Everybody knows that accessories make a look, but what is the greatest fashion accessory of all time? Sunglasses, according to Pubity fans.
Accessories are almost as important as the outfits they go with if you want to look iconic. Whether it is hats, sunglasses, watches or jewellery, pairing the right accessory can make an outfit.
In the world of showbiz, accessories can become iconic, whether for characters in shows or movies or the actors behind them. In the world of music, accessories too can be iconic.
But what is the greatest accessory of all time? This is the question Pubity posed in its latest ‘You Decide’ poll. As usual, it followed a knockout format, with 16 accessories starting, with eight match-ups drawn where Pubity fans on Instagram vote for their favourite to progress to the next round.
Here are the results:
Winner – sunglasses
Sunglasses came out on top in the final, beating off competition from watches. But the result should be no surprise – sunglasses have been cool for decades, as well as practical.
Sunglasses – also known as shades – have been beloved of rock and film stars for as far back as you want to go. Greta Garbo, a movie star in the first half of the 20th century, had an iconic look in sunglasses.
In later years, rock stars from The Ramones to U2 to Lady Gaga have become known for their shaded eyewear.
But if you wear sunglasses at night, then you might just get a reputation for being pretentious…
Runner-up – watches
Again, watches are an inherently functional accessory, but they have been key parts of looks for as long as you care to mention. Think of Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies with his Casio or Jason Bourne’s TAG Heuer in the Bourne franchise.
Hollywood stars are also often chosen by upmarket watchmakers to advertise their products.
Semi-finalists – belts and earrings
Belts are functional items – stop any trouser malfunctions – but they can also be great accessories. Who doesn’t love a leather belt with a chunky buckle on it?
Belts have often been accessories for rock stars – think Lemmy from Motorhead (ask your parents kids) and they became full-on essentials during the line dancing craze of the early noughties.
Earrings can be classy and expensive, or huge and tacky. Either is good if you’re going for an iconic look.
Quarter-finalists – tote bags, beanies, necklaces and chains, gloves
Four accessories fell at the quarter-final stage. Tote bags are practical and stylish, with actors such as Katie Holmes, Elle Fanning and Zendaya rocking them in recent years. But not enough to get them into the next round.
Beanies are also practical, especially in wintertime, and have been around for years. Again, various stars, such as Zach Galifinakis and David Beckham, have famously worn them in recent years.
Necklaces and chains are much beloved of many actors and musicians, although older readers might think of Mr T in relation to this.
Gloves are more of a seasonal accessory. Although with the Michael Jackson biopic out soon we could see a revival of the one-glove look. Or maybe not.
First round
As always, there have to be losers in the first round. This round wasn’t good for headgear, with baseball caps falling – although it fell to sunglasses, which was a pig of a first-round draw – alongside bucket hats and bandanas.
Jewellery was also a big faller in the first round, with rings and bracelets both bowing out. Allied to that, grillz and tooth gems also went out, but they are niche accessories. Likewise, jean chains, much beloved of skaters but few others, also failed to make it out of the first round.
