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Sunday, May 25, 2008

Expressive Accessories

I’ve compared my shoe collection to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and, at the risk of offending the psych majors, I think the analogy can be broadened to include all of one’s wardrobe. Self-actualization is in the accessories and I have quite a collection at my disposal.

How do I keep it all organized and make use of its full potential?

Necklaces. I’ve hung three key racks on the back door of one of my closets to handle the necklace accumulation. I aim to keep the finer chains and smaller pendants at the top and the chunkiest, longest pieces at the bottom. I use a few of the existing coat hooks to hang belts and bangles.


Earrings (and Brooches and Rings). I’ve always had a large earring collection. When I was younger, I kept each pair in its own mini, zip-top, plastic bag and housed the entire collection in a decorative tin. These days, there isn’t room for baggies. All my earrings, brooches, and rings are organized by color in a tackle box. I’ve placed the tackle box inside something a bit more decorative. Large pieces, watches, and some of my bracelets, are crammed into the space between the tackle box and the outer container. The color-coded organization doesn’t last longer than a few weeks as I dig through the sections, looking for something that has filtered to the bottom.



Scarves and Belts. Most of my scarves and belts are hung on the back of the door of the second closet. It’s kind of a mess. (Maybe this is why I don't wear many of my scarves.)

With so many options, it can be hard to find just the right jewelry, scarf, or belt to complete an outfit. When I plan my week’s outfits (on Saturday or Sunday), I also choose the accessories I’ll wear with it. I drape necklaces, scarves and belts around the hanger holding the outfit. Earrings and rings are stacked on and around this incense burner and saucer. (Also pictured below is the ten-day weather forecast. I print it on Fridays and use it to plan my ensembles.) The combination of organization and planning enables me to sort through this mountain of stuff and select the options that express my style best.



Edited 2/5/09: I've begun keeping a photo set of my accessories (jewelry, scarves, shoes, hats, etc) on flickr. Click to enjoy!

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:51 AM

    How do you keep your cats from playing with the earrings you have out on the dresser? Mine would never leave it alone.

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  2. are these your own photos? stunning!
    if so - I <3 your dresser!

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  3. Anonymous8:24 PM

    pretty face, i dont just love her dresser, i love her and her outfits and basically her entire existance that has made dressing up for uni more fun! thnaks kasmira =)

    angie~*

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  4. Where did you get the large flip top box holding the tackle box with jewelry?

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  5. Anonymous4:34 AM

    very pretty... i was just wondering... will it be to much to ask u to post random shots arnd ur house or is that too much of an invasion of privacy? ur dresser's pretty.. i'm just curious how people's houses around the world look... i wdnt mind if u said no tho. i know its not part of ur outfits =)

    angie~*

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  6. Anon #1 - I don't think the cats have discovered the earrings yet. They would definitely go bananas over the peacock feather earrings I have hooked into the lamp...if only they knew!

    pretty face - yes, I took these photos with my Nikon D40. I used the indoor setting and a tripod and the timer setting to take the photos without flash.

    shopdownlite - the big blue box is from Target.

    angie~* - I have some photos of my house organized into sets on my sadly neglected home and garden blog: cinticapecod.blogspot.com. Look in the right side bar, under Interior Photos.

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  7. Oh photo talk, my fav :)

    That is a very impressive collection you have there. Thanks for showing us. I wish I could be so organized!

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  8. Anonymous10:37 AM

    I am so inspired by your organization when it comes to planning your outfits. I always feel good if I throw a general idea together in my head the night before as I doze off to sleep. However, look at you with your 10-day forecast. I am going to print this post and put it by my closet as a constant reminder to be more of a planner! Awesome post - thanks!

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  9. Anonymous5:36 PM

    I do the same thing with my necklaces - I have a long belt rack that I screwed into the closet (I have a walk in closet)wall. Not only do I wear them more often since I have them out in the open, they're pretty to just look at hanging there!

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  10. Anonymous6:01 PM

    You have a delicious set of accessories. Love it! I was a psyche major once upon a time and I adore your accessory analogy.

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  11. GORGEOUS. I so love all the colors!

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