How To Wear Statement Jewelry

Statement jewelry is such a strong trend for Fall & Winter 2009 – or for anytime you want to make an impression with your jewelry!

But are you having problems incorporating big, bold jewelry pieces into your wardrobe?

I’ve got a few suggestions and outfit ideas to make statement jewelry into a great accent for your wardrobe. The key is figuring out how to make statement jewelry work for you, instead of feeling overwhelmed by it.

First of all – what is “statement jewelry“?

Well, to me, statement jewelry is any kind of jewelry that makes a big impact. Wide cuff bracelets, generously-sized chandelier earrings or big bib necklaces all qualify as statement jewelry.

In general, statement jewelry makes such an impact that you’d only want to wear one piece (a pair of earrings count as one piece) at a time. Of course, for black tie events you can bend the rules a little…

Let’s start with something relaxed and casual:

Multi-colored and layered chain necklaces are still a popular look, so I’ve chosen the multi coloured chain bib necklace by ertz, from Charm & Chain. It’s a combination of black, brass, pink, brown and turquoise chains.

The skinny jeans, t-shirt and booties keep the outfit relaxed and casual. I added another dash of color with a soft sweater – it’s fall, you might need another layer to stay warm and cozy! The turquoise makes the chain necklace really pop without looking too matchy-matchy.

So you want to go for something a little more feminine?

For this outfit I’ve paired a cuff bracelet and a pair of chandelier earrings – which I realize that I just cautioned against For me, this pairing works because both the earrings and the bracelet are both made from matching metal. If they were bright colors or had lots of stones I would recommend just going with one or the other.

See – there are very few hard and fast rules!

The bracelet is an 18kt gold woven bracelet from Tiffany & Co, designed by Angela. The chandelier coin earrings are on the complete opposite of the price scale at just $4 from Charlotte Russe.

The earrings and bracelet dress up an otherwise quite simple dress, paired with a knitted cropped jacket in a warm mustard yellow. The simple necklines means that the earrings can stand out and make a statement without being overwhelmed by fussy details.

Let’s go for something really dressy for my last set of jewelry picks:

First of all, I am not suggesting that you wear four statement necklaces with the classic little black cocktail dress! I’ve pulled four necklaces out to show how many amazing statement pieces you can find these days, for any budget.

I think big necklaces like these ones can be a little overwhelming, so first of all – keep your colors restrained if you’re concerned about jewelry overkill. All four of these necklaces can stand by themselves as the only piece of jewelry that you’re wearing as well.

Clockwise from the top right, the necklaces are the “Glitter Flower” necklace from Browns, the “Twilight” statement necklace from Hannah Zakari, Rajana Khan’s mother-of-pearl necklace at Saks 5th Avenue and the last is the “Chain and Bead” necklace from Oasis.

The key to wearing statement jewelry?

Be confident! Wear it with a great attitude and you’ll look amazing…