Tips for Stylish Dressing: Using Texture to Create a Look

As a third part in our series of style guides on making bold accessories fit your personal style, we’re talking all about one thing that’s often overlooked when it comes to creating outfits: textures.

Texture is the icing on the cake that adds interest and contrast to an outfit. Once you have color and length figured out, texture is the final element to  create context for your ensemble so it all works together.

When you have a necklace that is chunky with a lot going on, it can easily be at odds with your outfit, even if the color palette is neutral and you’ve selected a complimentary neckline. If your outfit just feels off, thinking about the textures is a good place to start.

Sophisticated Outfits Focus on Textures

Striking a balance between textures is one of the things that makes an outfit look effortless and simply chic. Creating harmony and tension between textures allows your outfit to be more than just colors and shapes and gives it true depth.

Think about the dichotomy between soft and hard, polished and dull, flowing and structured. If everything is the same, what makes an outfit interesting? Textures.

Creating contrast with textures can make an otherwise simple outfit have a bit more depth and look more elegant. Many gemstone and pearl necklaces tend to be sleek, polished, and hard so adding opposites can elevate your look effortlessly.

Adding a bit of contrast with soft, flowing, textured fabrics add visual interest. Smaller burst of texture, like the above top, is an elegant way to incorporate a bit of contrast to an outfit that allows your personality to come through without feeling stuffy.

Pairing similar textures can also have an effect of creating elegance through cohesion. For bright, bold necklaces, matching textures can help to bring the accessory’s boldness down a notch and make it easier to wear.

If you’re more in love with a bohemian or casual look, adding natural fibers to your look can add breezy elegance that feels a bit more down to earth. Look towards necklaces made from materials like coral, wood, and textured and carved beads if you’re in love with linen, hemp, or bamboo clothing.

How to Incorporate Texture in Your Outfits

Textures can add both simplicity and complexity to an outfit, depending on how you decide to use it in your ensemble. Starting with either your clothing or your necklace and working to complete your look with the other usually makes it easier when it comes to textures.

Using this quick series of questions can help if you’re a bit lost when it comes to texture in your outfits:

• Do I want to use texture to be more dramatic? If so, go for contrasting textures.
• Do I want to be more casual or understated? If so, go for complementary textures.
• What is more important to my outfit, the accessory or the clothing? Choose one.
• What is the texture of that piece? Soft or hard, polished or dull, flowing or structured?
• For the other piece, what will be either complementary or contrasting?

As always, expressing your personal style is the most important part of wearing bold accessories. If you don’t care to think about texture, that’s your personal style making a statement! No matter what you decide to wear, it’ll always be 100% you.