Four July 4th Jewelry Ideas

It's almost July 4th again, jewelry hounds - that wholesome American holiday where folks all over this great nation utter the time-honored phrase,

"Hold my beer while I light this."

Sparklers of a different sort are what I'm interested in, so here are a few of my July 4th jewelry thoughts to add a little flare to your fashion.

1. Cocktail Rings

I like the idea of using your jewelry to add that last bit of red, white or blue to the BBQ ensemble - and what better way than with an oversized cocktail ring? Grab a costume piece from the vintage store down the block or shop from a huge selection of gemstone styles.

2. Step Away From The Flag Jewelry

Why not hit the holiday on the nose with a little flag jewelry? Because it's predictable, Mary. That's why. How about a little 'star' power like this instead?

3. Dangle/Disco Earrings

Time to bring out your fireworks-inspired ear wear, ladies. The more they glitter the better.

4. The Star 'Bangled' Banner, anyone?...Anyone?

Finally - the tried-and-true layered bangle look is a great way to add the 'Old Glory' color triumvirate to an all-white ensemble. You've already got 'em in the jewelry box. Time to bring 'em out an layer 'em on - maybe with a splash of gold for good measure?

Ok, jewelry hounds. Time to go get my, 'No, I really DO like potato salad' game face on.

In the meantime, weigh in with some of your favorite July 4th jewels!

Paris, Pearls and Perfection

Paris Fashion Week is winding down, and my favorite designers (Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Marc Jacbos for LV, etc.) all dazzled with cutting edge collections that left fashionista drool all along the Champs Elysees. But it was John Galliano who topped them all this season.




Always the Parisian darling, Galliano was hand-picked by Anna Wintour to take over the House of Dior a while back, and he's certainly done well by the brand - but it was his John Galliano line that sent the tastemakers and fashion obsessed into orbit.


Inspired by a research trip to Hollywood, Galliano immersed himself in the Tallulah Bankhead, Mary Pickford world of studio system glamour and spun it into a magnificent showing of lace, pearls, and simply spectacular headwear. Style.com aptly calls it his 'fashion version of Sunset Boulevard'.


And while we mere mortals can only gawk at the beautiful baubles and garments that only a size zero gamine can pull off, there are ways to bring a little Galliano high fashion fantasy into our own wardrobes.


I'm making a beeline for my grandmother's pearls and brooches - and already have a long blazer belted over a long dress set aside in my mind for the next night out. And it looks like layering those bangles is simply always a safe bet - the look is present here and with many other designers this year (see the Jewelry.com Facebook album for more).

So what do you guys think of the Galliano girls this go round? Aren't they just beyond? Or am I losing my mind after so many runway roundups?

Fashion Week Jewelry: Take 1

With the Fashion World still nursing their hangovers from yesterday’s Fashion’s Night Out festivities, there are a few jewelry tidbits worth highlighting for you while we wait for the major designers to show later this weekend.

1. Statement Necklaces

Red carpet designer, Monique Luillier, featured the (by now) ubiquitous statement necklace with her spring ready-to-wear line. Is this anything new? Not really. Just further proof that you can keep your signature pieces at the ready for the next 6 months.

2. Bangles

Vena Cava featured Tiffany jewelry on her runway this season and stacked a series of black bangles with almost every streamlined outfit. A good thought to keep on the back burner if you’re ever wondering how to jewel up an outfit.

3. Layers

Gwen Stefani’s seven-year-old line L.A.M.B is still going strong with Bannanarama meets Blondie 80s rock looks for Spring 2010. In true 80s style, Stefani opted to layer each piece with long necklace strands in every incarnation – from pearls to gold and more.

So that’s just a taste of the Fall Fashion Week mayhem to come. Here’s hoping for some new trends to liven things up a bit. So far – I’m not impressed.

Bring Out the Bangles for Spring

While I would certainly love to “Walk Like an Egyptian” again, the bangle craze sweeping the nation this spring isn’t in the guise of an 80s girl band – it’s all in the wrist. If the recent runways are any indication, the ‘in’ way to accessorize this season is to layer big chunky bangles elbow deep and clink your way into sartorial bliss.

“Bangles are making a comeback,” stylist Edward Enninful, who used them at Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s Spring show for Malo, told Style.com. “The clothes were so urban, clean, and refined, we decided to pile bracelets on to give the collection a tribal edge.”

Designers like Christian Lacroix, Zac Posen and Marc Jacobs used the look with their lines, and if you haven’t gawked at Madonna’s bangled appendages for the new Louis Vuitton ads, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that the iconic bangle wearer has brought the trend well into the 21st century.

Bangles have gone in and out of style over the years – from Nancy Cunard, the rebellious Jazz Age heiress, to Madge’s Dress You Up In My Love era in the 80s. But the bangle has been around for thousands of years, originating in India and Pakistan.

Indian tradition dictates that women wear bangles called Chudi to signify their recent marriage. Wearing a single bangle is frowned upon, perhaps because that familiar ‘clinking’ sound is such a part of Indian culture – even Bollywood incorporates the ‘bangle clink’ in many of their movie soundtracks.

Bangles are made from a variety of materials – from affordable plastics to more luxurious precious metals like silver or gold - all good news for us frugalistas who want to stay hip to the trends but not to our falling bank balances.

So whether you want to add a little flair to your “Manic Monday” or clink it up for a night on the town, layered bangles are a trendy, colorful – and most of all - affordable way to make your own jewelry statement for spring.

Clink on, jewelry hounds. Clink on.

Jewelry Explodes in Paris

The Paris couture shows are taking the runways by storm this week, and while folks generally take a gander at the often-outrageous looks and wonder who on earth would ever wear such nonsense, I find couture gawking the perfect indulgence – especially in these trying times. It’s like rolling around in a vat of Cherry Garcia or having that third - ok fourth - margarita.

So imagine my dismay when I came across the Karl Lagerfeld show for Chanel. It’s all white. It’s suit skirts. It’s a jewelry wasteland. Of course there were fabulously intricate white hats that dazzled the well-heeled crowd, but I’m not in the mood for white right now, Karl. This economy blows. I’m no longer getting my hair highlighted. I want an escape, not a reminder of how bland life is now that I'm off the $4 lattes.

























Thankfully, Christian Lacroix is my new ‘white’ knight in shining couture. Not only are there colors exploding all over his catwalk, but the jewelry is an over-the-top display of decadence the likes of which I’ve never seen before. It’s like going down a bauble-filled rabbit hole on crack.
















































Dinner plate-sized hoop earrings, stacks of mismatched lacquer and crystal cuffs, multiple layerings of giant necklaces, gilded heart-shaped lockets, faux fronds of coral, beaded everything but the kitchen sink… Clearly, words don’t do the show justice, but Style.com’s reviewer comes close:

“(The show) was a pleasure to witness and something to be inspired by. Even if only the very few will own a part of this collection, there's an idea in there for every fashion watcher: If you've got jewelry, it's time to bring it out and try piling it on all at once.”

























So perhaps we mere mortals can take a lesson from the ivory tower of runway fashion. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Anything goes. If you’ve still got those rubber bangles from the 80s, put 'em on with your diamond necklace and that beaded choker you're afraid to wear for fear it makes you look 'easy'.

I may be getting a little couture-crazed, but if you don't want to scare the neighbors, you at least have to get the full effect of the Lacroix jewelry dreamscape by checking out the dizzying pics on Style.com. And be sure to pair your viewing with a nice pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk. You’ll thank me for it later.