Take a dress, any dress, add to it the perfect necklace and you’ve created a front-cover look. Need to make a statement about how over him you are? Strategically place just the right ring and your message has been sent. The right, aptly placed accessory can make you sophisticated, breezy, “oh, I just threw this on” sensational. Accessories change any clothes for a fraction of the cost of a whole new outfit. They can dress you up. Dress you down. Create your signature style. Here’s how.

Perhaps the hottest accessory of the day is the scarf. Scrunched, wrapped, and paired with anything from a halter top in summer to the woolen coats that fight the chill of snow, scarves have taken their place as the queen of all things accoutrement. A scarf gives just about any old outfit a finished, I-wore-this-on-purpose look. It’s comfy and the fashion equivalent to curling up under a blanket on a rainy day.

Rings always make a decisive statement. The bigger and louder, the more coolness and self-confidence they express. Thin bands and petite settings show reserve and poise. Thumb rings put across a fashion edge. The trendiest place to wrap a band these days is the pointer finger. Some say Jennifer Aniston made this the finger of the hour. She’s appeared everywhere this year wearing all shapes and sizes on her left pointer.

Necklaces are perhaps the most varied of our accessory wardrobe and they are certainly the most capable of changing a look. What’s in now is the layered look. To go a little more glam, your shortest chain stops inches below the collar bone, the longest just above the belly button. Three is really the max – you aren’t auditioning for a remake of the A-Team, Mr. T. Add an air of ease by wearing a choker with a small pendant such as a single bead or tiny locket in the series of three necklaces.

Bracelets should only be worn if they announce your entrance into the room. Choose pieces that draw attention and guide your eyes. Stones, beads, cut-outs and texturizing are all ways to make bracelets special. One understated bracelet worn with a coordinating watch creates a notable signature style.

Wear accessories that compliment your lifestyle. For example, if you work with children, dangling jewelry isn’t appropriate for you.   You accessories should make you pop with style.

The absence of accessories makes a statement all its own. Attention is equally balanced between your clothing and your face when you go for a none-is-better look. This works best when your clothing has prominent shimmer, patterns and a continuous flow, such as you get with a long gown. These are the three things that accessories add to you look. If your clothing provides them you can go accessory-free and still look polished.

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