Jewels on Jewels
A look at trends influencing your customers and tips on helping them choose flattering jewelry, from an image consultant and co-author of Jewelry Savvy.
The Return of the Pantsuit & Jewelry for the Polished Professional Woman
Its first notice on the fashion scene may have been the announcement in the December 28, 2009 issue of People magazine: “The Return of the Pantsuit: Brace yourself, this ever-so-sensible ensemble is making a comeback.” Indeed, five popular celebrities are shown wearing coordinated jackets or blazers with pants, all entirely office-appropriate except perhaps for some of the footwear a ...... Read More
Comments (1)Jewelry at the 2010 Academy Awards
And the winner is . . . diamonds. After all the color of the gemstones and boldness of designs at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, the Academy Awards proved to be the time for the presenters and nominees to wear their most formal ensembles. Gone were the short dresses and playful baubles. In came big dresses for the women, classic tuxedos for the men, and a sense of refined elegance in the accom ...... Read More
Comments (0)Repost: Side Effects: How to Choose Jewelry for a Dress with One-Sided Emphasis at the Hip (with Oscars Update!)
We have been experiencing technical problems with the original version of this blog post from March 3, 2010, so I am reposting this, supplemented with another great illustration, this one from Sunday night’s Academy Awards. The March 2010 issue of Vogue notes a flirty visual effect and fashionable trend in the form of side detail on a dress at the level of the wearer’s hips. The deta ...... Read More
Comments (0)Parsing Tim Gunn’s Advice to Buy a Necklace
People buy jewelry every day and for a myriad of reasons. To assist an indecisive customer, a successful retailer is able to address the customer’s questions and concerns as she or he mulls over a purchase. I found it interesting to read the rationale for purchase of a necklace presented by Tim Gunn in his column “Gunn Laws” in the March 2010 issue of Marie Claire magazine. In ...... Read More
Comments (1)Side Effects: How to Choose Jewelry for a Dress with One-Sided Emphasis at the Hip
The March 2010 issue of Vogue notes a flirty visual effect and fashionable trend in the form of side detail on a dress at the level of the wearer’s hips. The detail is perhaps a distant cousin of the peplum but decidedly one-sided; this look is all about asymmetrical sass. As Vogue describes it: “The fashionable set is putting a little bustle in the party-circuit hustle. These swagge ...... Read More
Comments (0)Floral Designs: Because We Need a Little Springtime Now!
Even in warm climates, viewing the winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada this last fortnight has given us a daily exposure to snow and ice. I found myself feeling chilled and reaching for a sweater as I enjoyed the competition and the ceremony. I had an up close and personal encounter with winter weather this week as well. After spending much of Wednesday at LaGuardia Airport awaiting the oppo ...... Read More
Comments (0)How a Necklace Might Look Hot Under Your Collar
This season has brought several examples already of jewelry worn over garments in creative and unexpected ways. We’ve seen rings worn over gloves. We’ve seen bracelets worn over sleeves. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising to see a tip provided by a guest editor in the February 2010 issue of Glamour magazine, illustrating the styling of a pair of necklaces over a shirt but unde ...... Read More
Comments (0)One Necklace + Two Brooches + Designer Inspiration = Exciting Jewelry Styling
There’s something wonderfully appealing about versatile jewelry that lends itself to being worn in more than one way. One versatile jewel can add substantially to a jewelry wardrobe, and if the piece is shared, say between mother and daughter, each may find her own unique way to express her personality and style with the jewelry. Following the Chanel chatelaine brooches that I wrote and ra ...... Read More
Comments (0)The Vee Neck Adorned vs. Unadorned: When Not to Add a Necklace
The little black dress (LBD) is a perennial staple of women’s wardrobes. And this season, eye-catching necklaces are ubiquitous–every list of must-have accessories this winter includes the statement necklace. Combining the two might seem to be a no-brainer. In many cases, there is nothing that will add more flair to a basic black dress than a gorgeous necklace. However, not all LBDs ...... Read More
Comments (0)More Fringe Benefits
Here are a few more illustrations of this important spring trend for your consideration: From the March 2010 issue of Glamour magazine, a new crop of fringe bags From the February 2010 issue of InStyle magazine, a photo of Camilla Belle wearing a dress by Alexander McQueen with beads dripping from the sleeves and at the waist. With McQueen’s passing, the world lost a designer of genius. ...... Read More
Comments (0)Trend Watch: Jewelry on the Fringe
With such characteristics as sparkle, gleam and shine, jewelry is eye-catching. Add motion to a piece of jewelry, and its appeal is almost irresistible. Jewelry designs that incorporate movement are not pieces for someone who needs to convey a conservative professional appearance - indeed, they can be quite distracting. Rather, these designs are about freedom and fun! How appropriate that the curr ...... Read More
Comments (0)Earrings that Elongate the Neck – Not!
There are some physical features almost universally desirable in terms of modern standards of beauty. One of these is a long, graceful neck. Although most commonly seen on individuals who are tall or average in height, there are petite women as well whose necks are proportionately long relative to their height. For those many millions of us who have short necks, our ears perk up when we hear about ...... Read More
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