I was blessed with a mother who could take a scarf and a couple of cheap bangles and turn an inexpensive outfit into a fashion statement. It was a knack she acquired watching her aunties; women from the twenties! It’s a knack that has been handed down; in my family, we are all women who love our accessories.

BUT, we all reach an age at which we can no longer just throw on a piece of jewellery or scarf to get the stunning look we’re after … we need to be a little canny nowadays.

It’s easy to find advice on styles, colours, fabrics and textures that work for your body shape and will help you create your own personal fashion statement. But there is little advice to help you get the most out of your accessories; many of the necklaces, bangles and earrings that we see now are designed for a younger face. A more youthful chin and neck. It can be sad.

If you’re a woman of a certain age, you should wear necklaces that fall to the collar bone or lower. The chokers that looked so fabulous in your 20’s, now draw unwanted attention to the possibly-less-than-perfect jawline. A longer necklace will draw the eye down and make you look longer and leaner.

Long and quite stunning. With just a little bling

If you’re afflicted with the dreadful chicken-skin-look on your neck, you should wear your hair so it hits just below the chin; this will bring the eyes up and away from the neck with its chicken skin. As will good make-up application that brightens your face and draws the eye up. It really is all about focussing on the camouflage of what you’re trying to hide. Use your eyes as a good place to start. In fact, think of your eyes as part of your accessories!

Wear gorgeous earrings to draw attention to the ears and pull the eyes up, and away from the jowls. Large pearls surrounded by some diamonds (real or fake), look wonderful with almost anything. Stay away from drop earrings … they finish at the level of your jowls, and make your chin look more droopy …

Add some bling! Pearls are always a great choice, because you can wear them with anything. Not having pierced ears I find most clip-on earrings are large and round and often very blingy … just what you want! Bring the eye up to the face … back to the eyes being part of your accessories.

Jazz up your arms with colourful bangles or bracelets. Bangles are great fun and are available in so many colours and sizes. Wear several at once, even with your watch …very youthful! Think Iris Apfel …

Bangles

Are especially very youthful and work with anything from formal wear to a pair of jeans. Combine a bracelet with a watch and you’ve got a great looking arm – always an invaluable asset.

Invest in watches. Different sizes, shapes, colours and styles; unless you’re loaded, you can buy inexpensive watches and ring the changes.

Something new and with bling, or something just new, is often more youthful than
wearing family heirlooms. Yes, they are lovely, but in some instances, they may belong in a safe or a drawer until your old enough to wear them (around ninety perhaps?). Unless you are in love with them and they “work”.

Sometimes, antique jewellery (especially Victorian) is too fine in appearance for strong women of a certain age!

One of my personal favourites; especially some of the late Victorian brooches with teensy seed pearls and garnets which, as I just said, may be too fine in appearance. Not forgetting some of the wonderful paste, costume jewellery brooches from the fifties; if you have some that are original, wear them.

Brooches are another of those items that can turn something a little ho-hum into a style statement!

By the way, for that true Parisian chic, tie your cardigan around your neck and not around your waist! Very casual, very scarf-like and looks great with a t-shirt and jeans. Around the waist is wonderful if you’re on a hike or don’t care how you look.

If you don’t have any, get some! Colourful scarves – there are so many ways to wear them! They are elegant and stylish, and a casual scarf can even dress up a t-shirt with jeans! They are one of the greatest accessories known to woman.

Silk and cashmere scarves are luxurious and a good buy. They will make any coat or shirt look more expensive and will last for years because they’re classics; especially in the right colour.

You can use scarves as jewellery. Bright, happy, jewel-like colours in the neck of a coat or jacket or shirt will add to the look and hide a neck or jowls. The Edwardians had the right idea with all those wonderful high collars.

Belts are another important must-have in your accessories drawers, and only you can decide the type of belt you should be wearing; if any. Don’t forget, belts are very much a part of deciding what to wear for your new body shape.

Chain belts can look terrific on most body shapes when worn low under a jacket. Pull the part of the belt that hooks into the chain to the right or left of your belly button so it is slightly off-centre. This creates an illusion of length and slimness.

Please don’t wear a belt around your hips unless you are very slim. It will make you look like a sack of potatoes, and you don’t want to look that. Do you?

They seem to be out of fashion now, but that shouldn’t worry us … Wear gloves to introduce colour. Wear them to keep your hands warm and wear them because they can turn the mundane into something smart and chic.

There are so many gloves available you can really have fun finding something that takes your fancy. Fabric gloves trimmed with fake fur or gloves with Lurex or striped gloves or leather gloves or whatever gloves.

It’s better to wear fabric gloves than cheap leather gloves, although they can be fabulous. Like everything else, you pay for quality and good quality gloves can make a huge difference to your overall appearance and will last for years. The colours that are available are mouth-watering …

The bottom line? Don’t be afraid to accessorise! Think bling and colour, but keep in mind, at a certain age, less is definitely more.

What do you think? Do you wear gloves? Do you love bling? How about bangles … those cheap Indian bangles all the way up your arm which always look great! Do you make the most of your accessories? Share with us, please.