How to Accessorize Cocktail Dresses

Your dresses should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady.
— Edith Head

When it comes to dressing up an ensemble, remember ladies, it all comes down to the embellishments. Standing out in the crowd is all about the right dose of sophistication, charm, and feminine appeal.

For an event where a cocktail attire is the requisite, you need to aim at perfection for the evening. As cocktail dresses come in all sorts of designs, colors, styles, and patterns, we thought of putting a few looks together.

First and foremost, you need to own a cocktail dress that highlights all your assets, and hides the flaws. Always buy one in a color that looks flattering on you, and works well with your body shape. When you're out in that dress, people should say that you look beautiful, and not just compliment the dress.

A high-low hem dress is the perfect way to showcase your "fashion forward" style. It's the perfect tease―you can show off your legs and shoes without much effort. You can wear a belt to add shape to the dress, some wonderful earrings, and heels to die for.

The variation in length makes this dress look classy and sophisticated, yet young and fresh. Keep the accessories to a minimal, as the dress is dramatic enough to demand as much attention as it can receive.

This dress is all about playing to your strengths. The one-shoulder style can create the va va voom reaction only if you accessorize it correctly. Choose a focal point with your earrings, bracelet, or a broach, but wear no necklace. We don't want to crowd the dress now, do we?

If you're planning to wear a long-sleeved cocktail dress, choose a color you can pull off easily. Wearing white, on the other hand, is kind of risqué. It's not a bold color, but does make quite a statement. And hence, this makes the color tough to handle.

Pair the dress with accessories in red, turquoise, brown, hot pink, and orange. However, if you're going to a wedding, stay as far away from this dress as possible; you do not want to upstage the bride. The analogy goes for a red dress as well.

Most women are under the impression that a strapless dress looks good on slim or petite women. Not true at all. Find a good fit, glam it up, exfoliate your neck and shoulders, and you're ready to haunt men in their dreams.

If you have a simple dress, regardless of color, make it grand with eye-catching accessories. For an evening event, you should definitely consider taking a pastel cardigan or a feminine scarf.

Styling a sleeveless dress is easier than you'd imagine, because there is so much you can do. For a solid-colored dress, make an impact with a funky clutch and a few complementing accessories. If you're wearing a low neckline dress, dress it up with a statement necklace, bracelet, and killer earrings.

Avoid wearing fabrics like chino, denim, and jersey; they are too casual and don't really have a place with the cocktail attire. Special occasions call for special details. So, be sure to pay close attention to all the tips we've mentioned in this story, and you'll be set to rock any event.