Supplementing west African fabrics with jewellery is a great way to personalise your outfit while giving it an extra touch of panache. However, we offer a wide variety of different West African fabrics here at Empire Textiles and each brand has its own distinctive aesthetic. Clearly, each needs to be paired with a different type of jewellery to produce the best aesthetic result. So which types of jewellery work best with each of our main fabrics?
1. Mitex Holland
Mitex Holland is a brand that offers fabrics printed with traditional patterns in a variety of naturalistic, earthy colours. Garments made from Mitex Holland fabrics combine subtlety and restraint with warmth and easy-going grace. We think that smaller pieces of jewellery with natural colours and simple designs are ideal for supplementing Mitex Holland outfits. These pieces of jewellery can reinforce the quiet dignity and warmth of the outfit. Alternatively, you may wish to choose brightly-coloured pieces of jewellery, which can offset Mitex Holland’s earthier hues and give your outfit an added dash of vibrancy. You should still opt for smaller pieces, however, as you don’t want to overwhelm the outfit’s own aesthetic.
2. Vlisco
Vlisco is known for producing high-energy, colourful fabrics that feature both traditional patterns and modern ones. As we discussed in our blog post entitled ‘how to accessorise a Vlisco outfit’, you can then supplement fabrics with either large, vibrant pieces of statement jewellery or small items of jewellery made from gold or silver. Choosing statement jewellery allows you to maximise the visual impact of your outfit by underscoring its undeniable sense of joie de vivre. Choosing subtler pieces of gold and silver grounds the ensemble and gives a slightly more balanced, down-to-earth twist.
3. Swiss Voile
Our Swiss Voile fabric range includes various brands, such as Empire Jacquard and Getzner. These sheer, light fabrics are beautifully ephemeral in appearance. Many of them feature rich, dark colour schemes and complex patterns which reinforce their mysterious aesthetic. That’s why we suggest pairing them with glittering pieces of elaborate gold or silver jewellery. This type of jewellery will stand out from a Swiss Voile outfit while simultaneously adding to its mystique.
If you can’t make up your mind about what type of jewellery you want to pair with an outfit, why not check out our range of products today? We think they might give you some inspiration!