People have been customizing and personalizing accessories since the very beginning. These days, though, mass-manufactured and standardized products are the norm. If you wear something, chances are there are thousands, if not millions of other people who have the exact same thing. While this isn’t bad in itself, it often leads people wanting things that are less like what everyone else has.
A few years ago, anything “custom” used to be pricier. Thanks to developments in how we share and handle information, the cost and hassle of a professional-level custom job have gone down for virtually most accessories. Here are a few reasons why personalization is a much more viable option today.
1.) It costs next to nothing
Some accessories, like silicone wristbands, are meant to be customized and even one-offs will only cost very little (check out The Complete Guide to Silicone Wristbands). Even more challenging accessories like jewelry or phone cases can be personalized straight from the factory in some way for only a couple of cents. If you’re going the DIY route, you’ll also have access to countless resources on doing free or low-cost modifications to virtually any accessory.
2.) It can be extremely simple to do
The barrier to owning personalized accessories is lower than ever. As mentioned earlier, there is now a wealth of information available on doing DIY custom work virtually every accessory, from belts and shoes to jewelry and hair clips. Many accessory makers also allow you to specify personalization right in their order process without any extra cost.
3.) It makes things extra special
Of course, this is the reason most of us want to personalize anything. We believe personalization can make something appeal to us just a little bit more. Something that has our name or a design that appeals to us specifically may not be as interesting or valuable for most other people who don’t get the context. This kind of exclusivity gives personalized accessories their appeal. Accessory personalization will likely continue to be in demand forever for this reason alone.
4.) It makes things easy to identify
Some degree of personalization is often necessary if we want something to stand out. Phones from the same generation, for example, generally look very similar, even across different brands. For this reason, many people go through the trouble of switching backgrounds, buying custom cases or even having the phones themselves personalized.
5.) It makes sense to personalize some accessories
In some cases, things need to be personalized for them to have any value. For instance, silicone bracelets intended to convey personal motivational messages as well as special jewelry such as lockets and stanhopes make much more sense if they are personalized. Gifts of a personal nature also tend to have more impact when customized for the recipient.
6.) It looks cool
Sometimes, you don’t really need any other reason to have accessories personalized. When the customization is done professionally or if there is a meaning behind the personalization, the accessory can take a life of its own, making you feel good about wearing it.
These days there are more options than ever for customizing all kinds of daily accessories. Today, you won’t have to experience the same struggles to own special accessories that you may have had even just 10 years ago. In a day and age where more people are starting to reject conformity and sameness, it’s interesting to see the market try to respond to this by offering all kinds of professional customization solutions.
  What other reasons for customizing accessories can you name? Tell us!
