Trend Watch: Bracelets Worn Over Gloves

Sometimes a trend needs an incubation period to take hold of the collective consciousness, and there’s nothing like a hit television show to bring an idea into focus. These days of the writers’ strike, the elimination of various popular fashion markers is painfully obvious and has widespread ramifications. As a trend-watching blogger, I definitely missed being able to tap into the rich visual resources of the Golden Globes.

Still, the celebrities are out and about, and Lucy Liu was photographed earlier this month in conjunction with an appearance on David Letterman’s show to promote her new television series Cashmere Mafia. The scuttlebutt is that the new show, about a group of fashionable career women, may appeal to those who found Sex and the City irresistible. Attending a class at GIA back in the heyday of SATC, the consensus was at the time that SATC was the one show to watch for the heads-up on some of the hottest trends in jewelry. CM is hoping to be the next SATC.

[Photo by Brian Bedder/Getty in People magazine.]

So when Lucy Liu, one of the stars of Cashmere Mafia, wears multiple bracelets over long black leather gloves to accessorize her designer dress, fashionistas are bound to notice. I doubt it’s pure coincidence that her gloves and bracelets accessorize a hot pink dress. The look clearly invokes that of Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, who dazzled with diamond bracelets worn over her hot pink gloves. Ms. Liu’s bracelets, in contrast, add a splash of color to her ensemble.

The three bracelets Ms. Liu is wearing appear to be bangles, which may be tricky for any but those with the smallest hands to slip on over gloves. Bracelets that open and close with a clasp are much easier to utilize to achieve this look. Cuffs with open backs are another option, but it may be difficult for the wearer to feel whether the bracelet is securely on her wrist because of the glove. A closed bracelet with a safety chain will provide optimal security. 

Keep in mind that the diameter of the bracelet may need to be larger in order to achieve this look. If you’re regularly stocking bracelets that work for the full-figured or large-boned customer, you already have things in stock that will work beautifully to effectuate this trend.

This trend presents a way for women who don’t particularly like their arms and hands to wear bracelets. It’s also a great solution for those occasions when a fingernail breaks just before an evening out.

Bracelets worn over gloves is a sassy retro look and a way to bring a little sparkle into the frigid days of winter.