A young, slim, brunette called Natalie is pictured on street style blog Face Hunter wearing an unremarkable denim jacket, black skinny jeans and a plain white tee. It's not the kind of outfit that would typically have a street fashion photographer scrambling for his Canon. But Natalie, pictured in the trendy suburb of Malasana, in Madrid, is also wearing a wide-brimmed, black velvet hat and a spectacular pair of black ballet flats, topped with faux gold watch-faces.
In another photograph on Face Hunter, taken in Madrid a day earlier, a young woman in a little black dress is pictured sitting outside the Hotel Puerta America. Her LBD is short and sweet, but it's her accessories - a black, quilted, hectagon-shaped vintage Gucci handbags and grey ankle socks worn with beige-coloured, buckled ballet flats - that make her outfit remarkable.
In fact, trawl through any of the popular street style blogs, such as Face Hunter, The Sartorialist and Jak & Jil, which have become barometers of current fashions and trendsetters in their own right, and you'll see that it is often the accessories - the hats, scarves, shoes, stockings and jewellery - that make a great outfit.
Right now, accessories are hot. In fact, many would argue they are more important than ever. With fashion becoming increasingly globalised and catwalk looks copied and "reinterpreted" by fashion retailers across the globe, it is hardly surprising we are turning to accessories to express our individuality and stand out from the increasingly slavish fashion crowd.
Long gone are the days when style rules dictated that accessories should not only match the outfit but also each other. Instead, matching hats, heels and wholesale handbags have been replaced by an eclectic mishmash of accessories that give one a stylish point of difference.
Here's a look at some of the top accessories trends for winter 2010. But if you really want to stand out from the crowd, feel free to improvise.
SOCKS AND HOSIERY One of the most interesting accessory trends to emerge this season is ankle socks with heels, clogs and ballet flats - once considered an unforgivable fashion faux pas. The trend first appeared, predictably enough, on international catwalks, including at Elie Saab in Paris in March. Local designer Lisa Gorman also styled her heels and clogs with ankle socks during the Melbourne Fashion Festival and the edgy look has been quickly adopted by the city's most fashion-forward. Meanwhile, stockings are thick and opaque this season, in traditional black and grey, but also in bright colours such as red and violet.
HATS Michael Albert of Smart Alec hatters in Smith Street, Fitzroy, says hats are more popular than ever. Among the most popular styles this winter are tweed flat caps, felt trilbies, knitted beanies and the felt bowler hats popularised by British model Agyness Deyn, which has become the accessory du jour for "it" girls around the globe. Come summer, the more adventurous among the fashion conscious will be donning turban-like headscarves, as seen in Sex and the City 2.
SHOES After a few seasons at nose-bleed height, heels are on the way down this winter. Wooden clogs, first seen at Chanel a couple of seasons ago, are among the most popular footwear looks (worn with ankle socks, of course). Wellingtons or gumboots have also turned up as an incongruous trend for a Melbourne winter, given our shortage of puddles. Nonetheless, they look hot in a "Glastonbury chic" kind of way. Ankle boots remain a must-have, including desert boot-styles with stacked wooden heels. Thigh-high boots already feel a little over-done, and of little appeal to those self-conscious about their legs.
SCARVES Smart Alec's Albert, who also sells an array of scarves for men and women, says men seem to be wearing their scarves short and cravat-like this winter (perhaps it's the Matt Preston effect). Meanwhile, women are opting for long, looped styles. For scarves you want to show off, simply throw around your neck then thread the ends through a belt, buckled high on the waist. Chunky snood-style neckwarmers are also popular, for men and women, as are handmade scarves.
GLOVES Fine leather gloves in tan and tobacco top the list of must-have handwear this winter. Some come with perforated detailing, while the fingerless styles are still popular. For the more daring, try the furry mitten-styles popularised by Pringle of Scotland on the catwalks earlier this year.
HANDBAGS The luxury "it" bag is out in favour of quirky one-offs (or limited runs) sans the flashy designer logos. Fringing and tassels are popular, as are vintage coach handbags.
