8 ACCESSORIES I THINK YOU NEED
I've always believed accessories are where personal style really lives. You can wear the same simple outfit all week, but the bag you carry, the necklace you reach for, or the earrings you put on last are what make it feel like yours.
They're also the easiest place to shop more thoughtfully. Instead of filling a cart with trendy pieces that fall apart by next season, I'd rather invest in a few accessories made by real people, with real character, that I'll wear for years. Every piece in this edit is handmade from small makers in New York and Los Angeles to Bulgaria, France, and right here in Tennessee.
These are eight accessories I think you need, or at least the ones I can't stop thinking about.
This bag lives up to its name. It's handmade from woven metal mesh, so it has the soft, slouchy shape of a market tote with the shimmer of chain mail. At about 10 by 13 inches, it's big enough for the essentials and looks just as good carried to the farmers market as it does to dinner. It comes in a few colors, and it's one of those pieces people will stop you to ask about.
Shop it from RoamHomeware →
Bag charms are everywhere right now, and this is the one that feels like a little piece of sculpture. It clusters raw quartz, translucent glass, pearls, and geometric metal dangles on a silver cable ring, so it catches the light every time you move. Clip it on your tote, your keys, or a belt loop. Bonus: it's made by a small maker right here in Tennessee.
Shop it from TheEphemeralBloom →
A tiny mobile you can wear. This pendant is made from hand-cut brass rectangles, linked together so they shift and move like a collage of shapes, and it hangs from a delicate 20-inch sterling silver chain with an extender. The brass is finished with restoration wax to keep it from tarnishing. It's minimal enough to wear every day but interesting enough to be the only piece you need.
Shop it from SARAHHEALYDESIGNNYC →
The boldest piece in the edit, and maybe my favorite. An oversized batik wood bead, hand-dotted in cream, sits on a thick twisted black silk rope above a long, loose black tassel. Wear it forward over a simple top, or turn it around so it falls down your back through an open shirt. It's the kind of piece that feels like it was found rather than bought.
Shop it from Coarelics →
The reusable bag, made chic. This sheer tote is handcrafted from black tulle mesh, so whatever you carry becomes part of the look: a stack of magazines, a bouquet, a baguette. It's light enough to fold into your purse for errands, and it also comes in beige and white. The maker can even do custom colors, which makes it a sweet bridesmaid gift.
Shop it from GARDEROB →
These are pure joy to wear. Each star is made from raw brass that the maker melts and shapes by hand, then bathes in 24k gold, so no two pairs are exactly alike. Natural pearls dangle from the tips like little drops of light. They're statement-size but surprisingly lightweight, and one customer even wore them on her wedding day in place of a veil.
Shop it from LaGeometrieJewels →
This necklace looks like something found on the beach. The pendant is hand-shaped from white stoneware clay and finished with an ivory glaze that shimmers like the inside of a shell. It hangs on an iridescent white leather cord with a little gold-plated maker's tag, in a 30-inch loop you can wear long or knot higher. Every piece is hand-painted with several layers of glaze.
Shop it from KimDulaney →
Proof that even a hair tie can be a statement. This handmade scrunchie pairs a soft champagne satin center with a pleated ribbon ruffle edged in black stitching, so it blooms around your bun like a flower. It's an easy, affordable way to make a slicked-back bun or messy ponytail look intentional, and it has dozens of glowing reviews.
Shop it from Bhumola →
That's the edit. You don't need all eight, but I hope one of them catches your eye, the kind of piece you'll reach for again and again and still love years from now. When you buy from small makers, you're not just getting something beautiful. You're getting something with a story, and supporting the person who made it.
