Accessorize Your Aura: A Guide to Choosing Accessories for Different Vibes

 

If you’re here, chances are you’re not necessarily looking for a straightforward style guide – what’s in this season, which brands have seized the spotlight, and what you should get your would-be fashionista loved ones for the holidays. You’re here because you understand a simple, but not often carefully-considered truth: that our style is a reflection of us, and carefully curated, can help project the image of who we want to be. 

Fashion is the lens through which we filter ourselves, through which we speak to the world and say “Here I am, and here’s what makes me, me.” For better or worse, the style we show to the world impacts how the world perceives us. It acts as a translator of our own inner language, our understanding of our “self-concept,” to people on the outside. Fashion is more than a hobby or an interest – it’s a type of power, and if you’re here, you’re not really sure how to channel it.

While there are guides out there that explore trends in jewelry, the “in” aesthetics this season, and the benefits of mixed metal accessories, our focus is a little different. This brief guide will teach you to leverage the psychology of color when selecting accessories, empowering you to project the aura or “vibe” you want others to pick up on.

Leveraging the Psychology of Color

When attempting to elicit a certain mood with your fashion choices, you’ll first want to understand the somewhat understated psychological effect of color. Color psychology is the study of how the colors we see affect how we think and feel – and knowing what kind of vibe you want to project, and which colors are associated with it, empowers you to select a style that evokes the desired feelings in those around you.

Here’s a short list of colors connected to their associated vibes:

• Blue – peace, tranquility, stress-free
• Green – growth, refreshment, harmony
• Violet – spirituality, vibrancy, thoughtfulness
• Red – passion, love, exuberance
• Orange – friendliness, optimism, brightness
• Yellow – joy, hope, intelligence

The effect of these colors is subconscious and subtle; yet, when styling a look around channeling a particular vibe, the colors you choose to style around can subtly slant viewers’ perception of you before you say a word.

Understanding Color Within Aesthetics

Creating a look that suits your vibe often requires you to mix elements of your chosen aesthetic with color psychology. While your chosen aesthetic may somewhat limit the colors available to you, you can still work within that aesthetic to incorporate subtle elements that project the proper vibe.

For example:

• If you’re going for more of a gothic aesthetic, try weaving in jewelry pieces that have blue and yellow accents.
• If you think cottagecore is more your style, incorporate timeless, vintage accessories. While yellows and greens are dominant colors in this aesthetic, we encourage you to try accessorizing with some red or orange elements as well!
• If you’re the kind of revolutionary who prefers anti-fashion, the whole wheel of color is at your disposal – so long as your accessories are unique. We recommend sprinkling in passion-centric colors like reds, oranges, and yellows. 
• Going for the VSCO look? Blues, violets, and even greens will be your best friend.

Aesthetics often have unspoken rules, boundaries that aren’t crossed within the world of fashion. Those rules mean nothing. You are free to experiment with your aesthetic however you wish; and several aesthetics, such as pastel goth and boho chic, wouldn’t exist without that experimentation. Experiment with colors within your chosen aesthetic, and you’ll be able to craft a look that is singularly “you.”

Choosing Accessories that Complement Your Aura

However, even when you’ve got your colors and your aesthetic selected, there’s a great deal more thought that goes into the accessories you choose. Even within those parameters, there are literally thousands of possible choices.

Questions such as which earrings best complement your look, whether to use mixed metals and fabrics, and what accessory will best suit a particular event are bound to come up – and might not have an easy answer. 

You’ll want to:

• Make sure you’ve got the correct measurements before purchasing new accessories. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending your hard-earned money on clothing that doesn’t fit right, or doesn’t look flattering enough when you take it home. Be sure to get accurate measurements, consider the manufacturers’ sizing guide, and try the accessory on before taking out your credit card. 
• Think about how the overall style of the accessory complements your look. Different accessories have details that will subtly affect the composition of your style. Experiment with different elements to find the outfit that most closely resembles “you.”
• Choose enough pieces to create a unified ensemble. Consider your outfit as a whole; does something feel out of place, and if so, what is it about it that you would change? If something doesn’t feel right, or doesn’t exude the vibe you want, don’t be afraid to look elsewhere.

It’s critical you take a granular look at each accessory – and then, once you’re sure you’re sending the message you want to send, zoom out and look at the outfit as a whole. With the right combination of aesthetics, color, and accessories, you’ll be well on your way to projecting the “you” that you want the world to see.

Photo: Freestocks/Unsplash