Style 360

March 9, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

First Lady Michelle Obama has, arguably, stolen Hollywood's spotlight, becoming the most-watched style icon, with blogs detailing her every outfit and mainstream fashion media analyzing her impact. Want proof of her status? In March, fashion bible Vogue opted for Obama over a celebrity or supermodel for their cover. 

Perhaps one of the biggest the reasons for Obama's influence is the accessibility of her style. While she has been compared to Jackie O., Michelle O. opts for the likes of J. Crew over Valentino--making her choices for clothes and jewelry within reach of average women. As a result, the ...Read More

February 23, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

I take it back. After the Golden Globes, I doubted Hollywood starlets’ and stylists’ ability to figure out how to accessorize a dress with a necklace. And last night they all proved me wrong.

Like the runways in New York last week, the red carpet in Hollywood last night was all about statement necklaces. And all I can say is: HOORAY! Necklaces took the place of earrings as the go-to accessory, from major (a la Amanda Seyfried):

 

To demure (perfectly played by Penelope Cruz):

...Read More

February 19, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

For several seasons, we’ve been feeling (and reporting) the rumblings of a silhouette shift when it comes to jewelry style. On the runways in New York this week, designers confirmed it: shorter, usually structured, necklaces are the new fashion must-have. After (what feels like) an eternity of long, draping layers or bare necks that emphasize earrings, these simple, classic necklace shapes feel fresh, fashion-forward and the perfect compliment to Fall 09 favorites like tailored jackets, one-shoulder silhouettes, slim turtlenecks, classic dresses and even (for you Marc Jacobs fans) 1980s flashbacks.

Here are some of my favorites:


Michael Kors


...Read More

February 18, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Fine jewelry stores have long suffered the (too often, accurate) reputation of being intimidating. This comes largely from salespeople who size up a customer and treat them poorly based on (too often, inaccurate) assumptions. And they, of course, share this reputation with retail outlets for other luxury goods, especially high fashion. 

Having been on the receiving end of such snootiness, I know it is sometimes outrageous (the Fortunoff salesperson who once told a friend and I, because we wanted to make small purchase five minutes before closing, to come back the next day); often insulting (the Milan boutique where, a bit worse-for-wear after a trans-Atlantic flight I actually had a salesperson follow me around silently—in a waiting-for-me-to-pocket-something way, not in a may-I help-you way); and, on occasion, comical (the cu...Read More

February 17, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I’ve heard it a million times from jewelers around the country: How can I make Hollywood events relevant to my store? Well, here’s one idea, compliments of Schwarzschild Jewelers in Richmond, Va.

When musician Jason Mraz invited his mom, June Tomes, to join him at the Grammy’s, the Richmond-area resident needed jewels worthy of the event. Enter Schwarzschild, who worked with her to find the perfect jewels to accessorize her gown. Did working with Tomes earn them recognition on the world stage or immediate gratification in the form of sales? Nope. But it did something even more valuable for an independent jeweler: it got their name out locally and boosted their reputation as the go-to jeweler for fashion and style. Click here to see for yourself.