Fashion Accessories for Summer

Hot Enough For You? - "Accessorizing for Summer Fun"

Many women tell me they don't think much about fashion or style or even putting on makeup when the dog days of summer get under way. I can understand this sentiment. I live in Phoenix, and the day I wrote this article, the temperature reached 110 degrees. I stayed inside, of course.

Nevertheless, there are still plenty of opportunities to display your sense of style when the weather is hot. Since we aren't bulked up with layers and jackets and coats and such, our accessories take on added importance. And the three principal accessories are sandals, bags, and hats.

Summer Sandals

Summertime is sandal time, and for many of us, it's white sandal time. White sandals really do look splendid in many contexts, with white (or almost white) pants, from long slacks to short shorts. They're outstanding with white or almost white skirts and dresses. But white sandals do not go well with everything. Also, they can create focal points at the foot, ankle, and calf, which for many of us is the last thing we want to do.

Skin tones often work best where white would not. For instance, sandals in bone, tan, taupe, rose beige, red or golden brown, chocolate, etc., work well for almost everything. Brown is the most casual, and taupe the "dressiest" of the group. The fundamental feature of a sandal in your skin tone (or something close to it) is that it will not create interest at your feet if that's something you prefer to avoid.

For a "go with everything" hue, try matching your hair color as closely as possible. Those of us with dark hair usually benefit greatly from a dark accent with our light looks. Black and white looks are also rather fashionable these days, and if you have black hair, what could possibly replace black sandals? Cool blondes should seek out bone sandals, while warm blondes will look terrific in tan. Redheads look pulled together in red camel or ginger. Brunettes and brownettes look smart in chestnuts to charcoal browns. Light brown, honey tan, whatever -- your hair color is the can't-miss color for shoes of all kinds.

Now, summertime is fun time, too, so don't forget fun colors. If your feet, ankles and calves are some of your best features, this is your opportunity to highlight them with a lively pair of sandals. A bit of restraint is in order, however! Think through your summer wardrobe colors before you buy. You don't want a closet full of abandoned sandals at the end of the season, and you don't want to exhaust your entire summer wardrobe budget on sandals.

If you already have a large assortment of sandals in fashion hues from years gone by, consider having them dyed. For example, if you have a turquoise top or wear lots of turquoise jewelry, you can turn those old purple sandals into a fresh pair of turquoise sandals that will knock 'em dead. Or peridot, perhaps, which is big this summer, too. Peridot is one of those colors you can't wear just any time or anywhere, but won't you look smashing in peridot sandals dyed to harmonize with your peridot sundress? Try red sandals with dark jeans and red tops or bandannas, or pink sandals for a light look with easy-to-find pink tops -- the possibilities are endless. If you don't wear your fashion colors out this summer, you can have them dyed again next year.

For best results, I recommend having a professional do the dye job, but if you're feeling creative, you can spray dye them yourself. Just pick up an aerosol can of dye from your local shoe repair, and that orphan pair of sandals languishing in your closet can become a fashion statement for lunch money.

Summer Bags

For bags, the fashion notes this year are colors and embellishments. Pink is very big again, and flowers are everywhere to be found, and I mean everywhere.

The bags themselves are somewhat small right now. For those of you who can effortlessly carry a clutch between your upper arm and your rib cage, there is a multiplicity of strapless clutches available. Personally, I find it hard to relax or do much of anything else when I am carrying a tiny, have-to-hold-it bag on me. I prefer wristlets -- small clutch styles with over-the-wrist straps -- as a more functional alternative.

Fortunately, these petite bags have a backup -- the ever-popular summer-fun tote. These too are colorful and adorned with floral and other motifs. They're roomy conversation starters that are great for shopping, and you can toss your smaller clutch or wristlet inside so the two won't compete with each other.

Summer Hats

Hats are especially fashionable this summer. Everyone is concerned about excessive exposure to the sun, of course, and not just your skin but your hair can be damaged by it. True, a little sun bleaching with a tan can be very attractive, but letting the sun remove the tint from your salon 'do is another matter altogether. Not to mention that hair can get "sunburned" and dry out. Hats eliminate these worries, keep you cooler, and make a great cover-up for bad, windblown or pool-hair days.

For the greatest cooling effect, look for hats that are porous, lightweight, and preferably made of natural fiber(s). Lighter hues reflect more sunlight, and are cooler than darker hues.

On the fun side, hats truly are lots of fun. If you have never worn hats, this season is the perfect opportunity to give them a try, as you will find an abundance of styles and colors available now. If you don't find something to suit your style, and if you are the creative type, you can even make your own with pattern-making software available from LivingSoft. You can even create patterns for matching bags!

http://www.livingsoft.com/NewWeb/frame2.htm

By the way, it isn't only orphan sandals that can be dyed. Straw hats take spray shoe dye very well, too. If you have a outdated straw hat in your wardrobe, you can update it with a shot of an in-fashion hue. Pin a flower to it, or roll a flowered or tropical-print scarf into a hat band. You'll have a unique accent that's totally in fashion, for a lot less than the (at least) $50 you would pay in a boutique.

These are just a few ideas for summer accessorizing. As always, consider the basic rules for focal points, and you can have fun without overdoing it.

For example, if you choose a big, bright red hat, you have chosen your focal point for an outfit. It will dominate, and everything else must be subordinate to it and not compete with it. You can still wear red sandals, as they will repeat while still remaining subordinate. A big, bright red tote would be too much, but a tote with red accents could be just the right (subordinated) repetition.

If you are wearing a subdued color such as a soft pink, you can do a monochromatic look -- all pink from head to toe. You might get your focal point from a low-cut top and an intriguing pendant.

Think creatively about your accessories, and let yourself gravitate toward items that suit your personal style, whether you think they are "in" or not. Consider how you will wear them, what you will wear them with, and what the overall effects will be. Everything else is secondary.

Accessories often have their mundane functions; shoes protect our feet, hats shield us from the sun's rays, and bags permit us to carry our possessions more easily. As important as these things are, accessories also provide the lift that elevates an otherwise unremarkable outfit into something with the power to actually brighten your day. And as Betty Halbreich wrote in Secrets of a Fashion Therapist, "If you aren't enjoying your clothes, then you really are missing the point."

Carol Foster is a Style and Wardrobe consultant with more than twenty years in the industry. She is the editor of MyPersonalStyle.com and Fashionline. You can read more of her articles at: http://mypersonalstyle.com