As a mother to a young child, I usually get dressed daily using a formula as simple as: underwear, socks, sweater, pants, and a watch. It sounds boring, and it kind of is, so I do aim to try new ways of wearing things in an attempt to exercise my sartorial brain—and to serve the purpose of this column as well. But on days of survival mode, dressing up and, gasp, accessorizing, especially with jewelry, can often get left behind.

This spring, I added only a handful of intentional clothing pieces to my seasonal wardrobe, which, in my New England climate, meant warm, layerable tops in pops of color to wear with jeans and cargo pants until it’s warm enough for bare legs and sockless feet. Jewelry is also an easy way for me to refresh some of the ho-hum transitional wardrobe that serves me well in fall, too.…