Does wearing jewelry stress you out? If you’re not used to wearing jewelry often, you might not know how to style jewelry or what pieces to wear.
Jewelry really comes down to your personal style and what you think looks great. But knowing a few tips for how to wear jewelry well can help you look polished and make it easier to accessorize.
Check out these jewelry tips for styling your accessories.
1. Create a Core Jewelry Collection
Jewelry isn’t a one-size-fits-all accessory where any necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings will go with any outfit. You’ll want a mix of core jewelry pieces for different occasions, including work, formal, and everyday jewelry pieces.
Consider your usual routines and the type of jewelry you need for those activities. Then, consider the types of jewelry you like to wear. Maybe you love dressing up outfits with necklaces and earrings, but you’re not much of a bracelet fan.
This helpful jewelry guide covers the different types of jewelry and various occasions to help you choose the right pieces for you. The best jewelry is the type that speaks to you and shows off your personal style.
2. Determine the Purpose
Before you choose your jewelry for the day, consider your purpose for the accessories. Your jewelry can be the star of the show, or it can serve as more of a subtle complement to your outfit. Deciding how much attention you want the jewelry to get helps you pick out the pieces.
The style of your outfit can also play a role in the jewelry’s purpose. If you’re wearing a casual T-shirt and jeans but want to dress it up a little, you might choose a necklace or earrings that draw attention.
3. Skip Jewelry Sets
Picking a matching jewelry set might seem like the easy way to go, but too much of the same thing can look overly matched and unappealing. Instead, find individual pieces that you like that look good together. Find something that links them, such as a similar style, gemstone, or embellishment type.
To test out how well the pieces go together, lay them out next to one another on your dresser. Swap out different pieces to see which combinations look good to you.
4. Don’t Go Overboard
You might love all of your jewelry, but putting on too many pieces at once can be distracting. Picking one main focal point and adding a few other accessories can help.
One way to know if you’re going overboard is to look at the different types of jewelry you’re wearing. If you have a big statement necklace on, large detailed earrings and a big stack of bracelets are likely too much. Scale back on your earrings and bracelets to let the necklace take the spotlight.
5. Layer Your Jewelry
Layering necklaces creates a fashionable, interesting look at your neckline. It also makes it easy to change up your jewelry look because you can mix and match different necklaces to layer.
When layering, pick necklaces of different lengths so they hit at different spots. This makes all of the necklaces visible instead of having them clump together or block each other.
Choose pieces with different textures, colors, and designs to make each necklace more noticeable.
6. Know Your Necklaces Lengths
Women’s necklaces range from about 14 inches to 42 inches, giving you a huge range of options. Certain lengths work best for specific styles or with certain types of clothing.
Necklaces up to 18 inches sit close to the neck and work well with most clothing. A 20 to 24-inch necklace usually falls between your collarbone and bust and is a good option for casual or work wear. Longer necklaces, from 28 inches and longer, often work well with dressier outfits as well as high necklines.
Try necklaces of different lengths with your favorite outfits to see where the jewelry falls. This can help you find the lengths you like with different types of necklines or specific clothing styles.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Metals
One survey showed that 35% of women preferred white gold while only 11% preferred yellow gold. The good news is you don’t have to decide. You can wear both at the same time.
The old jewelry etiquette rule says you shouldn’t mix different metal types. Modern jewelry wearing trends say wear whatever metals you want together. If you like how the pieces work together, go for it.
This is great news if you like wearing metals that don’t match your wedding ring, watch, or another jewelry piece that you wear daily. You can accessorize with lots of different metals without worry. The new rule about mixing metals also makes it easier to fit in an heirloom jewelry piece or an old favorite that’s made of metal that you don’t wear often.
Also read: 2021 Wedding Trends
8. Balance Your Clothing and Jewelry
Your jewelry is an accessory meant to complement your clothes, but that doesn’t mean your outfit always has to be the star of the show. Balance colors, patterns, and loudness between your jewelry and clothes.
If you’re wearing a brightly colored top with a bold pattern, pairing it with bold, loud jewelry can make it seem like too much. Balance that statement outfit with more subtle jewelry.
For a more subtle outfit, make your look more interesting with noticeable jewelry pieces. Bright gemstones pop against a neutral top. Chunky jewelry with lots of detail can also jazz up a simple outfit.
9. Develop Your Own Style
Jewelry trends come and go. It can be fun to experiment with the latest jewelry trends, but don’t sacrifice your own style just to be trendy.
When shopping for jewelry, choose the pieces that stand out to you. If you love a large cocktail ring and bold necklaces that make a statement, stock your jewelry box with them. Maybe you prefer simple chains and stud earrings, which is just perfect for you.
Even though you have your go-to style, don’t be afraid to try something new if a jewelry piece speaks to you. Give that set of bangle bracelets a try even if you don’t normally wear bracelets. Pick out a colorful gemstone piece even if you normally stick with diamonds.
Have Fun Wearing Jewelry
Wearing jewelry doesn’t have any strict rules that you have to follow. Finding the best jewelry for your outfit comes down to what you love and what makes you feel happy.
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