Want to stand out in the fashionable crowd? Try a little sparkle or some metal hardware. Maybe a touch of lace. Even a splash of neon color or a bold print will do. This season, embellishments are a way to kick an outfit up a notch.
“I think those little embellishments really make or break your clothing,” said junior psychology major Meghan Riordan. “And I think they can really transform an outfit.”
There are eye-catching embellishments for any article of clothing, and they each have a time and place to be worn to get maximum fashion exposure.
“It kind of adds a little something so that it’s not just a solid color and so everyone is not wearing the same thing,” said freshman theatre major Hillary Templeton. “It adds a little bit of uniqueness to what you’re wearing.”
Start The Party With Sequins
Sequins are synonymous with glamour and glitz. When planning a night out on the town, adding a touch of sequins to the outfit makes it ready for all venues of nightlife.
They are weapons of flashy fashion that should always be wielded wisely. Be wary of over-doing this embellishment, because too many glitzy sequins can transform a party outfit from bringing a sparkle to an admirer’s eye to being an eyesore.
“Sequins definitely dress up, definitely say, ‘I want to be seen, I want to go out, I want to have fun!’” commented Riordan.
Glamour’s style blog, “Slaves To Fashion,” recommends using sequins as accessories, such as a sparkly stiletto or glamorous clutch. Another tip: Try large and in charge sequin shapes over the standard size.
Be Luscious or Lovely in Lace
This trendy embellishment goes both ways. It can be seductive if used as the material for an entire shirt or mini-dress, or refined as a trim on a blouse or pencil skirt. Lace is versatile and always undeniably feminine.
“It adds more character and it sort of adds a little bit more of a sexy-feel to it,” explained Templeton.
In an Elle article, “The Look of Lace,” Sydney Wasserman states that lace, “the ultimate feminine fabric,” gives apparel a “shot of sophisticated sex appeal.” And a Glamour article, “The Dos and Don’ts of Lotsa Lace,” warns that lace can reveal too much or appear too out-dated if the pattern, color and use are all wrong.
No Longer Be Dull With Neon
“There’s no way to wear neon and not attract attention,” according to Anne Slowely in Elle‘s, “The Neon Look.”
The vibrant colors, when used in moderation, are a detail that can breathe life into an outfit. Used as a complimentary color in a print, the color of a single clothing piece in an outfit or a bold accessory, neon can transform a wardrobe from bland to bam!
However, multiple neon colors in a single outfit can take the subtle call for attention and turn in into an over-bearing rant.
“Sometimes I have mixed feelings about neons. Because sometimes I feel like they are just screaming in a very obnoxious way, depending on how people are wearing them,” said Riordan. “When boys wear clashing neon colors, I get very full of themselves vibes. Where as a girl that’s wearing a pink, neon bow or something cute like that is just trying to spice up an outfit.”
Show Yourself With Prints
Prints say a lot, and they can provide a preview of a woman’s attitude. Want to be wild and confident? Pull on an animal print. Desire to be bold? Geometric patterns are the style for you.
“I think it helps highlight your personality a little bit. I personally do not like wearing animal prints, but I like wearing a lot of floral stuff,” said Templeton. “Before people even get to know you, they kind of have an idea of who you are, like certain types of people wear animal prints or florals or polka dots or stripes.”
Prints also say what’s “in” this season. According to Elle’s “Spring 2011 Trend Report,” prints, especially primal prints from leopard to feathers, are what cruised down the runway and what will be in fashionistas’ closets.
Vogue selected their “10 Best Dressed” for the week of Feb. 14 based on the attention to detail – from sequin accents to neon pants. So why don’t you stand out as the best dressed girl in class or at the club with a little bit of embellishment?