I’d have to say, the most basic jewelry you can accessorize a woma’s business suit with is pearls. A pearl necklace is a tried and true accessory that never goes out of style – it’s classic and elegant. Jewelry and accessories can do a lot to give personality to a business suit, but when building a professional work wardrobe, the first thing you should get is always, always, always a pretty and simple pearl necklace along with a pair of simple pearl studs. Don’t buy any other jewelry for your suits before you have covered these basics. The pearl studs and the pearl necklace are timeless. And they never make you look overdressed or undersdressed – they simply are what they are. I think that 100 years from now our grand daughters will still be wearing pearls with their work clothes. They go with almost evrything, and you can resort to your safe pearls in moments of dressing in a stressed-out rush when you just don’t have time to figure out what to wear. It’s a staple, a basic building block – kind of like the classic black business suit for your wardrobe, the classic pearl necklace is the main staple in your jewelry box. And keep in mind, your pearls don’t have to be white – they can be cream, slightly pink, brown, or dramatic gray (like Tahitian pearls).

When I have to pack lightly for business travel, often the only earrings I bring are pearl studs. They don’t take up any space, and go with almost everything. I sometimes wear a pair of inexpensive pearl studs when I do outdoorsy things, because they are small so they’re not in the way, it won’t hurt my budget if I loose them, and it adds just a little bit of elegance even though I’m in casual clothes. Some people call me a snob, I just call myself a “classy hiker”.