by Katie Hinderer

Created on: December 19, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Accessories are as essential to your overall look and appearance as the clothing you are wearing on a particular day. The right necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings will complete any outfit and give you a greater sense of wholeness.

While every type of accessory cannot (and should not!) be worn all at once, it is essential to don at least two of these essentials at any one time. Three together can work for some outfits - any more than that tends to be overkill.

Here are the essentials to have on hand to complete nearly every outfit in your closet.

1. Something for your neck. This means either a necklace or scarf. These days scarfs are so popular it is a safe bet to go with one of these. If you are unsure about the colors stick with a basic like black or white. Those will go with nearly everything. If a scarf is too much (as they tend to add a lot of bulk and are not usually as formal as you might need) go with a necklace. A short string of pearls is classic or a long strand in silver or gold works really well. If you are picking between silver and gold, buy the one that you tend to wear the most and the one that will match with the majority of your clothing. (blacks/blues/magentas - go with silver, browns/greens/yellows - go with gold)

2. Something for your wrist. This can be a decorative watch, a slue of thin bangles, a delicate string of diamonds or a thick chunky bangles. Again when picking colors stick with neutrals that will coordinate with most of your wardrobe. (black, white, brown, silver or gold.)

3. Something for your ears. Whether you have pierced ears or not, something hanging from your ears draws other's eyes back to your face and shows off what is inevitably our best feature (our eyes and smiles). Simple silver or gold hoops are a great basic. If you aren't a hoop girl try pearl or diamond studs. Even if they are little the time you take to put them in shows others that you care about your overall appearance, but you don't need to stress hours over what to wear.

4. Something for your waist. Belts, an obi sash, or scarf worn as a belt are now considered accessory musts to most outfits. Long gone are the days when a belt was used to hold pants at the waist. Now they are used to create the illusion of different waistlines and to cinch coats, sweaters and jackets together. One thick and one thin black or brown belt is a good bet to have on hand. Those will compliment most everything in your collection. Try belting things you wouldn't normally considered belt-able, like a sweater dress, button-down woven, or open cardigan.

5. Something for your fingers. A ring, or a couple rings can also add a little something to any outfit. This is also an area to let your personal flare really shine. Go for a big bulky ring or a thin band with small rhinestone. It's your call. Again, stick with the colors you tend to wear most.

As mentioned above, these five items are great basics to have in your wardrobe but wearing all of these together can often be overwhelming. Your accessories will end up silently fighting for recognition and downplaying the overall effect. For example, if you are in a dark gray sweater dress wearing silver hoop earrings, a long silver necklace, a black belt, silver bangles and a chunky black and silver ring, it all matches but it is too much to take in. Try to pick two or three of these five to focus on. The sweater dress would look great with silver hoop earrings, the black chunky belt and the funky ring.

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