Today I’m going to show you so that can get more out of the clothes you own.

SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes and 8.5 to 9 in shoes.

Two Ways Accessories Can Make a Difference in Your Outfits

First, have you heard the saying that accessories can make or break your outfits? It’s 1,000% true. And as we start, I first want to talk about two main ways accessories can impact your outfits.

1. Accessories Can Make an Outfit Look Finished

On a basic level, accessories can pull together your outfits, period. They add finishing touches to your outfits that pull your looks over the line from “fine” to pulled together and polished.

Take a look at this side-by-side example. The outfit on the left is okay on its own, but it doesn’t look finished. On the right, we added some VERY SIMPLE accessories, which suddenly makes the outfit feel complete, intentional, polished, and pulled together. All that from some tiny accessories? YES!

Think of accessories like adding a bow to a wrapped present. The present is already wrapped, but that finishing touch makes it look just that — finished! And more polished! And extra special.

I’ve talked more about this in my Plain to Polished post on using accessories to pull outfits together, if you want to see more examples.

Shop the Outfit:
Top (similar)
Pants (wearing size 4)
Necklace (Get 20% off w/ code TAKE20)

2. Accessories Can Change the Whole Feel of an Outfit

Now we move to level two. Besides making an outfit look finished, you can really play with accessories and utilize them to change the overall vibe of an outfit.

This is where you get even more mileage out of your pieces, because you can make the exact same t-shirt and jeans look different by switching out the accessories!

For instance, in the first outfit, I’m wearing simple accessories. The outfit looks finished and pulled together. But in the second outfit, I added a silk scarf, which changes the overall vibe of the outfit.

You can make subtle changes, like I did here, or you can use accessories to change the look of your outfits in more significant ways. Let’s look at more examples!

Shop the Outfits:
Tee (wearing size S)
Jeans (wearing size 6)
Sweater (similar)
Scarf
Necklace (Get 20% off w/ code TAKE20)
Earrings (wearing size 30mm)
Flats (wearing size 9)

How to Make the Same Jeans and White Tee Look Different With Accessories

Let’s start with a super simple outfit: a white sweater and jeans.

We’re going to keep these two pieces EXACTLY the same and see how much we can change the outfit just by switching out the accessories!

Shop: Sweater | Jeans (so comfy; I wear size 28)

Outfit 1: Warm Colors and Earthy Details

For our first outfit, let’s add some brown flats, a textured brown bag, and a colorful beaded necklace.

The warm browns, textures, and colorful beads give this outfit a more earthy, relaxed, bohemian vibe. It feels a little more laid-back and artsy than the plain jeans and tee we started with.

Outfit 2: Softer Colors and Delicate Details

Now let’s take the exact same jeans and white tee and swap out the accessories. This time, we’re adding cream loafers, a blush-colored bag, pearl jewelry, and a silky scarf.

Instead of earthy and bohemian, this one feels more delicate, softer, and romantic, even though we haven’t changed the sweater or jeans at all.

Same basic outfit but a totally different look. Fun, right?

Outfit 3: Sharper Accessories

Okay, let’s change things up again! This time we’re going with a black bag and sharper jewelry with more geometric shapes — a contrast to the delicate pearls and lighter colors we just used.

The black creates more contrast, and the bolder accessories give the outfit an edgier vibe. Just with different accessories!

Outfit 4: Playful Accents

For our last outfit, let’s make it fun! We’re adding red sneakers, a red bag, a cherry-print scarf, and earrings with a cute heart accent, all of which make the outfit feel playful and more whimsical.

Same jeans and same white sweater, but a much different vibe.

See How Accessories Can Change an Outfit?

We just took ONE white sweater and ONE pair of jeans and created four completely different looks! We didn’t have to change the actual clothes to get those different looks. Isn’t that cool?

Accessories can make or break your outfit. On a basic level, they finish off your outfit and pull it together. And, for some next-level fun, accessories can actually DEFINE your outfit and completely change the vibe, giving you fresh outfits with your same old clothes!

How to Build an Accessory Collection That Works for You

Now that you’ve seen how much accessories can do, let’s talk about what accessories you should actually have.

I think it’s helpful to think about accessories in TWO groups:

First, you have your everyday go-to accessories that help you finish your outfits.

Then, if you want to have more fun changing up the feel of your outfits, you can expand into statement accessories with different colors, shapes, textures, and details.

Start Here: Everyday Accessories to Finish Your Outfits

If you don’t already have a few accessories you love wearing, start here. These are the pieces that you can throw on with lots of your outfits to make them look more finished and pulled together.

You want some GO-TO accessories that work for pretty much EVERYTHING. These are for days when you don’t have time to be creative and just need those pieces you can throw on and finish off your outfit.

So, for a starter kit of go-to pieces, make sure to have:

Some pieces can serve multiple purposes, like a necklace that works for everyday, athleisure, work, and dressy things. In fact, those are even better!

But, whether it’s a single multi-purpose piece or ones for different occasions, you want to make sure you have 1-2 go-to pieces for every lifestyle you need to dress for. This ensures you’ll have SOMETHING that works when you just need to finish off an outfit and head out the door.

My personal list of go-to’s is:

Wearing two of my go-to items, the black necklace and white necklace from Electric Picks. (Use code TAKE20 for 20% off!)

Shop My Go-To’s:

Expand Your Collection: Accessories to Change Up Your Looks

Now, if you already have your everyday accessories covered and want to get more creative with your outfits, THIS is where you can have some fun! Think about adding accessories that give you different options for how your outfits look and feel.

For example:

• Statement earrings or necklaces: Try different sizes, shapes, colors, and materials. A chunky necklace can give an outfit a completely different feel than a delicate one does!
• Colorful or printed scarves: Such an easy way to add color, pattern, or a different vibe to an outfit.
• Headbands and hair accessories: These can add a fun, pretty, or polished detail.
• Interesting belts: Different buckles, colors, and textures can change the look of jeans, pants, and dresses.
• Different handbags: A structured black bag feels different from a soft, colorful one. And both can be worn with tons of outfits!
• Different shoe styles: Sneakers, loafers, flats, and other shoes can completely change the direction of an outfit.

You definitely don’t need ALL of these. But if you want to get more variety out of the clothes you already own, adding a few accessories that are different from your usual go-to pieces can give you more options.

And remember: You can use that ONE new accessory with SO many different outfits!

Now it’s your turn!

Now it’s your turn! Pick a basic outfit from your closet and see how different you can make it look just by changing the shoes, jewelry, handbag, or other accessories. And if you want to take it even further, try adding a jacket or another layer!

Or, if you need a few new accessories, build your Accessory Starter Kit or expand to some statement pieces!

Want an extra boost to get the most out of your wardrobe?

If you want more help learning how to put outfits together and make the most of your wardrobe, I’d love to have you in the PMT Style Club!

We go deeper into styling techniques like this, with practical lessons and examples to help you put what you’re learning into action.

And, you’ll be part of an active community of women who love utilizing their wardrobes, so you’ll stay motivated and feel your confidence grow.

Enrollment is currently closed but will be opening again NEXT WEEK! Get on the waitlist to make sure

Get Dressed Easily & Feel More Pulled Together This Fall!

100 Fall Outfits Already Planned for You

If you’re ready for fall clothes but aren’t quite sure what to wear this season, I’ve gotcha! The new Fall Wardrobe & Outfit Guide gives you a plan for a versatile fall wardrobe plus TONS of outfit ideas to help you get dressed more easily and feel pulled together.

In the guide, I also include some of the the season’s current colors and trends to help your wardrobe feel fresh and modern without having to chase every trend or buy a whole new wardrobe. You’ll get the wardrobe plan, a bonus extended Shopping Guide, an Outfit Catalog with 100 outfits already put together for you, and an Outfit Calendar with 6 weeks of outfits planned, so you really don’t have to think about what to wear.

Instead of buying pieces and then having to figure out how to wear them, you’ll be able to see exactly how the pieces work together and have outfit ideas ready whenever you need them.

It can help you:

• build a more versatile fall wardrobe
• figure out which pieces are worth adding to your closet
• make more outfits from fewer pieces
• spend less time wondering what to wear
• have outfit ideas at your fingertips all season

You can copy the wardrobe closely, use similar pieces you already own, or simply use the outfits as inspiration.

The goal is to make your wardrobe—and getting dressed—EASIER.

➡️Get the Fall 2026 Wardrobe & Outfit Guide + 100 outfits here