How to Fit Jewelry to a Maxi Dress

If I could choose just one accessory for a maxi dress, it would be jewelry, especially for summer and spring dresses. The perfect piece of jewelry or a combo can transform your capsule maxi dress into something exquisite.

Unfortunately, coordinating jewelry with outfits doesn’t seem to come naturally to many women. Truth be told, it has been a learning curve for me too and a lot of other fashionistas. But there is a method to that madness, and that’s what we will discuss today.

While at it, feel free to also familiarize yourself with jewelry etiquette.

The first rule you must know about jewelry is that it should complement or accentuate your outfit, not overshadow it. You want the necklace, earrings or whatever other pieces you wear to elevate your maxi dress fashionably. This means the dress has to be the first thing you consider when choosing the best jewelry for that day.

That said, here are the 5 specific things you must consider when picking jewelry for your maxi dress.

The Occasion

Hopefully, you chose the right maxi dress for the occasion. That must be the starting line. Once that is down, know that some jewelry pieces are too loud for formal events or work, and some are too dainty for social life.

For example, you want to choose loud, extravagant jewelry pieces to go with your exquisite maxi dress for parties, weddings, graduation or the red carpet. But everyday outfits call for something less fancy and in your face.

Color Scheme

The color of your maxi dress matters a lot when picking jewelry. And if it were up to me, I’d rather we stick to silver and gold jewelry to avoid all these color problems. But I must admit colored jewelry can really elevate an outfit.

In this case, use the color wheel to find colors that pair best. They should either be in the same color hue or opposite. For instance, green and yellow go great together, and so do blue and red.

If that is too much, here’s a simpler way- if the dress has muted tones, the jewelry can be loud and vice versa.

Speaking of color tones, consider also your skin tone. Gold and light colors go well with warm tones, while silver and dark colors are best on cool skin tones. Of course, if you have a normal skin tone, anything goes.

Neckline

While it’s possible to do away with necklaces, we cannot overlook how important it is to choose and fit the right necklace to your dress neckline. This is the one piece of jewelry that can ruin your outfit when worn wrongly.

Color, occasion and weight matter, but you must start with the neckline. Here’s a simple demonstration of pairing the right necklace to the neckline. Next time you don’t know what kind of necklace goes with your sweetheart neckline, refer to this picture.

Scale and Weight

Scale refers to how big a piece of jewelry is with the dress or your body as background. Sometimes we buy a really beautiful piece, but it becomes almost invisible when worn with the intended outfit. So while I said your jewelry shouldn’t overpower the dress, it should also not be invisible.

Another scale mistake I’ve seen is older or fuller-sized women wearing those delicate gold chains young girls wear. The piece gets lost somewhere in the layers of the neck and fails to achieve the intended purpose.

Weight, on the other hand, is measured against the fabric of the dress. Fabrics like wool, corduroy and tweed are too heavy, so the accessories and jewelry should be light and dainty. But if you are wearing lighter materials like cotton, chiffon and satin, feel free to rock some heavy natural jewelry if the occasion fits.

Choose a Focal Piece

If the occasion allows for a statement jewelry or dress, you have to pick one or two focal pieces. You cannot have a statement necklace and statement earrings at the same time. It will overwhelm the head.

For example, if you pick big, bold earrings, do not wear a necklace. You can repeat the same color and boldness on your bracelet or watch for balance. Similarly, choose dainty jewelry to tone everything down if you are wearing a shiny screaming dress.

One lesson I learned recently is to consider other accessories as well. For example, a statement belt will make you look chunky if you also wear too much jewelry. In this case, I would skip the necklace and just do some bangles or bracelets and rings. Consider striking a balance throughout your body.

Other rules for matching jewelry to a maxi dress include;

• Match print shapes. If the dress has bold angular stripes, you cannot wear circular earrings and vice versa.
• Match bright colors with cool colors. If your dress is bright and summery, tone it down with some colored jewelry.
• Match the size of the bracelet to the length of the sleeves. If the dress is sleeveless, feel free to rock a chunky or layered bracelet and go for rings only if the dress is long sleeve.

How to Wear Jewelry on a Maxi Dress

Bright color dangling earrings

Chandelier earrings and bold watch

Layered bracelets and one statement ring

Long necklace and bangles

Chunky necklace and studs

Layered necklace with pendant and rings

Delicate gold necklace and earrings