Accessories for Wimbledon: what earns its place

Accessories for Wimbledon: six combinations for women and men, with scarves, bags, glasses and small details chosen for a complete day at the tennis.

A watch can be the oldest thing in an otherwise new outfit. A pair of earrings may recall the person who gave them; a scarf may have been bought for a drawing whose meaning nobody else will notice. Accessories let those private associations accompany you into a public place without requiring an explanation.

Start with the object you actually want to wear, then consider the rest. Wimbledon also calls for practical things: glasses, sun protection, a bag you can manage. There is no benefit in adding so many decorative details that the useful ones have nowhere to go.

For her: three accessory combinations

A silk scarf with a plain dress

A navy cotton dress and tan flats make room for a silk square in red, cream and blue. Fold it diagonally, then into a loose band, noticing which part of the picture remains. A narrow strip may bring out the border; a broader fold may reveal an unexpected piece of the centre. Place the knot where it feels comfortable rather than where a diagram insists it belongs.

When the day warms, a short, secure tie around a bag handle lets the colour remain visible. Keep the ends clear of the zip and long enough to hold without trailing. Choose a bag with a strap you can use for the journey; a lovely handle does not relieve you of carrying it for hours.

Small earrings can sit beside a scarf without competing with its pattern. A fine cardigan needs separate consideration, since the silk provides colour and a little coverage rather than substantial warmth or rain protection. Check the whole combination with the cardigan on, including the space around the neck.

A bag that changes the colour

A red bag gives pale blue and ivory a definite interruption; dark green brings depth to a pink cotton dress. Brown shoes can make either arrangement feel settled without imitating the bag. Exact matching is one possibility, but a relationship between colours is often more interesting than a repetition.

Test the closure and strap with the intended contents. The current bag maximum is 40 × 30 × 30cm, and hard-sided containers are prohibited. A soft bag must still meet the limit when filled. Our packing guide covers the fuller restrictions and the entry items worth keeping near the top.

For a woven bag, examine the construction as well as the surface. A lining and reliable fastening can make the difference between an attractive lunch companion and a useful day bag. A zipped pouch helps organise small objects, though it cannot change the outer bag's size or make a prohibited hard-sided container admissible.

Sunglasses, earrings and nothing more

With a printed dress, the shape of your glasses and a familiar pair of earrings may supply all the detail you want. Try the frames with the intended neckline and hairstyle. They occupy a prominent position even when their arms carry no recognisable name.

Use a case if the glasses will share space with keys, and check that jewellery does not catch on a knit or scarf. A wristful of bangles can be a pleasure, although it acquires a second occupation when you applaud. If you prefer less accompaniment, choose one bracelet or leave the wrist bare.

For him: three accessory combinations

A belt and shoe relationship

Brown loafers and a brown belt suit olive trousers, a pale shirt and a navy jacket. The leathers need not be identical: a difference in shade or finish can look natural when the overall warmth is related. Keep the buckle in proportion to the trouser waistband and check it seated, when a bulky fitting is less easy to ignore.

A belt should not be doing all the work of making the trousers fit. Keep a watch if you enjoy it, and move heavier objects into a suitable soft bag. Keys, phone and wallet can make a remarkably assertive pattern across the front of plain trousers.

A pocket square with a summer jacket

Cream or pale blue looks fresh against a tobacco jacket. A small patterned silk square introduces a more varied edge, especially when folded to reveal only part of the design. Set it securely enough to stay in place without making it resemble a carefully erected monument in the breast pocket.

If you wear a tie, choose a related colour rather than insisting on the same print. Ordinary admission and Keith Prowse's current hospitality policy do not generally require a tie, while a private invitation may. A square is a decorative choice; it cannot satisfy a separate instruction about neckwear.

A silk neckerchief, if it belongs to your wardrobe

A muted red silk print can work with a white open-collar shirt and navy tailoring. Keep the knot low enough to leave space at the throat, and control the ends so that they sit within the neckline. The silk should introduce a little colour and movement without filling every available inch between shirt and chin.

Try it with the jacket off as well. If you like it in both arrangements, it may be a useful personal detail; if you feel dressed as somebody else, leave it at home. Where a host specifies a necktie, a neckerchief is not a replacement.

Hats and the people behind you

A hat can be useful for shade, but ordinary spectator admission does not make one compulsory. Choose a shape you can carry after removing it. The AELTC's conditions prohibit oversized hats or garments that obstruct other attendees, so think about the people behind you before settling into a seat.

The same courtesy applies to raising a phone above the row. Sun protection and suitable glasses remain useful whether you wear a hat or not. There is something peculiarly frustrating about travelling to see a match and discovering that the best view belongs to somebody else's screen.

Edit the collection before leaving

Put on the complete outfit and examine where the details gather. A scarf and elaborate necklace may crowd the same small area; a patterned dress may benefit from a plain bag. A familiar watch need not be removed merely because it does not match the other metal. The aim is a comfortable relationship among objects, rather than a perfectly obedient set.

If one piece means something to you, let it remain recognisable. A folded scarf, the earrings from a particular birthday, a watch with a worn strap: these are small records of taste and attachment. They need very little assistance from the rest of the outfit.

Part of Thackray Pursuits: explore Tennis.