. Buy that bracelet for a good cause and pin that button on your bag to show your support! It will bring attention to the things you are passionate about, and will show others that you are someone who knows what’s going on. Others will turn to you for advice because your accessories show you’re informed and on top of things. Own your lifestyle!
Active
Just seeing that word “active” gets a smile on your face and pulls on your heart. You live to get outside and feel your lungs pumping and your heart beating in your chest. Maybe you play a sport, or maybe you just love being in the wilderness and going on adventures. A great way to show this is by wearing hats and running shoes. Hats imply that you spend a lot of time outdoors, needing to block the sun from your eyes, but being unable to wear sunglasses because they fall off when you move too much. Running shoes are a little more straightforward, but just the fact that you own them in the first place shows you’re serious about being active. Keeping a backpack with you (rather than a purse) is also a great indicator to other people that you’re someone who loves movement. You can even add some cool pins with quotes about running to your backpack (pins make the world go ‘round) and carry a water-bottle on the outside to push the image further. Don’t hesitate to switch up your accessories and move them around – it shows your mind is just as active as your body!
Creative
If you’re someone who regularly paints, sings, draws, plays an instrument, dances, films, constructs, molds, writes, builds, or even destroys, then this one is for you! Your mind is constantly creating something out of nothing – regardless of the process of creation. You dream in vivid colors and might be a little messy compared to other people. Luckily, this means you can get away with mixing-and-matching a wide variety of accessories to show your creative spirit! A starting point would be to focus on color; look for complementary tones, exciting patterns, anything that inspires you artistically. With your (literally) bright mind, you probably have an eye for aesthetic, and with this gift, you can use accessories for no reason other than that they look appealing to the human eye. For example, nail polish has no added benefit other than making your fingers look pretty. Utilize cool shapes, colors , and textures when building an outfit. Think of your outfit as you would any other piece of art you would normally create. Let your sense of style show off your artistic ability!
Classy/Sophisticated
You’re the kind of person that enjoys fine wine on the weekends and listens to Adele on a regular basis. You probably have a nice amount of spending money, which means your accessories can reflect your luxurious tastes. Something as simple as a finely placed Gucci bracelet can earn you respect from people of wealth and power. This can help in situations like job interviews, or meeting your significant other’s rich parents. Another big part in showcasing your classy personality is to smell fancy. Perfume is a commonly overlooked form of accessory – albeit, an invisible one – and is to be utilized like any other. Brands like Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana can make you literally smell like money. People will either fall in love with you or envy you the minute you walk in the room, and that’s just how you like it. To be honest, you probably don’t even need advice on accessorizing, but it’s here if you want it.
Easy-Going
You’re always up for a good time and probably have a great sense of humor. You can vibe with any group and most likely have a lot of friends on Snapchat. Your personality is highly attractive to others, so you don’t need to do anything extreme with your accessories. Just your smile alone will win people over. Some things you can keep in mind, though, are socks and phone cases! Fun people usually have cool socks – it shows they’re up for anything and can also lounge about and chill for a bit. When it comes to phone cases, you should try to find cool patterns and colors that appeal to everyone. Even having a nice phone case can get you compliments from strangers that may one day turn into friends/fiancés/spouses. Before you know it, you’ll be married, on account of having a “really sick phone case.” You’re welcome.
Also, if you identify with more than one category, don’t be afraid to combine some of these techniques! Once you start with the basics, you can branch off on your own. Make your sense of style reflect your personality! Happy accessorizing!