From the catwalks of London, Paris and New York via urban trendsetters, here is a round up of spring/summer 2012’s hottest accessories.

Jewellery: ‘maximalism’

Say it loud and proud this summer. Gaudy, in-your-face jewellery is the look of the season. Gold is mixed with vibrant pinks, deep sea greens and sky blues. Mirror glass, metal and beading adorns everything from bracelets to earrings. The look is Bollywood meets Rio’s Mardi Gras. Bracelets vary from stretchy skinny beads and multi-coloured bangles to oversized cuffs and studded bracelets. New Look has a great range of bracelets this season and we particularly like the Multicoloured Tropical Beaded Cuff (pictured), which is a steal at just £6.99. Its part tribal, part vintage and part modern glamourpuss.

Earrings should be big and beautiful and over the top complete with feathers and diamante. Rings need to be big enough to cause some damage and necklaces are kitsch, long and childlike.

Hats: au naturel

Hats are being used to make real style statements of late. This season there’s everything from big floppy sunhats to punky fedoras and trilbies. A key look is raffia or straw, but throw in some Breton stripes for a little French Riviera chic.

Sunglasses: retro

Step back in time with this season’s sunglasses. From tortoiseshell wayfarer styles to oversized rose-tined round rims via cat-eyes and winged styles it’s all about retro looks this summer. Avoid dark colour lenses and opt for pinks and light browns. Natural coloured rims in wood or tortoiseshell effect look funky and fresh, but cool pastels reminiscent of Grease are ladylike and chic. Vanessa Hudgens is a real fan of retro sunglasses as you can see here.

Bags: go large

In keeping with the season’s penchant for making statements and going all out, it should come as no surprise that this summer’s bags are large and eye catching. In fact they are big enough to fit your shopping in. From large canvas shoppers to sporty bowling ball holdalls the season is all about scaling up. However, that’s not to say clutches are out in the cold. They have not been banished to the Arctic, on the contrary in fact they have been given a tropical twist with palm tree and Hawaiian flower prints. But whatever you do, make sure you buy a pink one.