I have a confession: I've never understood accessories.

Except for a few, beloved pieces of jewelry, the world of accessorizing has mostly been a mystery to me. I have often left the house without any jewelry at all, and couldn't understand how someone would rather buy a purse or a pair of shoes when they could buy CLOTHES instead!

I had the idea that if you wanted to accessorize, you had to have a vast and specific collection of items, probably matchy-matchy, that I had a hard time visualizing. And I am still working on my wardrobe -- aren't we all? -- and it seemed like a waste of money to focus on what I thought of as low-impact items.

And yet, over time, I kept falling for pieces of jewelry. Usually dramatic and bold. I bought them, and didn't wear most of them, with a few occasional and fabulous exceptions that felt like signature pieces. Most of the time I wore no accessories, not even earrings.

At the same time, I've been feeling lately like my style is a bit unfinished/plain/blah in a way that I couldn't put my finger on. I wanted to feel fab. I bought two new pairs of earrings for the summer (in the Southern Hemisphere) and have been loving them.

Feeling inspired, I decided to edit my jewelry collection, stored, I am embarrased to admit, in a literal box of brown cardboard. I divided everything into categories, made a pile to give away, experimented with lengths, tried layering pieces together, held them against different color backgrounds and necklines. I tried everything on.

I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT.

This is what has been missing from my style! Now I have a collection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hair ornaments that I love. The joy factor is one of the most exciting things I have experienced on my style journey. I also devoted two flat drawers to jewelry which I have arranged by type and color. I can't wait to get dressed in the morning now, after just a few days - and experimenting with jewelry is my favorite part. My creative juices are flowing and I feel ten times more fab.

It feels like the difference between separate pieces of clothing and a work of art. How did it take me this long to get it?

A photo of my jewelry pile below. Pirate's chest style, for those who love to purge and edit!