Accessorizing with the Right Jewelry – Part 2

Continued from Dec 21st

In terms of matching your jewelry to your clothing, if you are wearing more than one color, your accessories should balance out the entire outfit. For example, if you are wearing black and red, you should have an even amount of red accessories (possibly garnets or coral) and black accessories (onyx or a black silk scarf). Stick with the same color palate for guaranteed success. Wear ruby or garnet earrings with a red top, or a sapphire or blue topaz -accented necklace or pendant with your favorite blue dress. Above all, make sure your jewelry is appropriate for the occasion or event that you will be wearing it to.

Utilize your current jewelry wardrobe to its best, and then over time fill in the gaps with complimentary pieces. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune to augment your jewelry wardrobe or have an extensive jewelry collection. It also doesn’t mean that you can’t mix a piece of fine jewelry with a bridge or costume, just as long as it works well together.

Consider having at least one signature piece of high quality jewelry that you wear frequently (other than your wedding band). It doesn’t have to be a handcrafted one-of-a-kind designer piece. There are plenty of wonderful pieces on the market that are unsigned but certainly make a fashion statement. Above all, make sure that your everyday or signature jewelry is in good condition. If it’s showing signs of wear, have it repaired, upgraded, or replaced.

Just remember that everyday jewelry should work well with the rest of your wardrobe and should reflect your personal style. Carry out this look when selecting new pieces to add to your jewelry wardrobe. Most importantly, remember that staying within your comfort zone and your personal fashion style goes a long way in making your confidence and personality shine.

Accessorizing with the Right Jewelry – Part 1

Accessorizing with jewelry is one of the most simplest and effective ways to make any outfit look great. Selecting a few choice pieces of handcrafted jewelry is no different than choosing your wardrobe. In fact, most stylists and image consultants refer to your overall jewelry collection as a wardrobe, since your jewelry is just as important as the clothes you wear. Just like a picture frame enhances and draws attention to the photo within, selecting the appropriate jewelry emphasizes your best features.

How best then to wear the jewelry you currently own? Taking stock of your existing jewelry wardrobe will help you immediately identify pieces you no longer wear, and more importantly, gives you a sense of what looks best for you and your overall comfort zone. Over time, you’ve probably developed a sense of likes and dislikes, favoring gold over silver or necklaces over bracelets.

Generally, brunettes, redheads, and grays should wear silver jewelry, while blondes look best in gold and copper. If you are brunette, and warm colors suit you, wearing gold would work just as well. Women with black hair usually look good in all three metals… gold, silver, and copper. However, there are no hard and fast rules. If you absolutely love silver and you’re a blond, or a brunette, redhead, or gray and love gold or copper, go for it!

Try not to mix styles. A modern silver cuff won’t look right paired with antique gold filigree earrings. Stick with a matching bracelet and earring set or two similar necklaces also looks great. Until recently, it was taboo to mix metals. This was one of those old-school rules that most designers now ignore. The trick is if you want to mix metals, keep the style of jewelry the same. A simple hammered chain necklace of silver and gold, or silver and copper links looks absolutely stunning and is very fashion-forward. Stacking rings or bracelets also lends perfectly to the mixing of metals. You can even stack square or round rings or bangles in different shades of gold, silver or copper.

Stay tuned for the rest of this article on December 29th…

Appel & Frank – “Spring into Style” San Francisco – Featuring spring collections from John S. Brana

March13, 2008 – Appel & Frank – “Spring into Style” San Francisco – 5:00pm to 9:30pm at the Regency Center – Sutter Room, located at 1270 Sutter Street at Van Ness. Over 600 guests will shop from 65 designers, including John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry, selling everything from jewelry and clothing, to accessories and more. In addition to the fabulous shopping, there will be complimentary drinks, beauty services, and giveaways.

Natasha Bedingfield wears Hammered Copper Earrings with Aquamarine from John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry

 

New York, NY – November 28, 2007 -Natasha Bedingfield at Rockefeller Center – Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony wearing Hammered Copper Earrings with Aquamarine from John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry – SoMa Collection.

Click Here to Buy These Earrings

John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry now at Monkey on Chestnut – San Francisco, CA

For those readers that live in San Francisco, you can now find selected pieces from my Monterey, Pacific Heights, SoMa, and Sea Cliff collections at Monkey on Chestnut in San Francisco’s famous Marina District. Monkey on Chestnut, named after a Monkey seen gathering jewelry from the ruins in Cow Hollow after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, is located right on Chestnut at Fillmore (2025 Chestnut). The store includes the works of over 100 local jewelry designers and vintage dealers. Come by and you’re in for a treat!

Gentry Magazine features 18k Gold Amethyst Earrings from the Pacific Heights Collection

A pair of earrings from jewelry designer John S. Brana will spruce up that white button-down shirt and wide-leg trouser pants. These ornate earrings from the Pacific Heights Collection ($1,235) feature 18k gold cascading swirls and ornate amethyst stones.

 

 

 

Gentry Magazine’s mission is “to report and reflect on our community at large with intelligence, integrity, sophistication, and quality. Our distinctive coverage of people and personalities, towns and communities, history and travel, culture and events, has earned Gentry unparalleled respect and devotion from its readers.”

Gentry can be found at various locations throughout the San Francisco Peninsula and South Bay – from Hillsborough to Los Altos, and Cupertino Hills to the Almaden Valley. Click here to find out more about Gentry.