In fashion, an accessory typically is a product used to further add to, in some way, to a person’s outfit. Accessories are most often selected to compliment the style and overall appearance of the wearer and further reflect an individuals unique persona and identity. These may include such items as shoes, jewelry, watches, belts, sunglasses and clothing. It may be said that accessories are the ” icing on the cake” when one views one’s wardrobe or outfit because they truly bring out the individual characteristics and best feature of a person as opposed to using the clothing for the purpose of covering up those characteristics.
As an example, a fashion accessory can be considered a pin if by its very nature, it was designed primarily to further the appearance of the neck and chin area. Such accessories would include nose rings, fake tusks, nose screws, eyebrow rings, lip rings, earrings and eyebrow pins. It would be considered acceptable and even fashionable for a lady to wear earrings and eyebrow pins, which are typically worn on the lower part of the face. On the other hand, there would be considered unacceptable and inadvisable behavior for a lady to wear nose rings, fake tusks, earrings or eyebrow rings which are worn on the upper part of the face.
An outfit or piece of clothing which has been designed and created with the sole intention of highlighting and accentuating a person’s unique features and attributes. A classic example would be ethnic and traditional jewelry worn by an individual who may be of Mediterranean decent. The jewelry would not be worn simply because of its aesthetic appearance but it would be worn for its cultural, religious or ethnic significance. Even in the twenty first century, certain individuals, cultural groups and societies still associate certain types of clothing and accessories with particular traits, history and meaning. Fashion accessories are often used in conjunction with specific outfits to enhance the overall appeal of the outfit.