Top Tips on What to Wear with a Statement Bag

Last week, Tom and I went on a lunch date. The weather had been very warm (about 25°c, or 75°F), so I wanted to wear something bright.  It had been at least 6-8 months since I’d worn this Kate Spade handbag, but I recently ordered this cute little pom pom in hot pink and it matched this perfectly.  The pom pom really made the bag look so much more chic & elevated the look.  Plus, I’m obsessed with pom poms right now.  They’re soft and so much fun.  I wanted the purse to be the statement accessory, so kept everything simple.

Styling around a piece of accessory can be a lot of fun, especially when you want it to be the statement piece.  If you often have a neutral color palette or find bright pieces intimidating, you’re not alone.  Lots of people love to wear neutrals, but adding color and new textures to your wardrobe can be very exciting and refreshing. 

Here are my Top Tips on How to Dress and Wear a Statement Bag

1) Keep Your Outfit Simple

When you have a fantastic accessory, you really want your attention to be on that special item.  Keep everything else you wear simple.  When you wear other items with a lot of detail, it starts to clash, as though it were fighting for attention with the statement accessory and can look like you’re trying too hard. Plus, a sleek and simple look is very classic and no one ever complains that a classy chick with an outstanding accessory is dressed poorly.  You can be a beautiful and simple little black dress or even a great-fitting pair of jeans with a nice button up dress shirt.

2) Avoid Overdoing It with Patterns and Textures

Pairing a great accessory with a classic pattern is a great choice when you’re only sticking to wearing only one or two. For example, a well-fitting full length shirt dress that has a box or window pattern all over can be really chic! Wearing a plaid shirt under a polka dot blazer and pairing this with a box-pattern pant and floral shoes looks too busy if you don’t have a good understanding of making all of those proportions work in your favor.

Another thing to avoid is layering items that have intricate detail (like lots of sequins over feathers and fur) or mixing too many textures (like metallic brocades, knits, lace and wool) at once. It can be overwhelming and too busy to the eye causing the statement accessory to get lost in the mix.

3) Dress In Neutrals or Within the Same Color Palette

When you have a great accessory like a handbag with a pop of color as I have done here, a simple, fail-proof way to make your handbag pop is to work within the same color family or in complementary tones.  For example, here I am wearing a hot pink bag.  I chose to wear blush heels because it’s still pink, but it’s toned down and simple, so it still looks intentional, but doesn’t fight for your intention.  The shoes don’t steal the show.  You can also wear neutrals, like white, black or beige.  Keeping a neutral color palette or toning down within the same color palette works to your advantage and comes out looking very chic.  I also wore a white dress so that it would be a stark contrast to what I was wearing and it still makes the bag pop against my dress.

4) Look In A Full Length Mirror & Do One Last Check To See Your Full Outfit Before You Go Out.

Always look at your outfit before you leave the house.  If it looks too busy, take one piece away or trade it in for a more simplified, classic version.  A good way play with your outfit is to remove one piece of jewelry or to try a different accessory to see if it elevates your entire outfit.  Sometimes changing from a statement shoe for a simple set of pumps or sneakers can actually add to your look.

What are some of your style rules?  Do you have any favorite statement accessories in your closet? Or, are there any that you really want to buy this season?  If so, I’d love to hear.

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Outfit: Shoes by Emporio Armani. Hand bag by Kate Spade. Dress by Forever21

Photo credits to Rise Again BJJ