A wise and talented woman who went by the name of Coco Chanel, (heard of her ?), once said that when accessorising you should always take one thing off before you leave the house. This used to be a pretty failsafe mantra by which to leave one’s abode but nowadays accessories are just as important as the outfit they complete and I believe more is more!
Layering is such a key trend at the moment and it’s one that will be around for a while and the easiest way to achieve this look is with your accessories. With the weather already in single figures, layering your clothes is key and with your jewellery it couldn’t be simpler.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to layering, it’s all about mixing and matching; vintage with high street, gold with silver, plastic with metal, building your look with different shapes and textures. Bracelets and watches are so easy to stack and your arm can instantly be transformed into a veritable totem pole of accessories. Who says you can’t wear two watches at once? You have ten fingers, why wear only one ring? The same applies for necklaces; you can create such interesting effects from piling on chains of various colours and lengths. If it’s good enough for Blake and Sarah-Jessica, it’s good enough for me! As long as you vary sizes and shapes then there’s nothing to stop you from raiding your jewellery box and adorning yourself in a way that would make any magpie jealous.
Of course you need to use common sense when layering your accessories, there’s a fine line between being on-trend and looking like a beach-side seller trying to peddle your wares. Focus on one area of your body at a time, be it your wrist, neck or fingers. Look at the pieces you already have and figure out what textures and colours will really work together and in doing so you can breathe new life into your accessories and update your wardrobe free of charge.
So remember, if you can’t decide between two pieces of jewellery, wear them both! And the new rule of thumb is “before you leave the house, be brave and put something else on!”
