Ornamental Choices
The
only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.
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Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias
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Closet Content Analysis:
Bracelets, Bangles & Cuffs
Bracelets, Bangles & Cuffs
NICE NO THANKS NOTE-WORTHY NEED NEW
NICE: I have
an 18 kt gold hinged oval bangle that I bought when I was in Kuala Lampur in 2007. I wear it alone or with other bracelets and bangles and so it is, by this
blog’s definition, the NICEST bracelet I have ever owned. However, I must take
the following into consideration, there are very few bracelets that I haven't liked.
Bracelets are my favorite in the jewelry category with bangles and cuffs taking me over the top.
NO THANKS:
For the most part, I have outgrown delicate lovely little things so at this
point in my life anything delicate is not part of my “jewelry box” contents.
So the NO THANKS comes more from simply outgrowing the delicate pieces, and not
from making a purchasing mistake.
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| Colibri, the store, somewhere in France, where I bought my NOTEWORTHY bracelets. |
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| This was one of the first sets of five bracelets with charms that I made as inspired by the original five I bought in France. |
I’ve
been on a constant diet for the last two and a half decades. I’ve lost a total
of 789 pounds. By all accounts I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.
– Erma
Bombeck
NOTEWORTHY #2: Now that I’m making jewelry and regularly showing, I never throw unfashionable or broken pieces away and I advise all who buy from me the same. I have re-constructed many broken or no longer stylish necklaces, bracelet charms or earrings into statement pieces. When my mother died, I found a box of necklaces without clasps, partially strung beads, single earrings and other such un-wear-ables. Women save the strangest things! I took the pieces and remade them as bracelets and gave them to her granddaughters. It brought me a great deal of pleasure and I salvaged some lovely crystals and vintage beads that probably would have been thrown away.
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| The steel gray thin bangles are my Delta dollar store purchase. |
Accessories are important and becoming more and more important
every day,
- Giorgio Armani
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| New gold cuff stacked with other lovelies. |
NEW: Two new cuffs. The first a metal extremely long gold cuff. I was apprehensive at first but Kendra, one of the sales associates, convinced me.
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| Silver metal circle patterned front hinge-closure cuff. |
The second, a silver metal circle- patterned one. Both cuffs were purchased at Dutch Growers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on March 31, 2012. Now if you're thinking, "that sounds like a greenhouse or garden centre", it is both of those things. However, the store houses great interior decor and a department of clothing and fashion jewelry. This way you can be a fashionable gardener, I guess. Prairie folks are very practical.
Jewelry Buying Tips: Buy what you are immediately attracted to and do not listen to what anyone else says. If you love it, you’ll wear it; if they love it, you’ll end up giving it to them because you’re not wearing it.
If you're not sure about this spring's bright colours in your clothing choices, buy some orange bracelets at the "dollar store" to bring in spring 2012. One of my best cheap bracelet experiences was in Delta, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver. The owners of this "dollar store" were from India and had the best selection of those thin bangles, already stacked together . . . for 20 cents each! Mais oui - but of course, I splurged and bought ten - just call me big spender!
Jewelry Cleaning Tips: Rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip or cotton ball is probably the safest
way to clean gold, silver, crystal, glass or even plastic jewelry.
Some
people swear by using a commercial glass cleaner, for all
their jewelry cleaning. I’m not experienced on that one but for glass and
crystals, it makes sense.
Use
a soft cotton, wool or silk cloth to clean and polish your baubles. Keep an old cotton t-shirt, silk scarf or woolen mitten for this purpose.
Welcoming your comments on the bracelets
in your ”jewelry box” and your bracelet buying, gifting or receiving experiences.
I love watch bracelets, especially if I can tighten the fit, but I find wearing bangles somewhat uncomfortable. My wrists are small, so most bangles tend to fall off unless I can adjust them.
ReplyDeleteActually bracelets are the least popular of jewelry choices because they do get in the way. Anyone who has ever worn bangles to work has them off before they're into their first half hour. Using a computer keyboard is almost impossible. They can even be annoying while having dinner. So perhaps the chunky bracelets and bangles are best at a cocktail party where the wrist "candy" can be strictly that and not get into the way of anything.
DeleteMy initial reply was to the "uncomfortable" reference in your comment. Now I can address the "small wrist" dilemma by directing you to a website called Alterations Needed (link on the Stylish Connections page). The writer is 4'11" and speaks to fashion for those small in stature. On that site you will find a post about bracelets for tiny wrists. Sorry it took me so long to address that particular issue in your comment.
Delete