Accessorising The Simple Outfit

Hello lovelies,

I hope you have been keeping well and stress-free. Fall in Nova Scotia lasted about five minutes, and we got a little bit of snow about two weeks ago (Jesus take the wheel) so that should tell you how I’m doing.

These past two summers, I built up a little collection of accessories that I am ABSOLUTELY in love with, and I want to share them with you! A special feature is that all of these accessories are straight from the Motherland and are mostly hand-made. Our people are so full of talent.

I personally am not one for multiple accessories, particularly items such as watches, rings, or big earrings. I tend to wear these on occasion as I find that putting them on and taking them off again at the end of the day can be a bit of a hastle (to be quite frank, I’d rather spend that time and energy styling my hair lol).

Accessories basically serve the purpose of glamming up a somewhat dull/plain outfit. Essentially, anything you add to an outfit to make it more attractive can be considered an accessory. There’s always a thin-line though, between adding just enough and over-doing it, and it’s really important to find that balance. I wore a simple grey maxi-dress with an open, strappy back for this look, and used different accessory pieces to accentuate various parts of my outfit.

On hot summer days, I love to whip out a floppy hat that will not only shield me from the sun, but also give me that extra pinch of style! My favourite floppy hats out of the few that I own are in the colours black and beige, definitively versatile and blendable colours to work with. I love how the strap around the parameter of the black hat gives it a little more personality, making it an easy match for this dress!

I added a beady necklace and a brown bracelet to match and bring out the earthy tones of the beige hat. It was a subtle touch which, I feel, made a noticeable difference.

My next accessory, believe it or not, is this pair of vibrant sandals I wore with my maxi dress (yes, your shoes can be accessories too!). These sandals are an absolute must-have, especially if you live in or even visit mama Africa. They are crafty, comfortable, and add an effortless pop of colour to any look! They also come in so many different shapes and colours – how can you even resist? Just thank me later.

The whipped topping on the pie is THIS CLUTCH PURSE. Y’all!!! I am living for every single bit of it – the carefully sewn blocks and meticulously placed beadwork on the beautiful canvas of contrasting shades of dark and light brown material (screams). This scintillating piece is from Botswana and is an absolute banger which will match pretty much anything in my wardrobe. I think you can tell just how excited it makes me.

The purse wrapped the entire look up in one perfect bow and I was ready to go about my day. Each of these accessories is dazzling enough to be worn one at a time on its own, but certainly when I’m feeling glam nothing will stop me from wearing them all at the same time! Which of these accessories is your favourite? What kinds of accessories do you incorporate in your daily outfits? I hope you enjoyed this post; let me know your thoughts in the comments! xo

(Photos courtesy of Norah Quirk)