These Are the Best Accessories for a Navy Blue Dress
From shoes to bags, we have your wedding guest accessories covered.
Now that you've chosen your dress, it's time to figure out how to accessorize a navy blue dress for a wedding. Whether you're a bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride or a wedding guest, the same styling rules will apply when it comes to choosing what accessories to wear with a navy blue dress. Luckily for you, navy blue is one of the best colors to wear to a wedding because it acts as a neutral that works year-round and has endless styling options. A well-made navy blue dress can last you for years to come and can be refreshed over and over again by swapping out your wedding guest accessories. For expert styling advice, we've tapped Kyla Flax, head of styling at Anthropologie, for her tips to style a navy blue wedding guest dress to perfection.
In this article: How to Accessorize a Navy Blue Dress | Shoes | Accessories | Jewelry
How to Accessorize a Navy Blue Dress for a Wedding
When it comes to accessorizing a navy blue wedding guest dress, you can go in quite a few directions. Navy is considered a neutral and is appropriate for any wedding dress code, season and venue. The accessories you choose can totally transform your wedding guest look—making your favorite navy dress for a wedding a wardrobe staple you'll wear for years.
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Metallics
Pairing your navy blue dress with metallic accessories is a foolproof way to style your wedding guest look to perfection. Whether you choose silver, gold or rose gold, metallic accessories go perfectly with a navy blue dress. We recommend choosing shoes that match your jewelry for a cohesive look.
Jewel Tones
If you want to make a statement, rich jewel tones make for the perfect pop of color against your navy blue wedding guest dress. From rich berry tones to emerald green, the spectrum of jewel tones pairs well with navy, especially in the fall and winter months.
Neutrals
You can never go wrong with neutral accessories. When in doubt, classic accessories in shades of nude or navy complete your wedding guest look in a pinch. While some people advise against wearing black with navy, we say go for it! Black and navy can actually pair nicely for a chic wedding guest look.
What Color Shoes to Wear With a Navy Dress for a Wedding
When wearing navy, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing what shoes to wear with your dress because navy is a neutral that goes with a wide range of other colors. "For a navy blue wedding guest dress, I'd recommend metallics—gold or silver—for a touch of shine, or try a color of the season, brown," Flax suggests.
Navy Dress With Navy Shoes
We love a monochromatic styling moment, and a navy shoe is the perfect finishing touch to create a tonal wedding guest look. We recommend bringing your dress with you to pick out shoes so that you can accurately color-match, since not all shades of navy are exactly the same.
Navy Dress With Metallic Shoes
A trusty pair of metallic-toned shoes is a wedding guest must-have. Whether you opt for gold or silver depends on your personal preference. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend matching your metallic shoes to whatever kind of jewelry you wear every day. Luckily, there are endless options for metallic shoes out there, running the gamut from sky-high stilettos to polished flat sandals.
Navy Dress With Jewel-Toned Shoes
Fashionista wedding guests, take note. A pop of a jewel tone is the perfect way to style your navy wedding guest dress for the cooler months. We're partial to shades of raspberry pink, amethyst and emerald, but any jewel-toned shoe fits the bill here—bonus points if you choose a rich satin style.
Navy Dress With Nude Shoes
A fail-safe option is to pair your go-to nude shoes with a navy blue dress. A classic pair of nude heels is a wardrobe staple you can style in endless different ways from the office to the dance floor.
Navy Dress With Black Shoes
Fashion rules are meant to be broken, and we believe that the adage about pairing black and navy blue is a complete myth. A barely there black strappy heeled sandal is the perfect finishing touch for any navy blue wedding guest dress.
Navy Dress With Brown Shoes
As Flax suggested, incorporate the color of the season into your wedding guest look with a chic pair of brown shoes. Footwear in shades of chocolate brown has been a top trend for fall, and the neutral hue pairs well with a navy dress.
Photo: Matt Wood Photography
What Accessories to Wear With a Navy Blue Dress for a Wedding
The styling options are endless when it comes to choosing accessories for a navy blue dress. Whether you opt for a stylish bag or a sleek jacket to wear over a dress, consider your navy blue dress a blank canvas for your styling options. "With navy, accessories are a chance to add personality while keeping the look refined," Flax shares. "A metallic clutch, either gold or silver, always feels polished, while a beaded or jewel-toned bag can bring in a playful pop of color."
Navy Dress With Metallic Accessories
If you choose to wear metallic-toned shoes with your wedding guest dress, keep it cohesive by completing the look with a metallic clutch in a coordinating metal finish. You could even opt for sparkly hair accessories to tie everything together.
Navy Dress With Neutral Accessories
The easiest way to style a navy blue wedding guest dress is to pair it with neutral accessories. While your bag doesn't necessarily have to match your shoes, we always recommend a coordinating bag as an easy starting point for styling your look. You likely have a beloved neutral wedding guest purse hiding in the back of your closet. "For bare or strapless dresses, try a shawl or wrap," Flax suggests. "I like a tonal sheer moment for a cover, so try tonal navy or black!"
Navy Dress With Colorful Accessories
For the daring wedding guests, colorful accessories are a great way to breathe new life into a navy blue wedding guest dress. A jewel-toned satin handbag or a chic gemstone brooch can level up your style with an unexpected pop of color.
What Jewelry to Wear With a Navy Blue Dress for a Wedding
When it comes to choosing what jewelry to wear with a navy blue dress, we suggest sticking to your everyday metal finish. If you always wear gold, swap out your usual gold studs for a chic statement earring—and the same goes for silver! You could also break the rules with a fashion-forward mixed metal look.
Navy Dress With Gold Jewelry
If you wear gold jewelry on the daily, we recommend sticking to your tried and true jewelry for a wedding guest look. Switch out your everyday studs for dangly chandelier earrings and add a shimmery necklace. "Gold feels warm and luminous against navy, perfect for a romantic or evening setting," Flax shares.
Navy Dress With Silver Jewelry
Like gold, a navy blue dress with silver jewelry is a tried and true combination. "Silver, on the other hand, brings a cool, polished elegance that pairs beautifully with modern or minimalist styling," Flax tells us.
Navy Dress With Pearl Jewelry
Much like metallics, pearls are a welcome addition to any wedding guest look. From classic pearl earrings to a sculptural pearl necklace, you can't go wrong with pearl jewelry to finish off your wedding guest look.
