The New Wave of Colors
Written by Claudia Rothberg
We have been conditioned to accept fashion as being simple, tasteful, and classy over the past few years. Dainty accessorizing has been featured, along with monochrome outfits and neutral colors. Over the past year, however, I have come to notice a shift towards more creative, bold accessories that make one's fashion stand out. Spicing up a simple tee shirt and jeans with chunky earrings and a colorful necklace can create a whole different look than an initially basic one. Here are three accessorizing fashion trends that I believe will continue to shape fashion.
Thinking of colorful jewelry may take you back to the 2010s, envisioning a time of Tumblr, Justin Bieber, and y2k. This decade doesn’t feel very minimalist, a style that many fashion trends idealize in our current day, and instead embraces the opposite. Despite the contrast, I believe that colorful jewelry can change the course of an outfit, adding spunk and chicness to a minimalist look. A great way to add color in a subtle way would be trying on a pair of dangly earrings with a colorful gem—simple, elegant, but fun. A ring with a large colorful stone or a bracelet with gems could also be a good choice for this route. For example, a gray tank top and dark blue jeans with a pair of red heart earrings and a red bracelet will instantly feel more interesting. If you want to venture more into the territories of lots of color, go for colorful hoop earrings, or a frayed colorful necklace. These choices will spice up a simple look, or tie together contradicting colors in an outfit.
Socks, a once mundane article of clothing, are actually a hidden secret and have been resurfacing as a fashion accessory. If you ask me, there is something so refreshing about socks, because they aren’t something that one has to work their courage up to wear. In fact, we all wear socks. In high fashion, socks are emerging in heels or bootswear specifically, as the lengthy sock peeks out of the top of the shoe.
In everyday outfits, a pair of striped tube socks could match with a streetwear outfit of jorts, a big tee shirt, and sneakers. For a more dressy outfit, try on a pair of ruffled socks with loafers or pumps, and it will do wonders for your outfit. “I know $8 seems like an excessive amount to spend on a pair of socks. Trust me I get it. But here’s the catch… you’d happily spend $8 on a hat, belt, pair of glasses, or scarf. And therein lies the issue: we don’t invest in our socks because we don’t see them as a worthy accessory capable of impacting our outfits. In actuality, a stripey, polka-dot, or even simple pair of pleated socks can take our outfits to a whole other level,” says Kaya Costom, a Northwestern student who incorporated socks into her daily outfits. And she is not wrong. The idea of spending good money on a “hidden” pair of clothing that could be bought in bulk for cheaper may scare one, but don’t shy away from the socks. Although not everyone may notice a fun sock, it shows up for the ones that do notice.
This season, dresses are getting a stylish upgrade with a simple accessory: belts. There is nothing more elegant than a mini dress with heeled boots, or a maxi dress with a casual scarf belt for a boho look. Not just for style, but also for practicality, belts can be worn to cinch a flowy dress and provide more shape to an outfit. A chunky belt with a metallic clasp can be grounding, and add more visual weight to create good proportions. Pairing a loose black maxi dress with a brown leather belt and boots turns a simple outfit into something more structured and sophisticated. Even a thin belt worn over a patterned dress can add definition without distracting from the pattern.
A colorful necklace, a pair of unexpected socks, or a belt over a dress may seem like small details, but can also change the whole feel of an outfit. Fashion is about looking at the clothes you own and styling them differently, rather than tossing out every pair of old or out of trend clothing. And as Kaya says “we are the issue, not our socks, so start putting your money where your feet are.” Instead of blending in by simplifying your outfits, make the small details stand out.
Edited by Logan Lloyd and Eryn Schoenebeck
