How I Express Myself Through Style — It's All in the Accessories

When it comes to clothes, I don't have an easy figure to fit. I'm curvy and short, so a lot of trends I want to wear, I either can't or I have to figure out a twist I can put on it to make it work. In the end, I usually fall back on mostly basic staple fashion pieces, which means my accessories are where I really let my personality out.

Because shopping for clothes is sometimes hard for me and because I don't always want to call attention to what I'm wearing, I have a lot of statement shoes, bags, and jewelry. My sneaker collection is large, to say the least, and includes a variety of colors and styles. I like to think of myself as a fun person, so I like when at least one piece of each outfit reflects that. It's why you can usually find me wearing a gorgeous sneaker with my basic jeans and tee.

But when I don't have a sneaker to match my mood or outfit, I reach for one of my (absolutely too many) handbags. I inherited my love of purses from my mom, who also finds most any excuse to purchase a new one. Going on vacation? New bag. Had a good day today? New bag. Just . . . felt like shopping? New bag! Needless to say, I also have plenty of purses to choose from, including one shaped like a pineapple, one aptly labeled "Brunch Fund," and one covered in pearls. I'm not much for subtlety with accessories.

If all else fails (of when I want to really layer on my statement accessories), I opt for a fun necklace. Necklaces are the jewelry I wear most often, aside from my grandma's wedding ring that I never take off. I love a neon choker or long, bold necklace with fun accents or colors. I rotate between the options depending on what I'm wearing — the neon chokers are my more casual options while the long necklaces are usually what I wear to dress up.

Whatever the outfit I'm wearing, I always add a statement accessory to show off my brighter side, especially to balance out the mostly black wardrobe I inevitably own as a New Yorker. Accessories are such an easy way to add some flair to any outfit, which gives me a great excuse to continue adding shoes, bags, and jewelry to my collection.