Looking great doesn't have to be expensive. Many people shy away from affordable costume jewelry because they are afraid it looks cheap, but this isn't always the case. In fact, some costume jewelry can be considered high fashion even if it isn't adorned with precious stones. For example, House of Harlow jewelry is designed by none other than Nicole Ritchie, which makes it a highly fashionable choice. The following tips will help you accessorize like a pro by flaunting your jewelry the right way.
Tip #1: Work with your neck length
One of the easiest way to make a necklace look tacky is to choose the wrong piece for your neck length. If you have a short neck, avoid chunky necklaces – especially those on shorter chains. Chokers should also be avoided, since they can make shorter necks look even shorter. Necklaces with slightly longer chains and single large pendants or multiple small pendants look better for short necks, while longer necks can pull off shorter and chunkier necklaces.
Tip #2: Don't over-accessorize
Big and bold maxi-style earrings along with oversize pendants are popular, but over-doing the maxi look just makes costume jewelry look over the top. Instead, pick one statement piece when you are opting for the maxi look. If you wear the earrings, skip the necklace completely. If you opt for the necklace, opt for smaller and more diminutive earrings. The good news is that you can still get away with wearing a chunky bracelet with either the earrings or necklace, though.
Tip #3: Don't be afraid to stack
If bold is your thing, then this tip is for you. While you don't want to go overboard with mixing types of jewelry, feel free to go to extremes a bit with a single jewelry type. This means you can stack bracelets up your arm, deck out your fingers in rings, or layer your necklaces to your heart's content without fear of it looking cheap. The key is to mix both thicker or chunkier pieces with a few more delicate pieces and to only stack or layer one type of jewelry.
Tip #4: Mix your metals
One benefit of costume jewelry is that it is more cost effective to build up a large collection of many different metal hues, while fine jewelry is usually confined to gold, rose, and silver tones. These multitudes of metal choices don't have to be kept separate, either. Although once considered a fashion faux pas, it is now accepted and considered attractive to mix different types of metals. Just make sure all the pieces complement each other in other ways, such as basic design or stone styles.
To purchase costume jewelry, check out a shop like Fashionest.
