How to Accessorize a Silver Dress

Co-authored by Cassandra Sethi

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Approved

Silver dresses are both bold and elegant, but the wrong accessories can easily cause a style disaster. The dress itself should be the focus of your outfit, and your accessories should complement it rather than stand out on their own.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Deciding on a Color Scheme

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1
Wear silver. An all-silver color scheme keeps things simple and elegant. Deciding on a color scheme first can help you determine what accessories to look for later. The best color schemes for a silver dress are simple and cool-toned.
- It works best if your dress is a light, shimmering hue of silver.
- You should also try to match the hue of your accessories to the hue of your dress.
- Stick with delicate, dainty jewelry and simple silver heels with little adornment, emphasizing the simplicity of this option.
- Silver is a great neutral, though, so you can pair lots of different colors and types of accessories.^{[1]
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  Expert Source
  
  Cassandra Sethi
  Personal Stylist & Image Consultant
  
  Expert Interview. 9 September 2021.}ea
2
Mix silver and gold. This creates another elegant, classy look, but one with more variety and visual interest.^{[2]
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- Look for two-toned jewelry that mixes gold and silver. Each piece should have a two-toned element for the sake of consistency.
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These tones are a little less feminine and more masculine, so you can get away with bulkier jewelry and accessories if you go this route. You could even consider black leather bracelets and heavier black heels or boots to create the edgy look. This results in an overall bolder look.
4
Stick with blue tones. Colors are a versatile option and can either look elegant or bold. Just stick with cool hues.
- Blues and blue-tinted shades of purple or turquoise work best.
- Avoid warm colors, since these are more likely to clash with the cold tone of a silver dress.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Choosing the Right Jewelry

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1
Choose an unobtrusive necklace. A silver dress is already a bold fashion move, and adding a loud necklace will only make your outfit seem unnecessarily gaudy. Your necklace should not compete with your dress.
- A loud silver dress needs to be accessorized with quieter jewelry, but you still have a number of options available to you.
- If sticking with silver or silver and gold, a dainty chain with a simple pendant works nicely, depending on your dress’s neckline.
- For an appropriately bolder look, wear a necklace with chunky black or blue beads mixed with gunmetal. It can be a choker or a long loop that drapes across your torso.
2
Pick out a simple bracelet.
- A delicate silver or two-toned chain bracelet adds a touch of class.
- Thin silver bangles are festive yet feminine.
- A thick, chunky bracelet in black, gunmetal, or deep blue adds contrast to your dress but avoids clashing or competing with it.
- When it comes to jewelry, less is more. Pick 2 areas of your body to accessorize (i.e. earrings and a necklace).^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Cassandra Sethi
  Personal Stylist & Image Consultant
  
  Expert Interview. 9 September 2021.}
^{[4]
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Expert Source

Cassandra Sethi
Personal Stylist & Image Consultant

Expert Interview. 9 September 2021.} Earrings can add just enough sparkle by your face to help correct the potential imbalance caused by having too much silver concentrated on the middle of your body. Choose the right posts, hoops, or dangling earrings to match your color scheme.
Add a touch of silver to your hair. Sparkly, decorative hair clips can either be playful or elegant, depending on the design. These, like earrings, can also help balance out the silver on your body.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Accessorizing with Diamonds

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1
Mix and match your diamond accessories. Diamonds play with the natural sparkle of a silver dress. If done in excess, however, they can overwhelm your appearance. When done in small doses, diamonds can add a glamorous sparkle to your already shimmering appearance. Pair one or two key diamond pieces with non-diamond jewelry. For example, you could wear a diamond pendant or choker with thin silver bangle bracelets.
- Avoid matching diamond jewelry with black or gunmetal accessories. Diamonds look best when paired with other feminine pieces, and many black and gunmetal pieces are too masculine to coordinate well.
Match a simple diamond pendant with a dainty diamond bracelet and diamond stud earrings.
For instance, you could wear chandelier earrings with a simple diamond pendant, or a glamorous diamond tennis bracelet with diamond stud earrings.
Diamond jewelry may blend in with the silver fabric. For bracelets and earrings, this does not pose much problem. This can, however, make selecting a diamond necklace difficult. Avoid long necklaces that position the diamond element directly above the material of the dress. Also avoid extravagant diamond necklaces that throw too many diamonds directly above the dress’s neckline.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Picking Your Shoes

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Gold-tone accents can provide some contrast without taking away from the elegance of the look. A silver dress is somewhat formal by nature. Your shoes can help dress it up or down, but be wary of extremely casual shoes.
They do not need to be as delicate as silver heels when matched with a silver dress, but you should still avoid shoes with a chunky platform heel.
Choose a deep blue-tone if going with a solid color shoe. Otherwise, pick out a silver, black, or gunmetal heel with colored stones or other accents.^{[5]
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Flats are a casual style of shoe, and most will not work well with a silver dress, which is naturally formal. Some metallic flats or shiny patent leather flats are dressy enough, however, to match with simple matte silver dresses.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Carrying a Handbag

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Clutch handbags are feminine and classy. Select a simple, solid print clutch decorated with a few gemstones or another similar touch of sparkle. The right purse or handbag will wrap up your entire look. Keep consistent with your color scheme, and avoid carrying a bag that introduces too much bold color.
2
Wear a large shoulder bag.
- If going for a slightly bolder look, choose a large silver or gunmetal shoulder bag.
- A black or dark blue bag may also work, but could appear too casual to match well with your dress.
- If you want to include black or color on your bag, it is best to do so by selecting a bag with colored accents instead of a solid color print.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Applying Make-Up

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Apply a foundation that matches your natural skin tone. Avoid warm-tone cosmetics as much as possible, but don’t fight against your natural skin tone. Keep your cheeks looking natural, and spice things up by playing with eye and lip color.
2
Layer on a bronze-tinted blush, but don't overdo it. Keep your cheek color light.
- Consider a pink blush if you have fair skin.
- Choose a peach blush if your skin is medium tone.
- Try a plum shade if you have darker toned skin.
3
Don't hold back on your eyeshadow color. Apply dark, shimmering metallic shades to make your eyes stand out.
- Avoid light silvers or grays, even if you opted for all-silver accessories. If you want to keep the all-silver look, opt for medium to darker shades of gray.^{[6]
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- Go with either dark bronzes or coal grays if you accessorized with silver and gold accessories.
- Try adding some variety into your look with a color eye shadow. Stick with blue tones. Think dark blues, eggplant violets, and deep turquoises.
4
Apply black eyeliner to your eyes.
- You may add liquid glitter liner over the black liner to give your eyes a bit more sparkle.
Finish your eyes with black mascara, if desired.
Stay away from bright red lipsticks. Instead, use violet-red colors like mauve or pink tones.

Community Q&A

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Question

What type of coat should I wear with a silver dress with gold sequins? It will be cold outside.

Community Answer

If you are staying outside, then try something formal. It should be simple, and either silver or gold. Try for a solid color, or else it will clash with your dress. However, if you will be inside, you might just want a long coat that will be taken once you arrive.

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I have all-gray hair so I need a color scheme that will take looks away from my hair. I also have a large bust. What can I do?

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Silver and blue or another block color should look good with gray hair.

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Can I use purple shades of makeup if my dress has hints of lavender?

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Yes, as this will enhance your outfit, but make sure to use the closest shade of purple to your dress. For example, if you have a soft lavender, it's better to use a softer shade for your makeup.

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Tips

You may also opt to keep your accessories to a minimum. A silver dress is bold enough to stand on its own, and reducing the number of accessories you wear places a stronger emphasis on the dress itself.

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Apply a bit of body glitter for an extra, subtle shimmer that matches your dress. Use a brush to add a dusting of glitter along your cheekbones, shoulders, and collarbones. Keep it light, though. You don't want your skin to look as silver as your dress.

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