10 Tips To Ensure Your Jewelry Compliments Your Clothing!

I want you to look your best when you leave the house. Wearing jewelry and clothing that compliment each other is a fantastic way to bring out your natural beauty and accentuate your strongest features. This is a double-edged sword though, and if done poorly you'll end up drawing attention to the wrong places or just completely overwhelming whoever is looking at your outfit.

Jewelry that compliments your clothing is an art that plenty of beauty gurus have mastered, but one stroll through my little town tell that tale that what works and what doesn't isn't exactly common knowledge. Some of these fashion do's and don'ts can be explained fairly logically while others I can't but my finger on... But trust me, these are 10 tips that you should heed to avoid a fashion faux pa.

I. Match The Occasion

Make sure to consider where you're going, what you'll be doing, and how the jewelry comes off to onlookers. If you're headed to work in a slinky cocktail dress and bangles you're going to get some strange looks. If you head off to church in a chunky sweater and layered necklaces? You might get away with it depending on the level of formality at your church or whatever other gathering. The only one who really knows what the occasion calls for is you, so just give it some thought.

II. Change It Up!

People will notice if you're wearing the same pair of earring day after day. Keep your  style fresh by mixing up jewelry as often as you change clothes. I definitely understand that everyone has a favorite pair of earring or necklaces, and you can certainly stack your rotation toward those favored pieces but don't let sentimentality cause your jewelry to not compliment your clothing. On top of keeping your look fresh, changing jewelry daily is so much fun!

III. Know When To Stop

Too much can definitely be too much. If you're trying to draw attention to your face and neckline with layered necklaces then you probably don't want to have a set of bangles competing with it. Even if you have gorgeous hands and wrists in addition to a graceful neckline, you'll need to pick one or the other and know when to stop. Coco Chanel once said "Before you leave the house, take a look in the mirror and remove one accessory."

IV. Keep It Clean

Dirty or tarnished jewelry is probably the biggest fashion faux pa of all! No matter how well you coordinate your jewelry and clothing if it isn't clean then all that effort will be for nothing! Try out an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to get all of your items cleaned in one fell swoop. Alternatively, softer or more porous gems or antique jewelry might be safer being hand-cleaned with out gentle jewelry cleaner kit. Make sure your coordination is complete with clean, sparkling jewelry.

V. Compliment Your Skin Tone

People who are great at accessorizing these days know how to highlight their skin tones with their jewelry. Silver is a standard metal that illuminates most natural tones. Cooler skin tones go well with gems that are red, purple and blue. Warmer skin tones pair nicely with yellow, orange and green gemstones in addition to yellow metals.

VI. Mixing Metals Isn't Taboo Anymore

Once upon a time it was seen as a big fashion no-no to mix differently colored metals. Luckily that is no longer the case! That's good new for me because I'm extremely indecisive. Now I don't need to make a choice because I can choose all of the metals!

VII. Opposites Attract

Mixing warm jewelry with cool colors and vice-versa are sure to catch some eyes. A ruby paired with royal blue clothing creates a striking look. Looking at a color wheel, we can see that colors don't just blend one way. A sapphire necklace in a crimson dress can create an equally fantastic look.

VIII. Pearls and Sea-Colors

For the mermaids at heart, I love to see people dressed in ocean colors with pearl pendants. Whether you're a fan of the deepest blue or a nice seafoam green, a pearl is the perfect gem to go with these sea-colors. There is a subconscious connection that makes these two things just click. You can also do some other interesting combinations like summer colors with a sun pendant.

IX. Gold, Black, and White

My favorite color combination. These three colors can be paired every which way to create powerful statement pieces and draw onlooker's eyes to exactly where you want them. Art deco stylings might seem a bit pretentious to some, but there are places where it fits perfectly. Headed to a fancy gala? Black cocktail dress with some gold jewelry wherever you'd like to hold attention is amazingly effective.

X. Pick A Focal Point!

Probably the most important of our 10 tips for coordinating jewelry and clothing is to have a focal point in mind. Using all of these tips in conjunction can lead to a laser focus on whatever you choose. I prefer to keep eyes on my face and cheekbones so my most utilized tool is drop earrings, but if you've got a lovely neckline then a nice necklace could quickly become your best friend.