Style by Claire Lopez

To bling or not to bling? That is the question.

Jewellery, like a puppy, is not just for Christmas, although this Christmas my wish list seems to be entirely jewellery based. But I am an unashamed magpie so I am most definitely in the ‘get decking yourselves out’ camp. That doesn’t mean I want to look more sparkly than the Queen at the state opening of Parliament, but a nice necklace or bracelet can make such a difference to more or less any outfit.

Fear not though, you don’t need to take out a loan to cover the cost of all those carats because there is so much out there that looks a lot more expensive than it is and that will work everyday.

I have these two chains from Hush which I have been wearing all Autumn. Ethiopian Promise Ring £30.

372x540.crop.ETHR-GOL-ONE-07[1]

Star Necklace £49.95. They both come in silver and gold. The gold is a lovely matt colour so not shiny at all and works really well just over a jumper or t-shirt and then with a little cami for the evening. Add some coated jeans, heels and a blazer and you are hot to trot.

530x760.fit.HQJ8-GOL-01[1]

The star is a huge motif for the season, so get twinkling with these other little beauties: Hush Star Bracelet £36.95, again in gold and silver.

372x540.crop.HSH3_GOL_07[1]

Lots of star earrings to choose from but these in silver or gold are great for every day: Hush Open Star Earrings £39.95.

372x540.crop.OSE-GOL-07[1]

If you want trend pieces that you can add your own stamp to then Anna Lou of London is a great jewellery brand because you can personalise/ mix and match so many of the lovely items. You can buy this Shooting Star necklace £35 in sterling silver, 18 k plated yellow or rose gold and if you don’t want the chain then you can also buy the charm for £25. Perfect.

Picture4

There are also Shooting Star Studs £35 to match. Again in all three colours so there is something for all skin tones – these are in the rose gold. She also does hearts if you are bored of stars.

4376[1]

If you have kids then this is one of many necklaces and bracelets that you can have engraved with the initials of your nearest and dearest. Probably a better alternative to a tattoo too.

IMG_0279[1]

Sticking with the astrological theme, these Lightning Studs £16 from Stella & Dot are very pretty.

Picture3

Most of us wear a lot of denim so a necklace that picks up the blue colour would be very useful. Stella & Dot has this Element Necklace £65. Yes it is more expensive but it is really several necklaces in one as you can wear each strand separately or together and you can choose the blingy side or not.

Picture5

My daughter has also cottoned on to the power of layering and I regularly find her standing on a chair next to the chest of drawers extracting all my fine chains from my jewellery box. Whilst I should be proud of her innate sense of style, I am mostly irritated at having to untangle the giant ball of gold that her tiny hands create within a matter of moments. Thinking about it, I should harness that lightning speed dexterity of finger and get training her on the Rubix cube or in some Artful Dodger-esque pursuits!

So on to something a bit more sturdy which sits on the middle ground between subtle chains and full on bling.

Stella & Dot has this Ally Double Wrap Bracelet £35 that is on my Christmas list as it would look lovely for everyday but also for evening.

Picture8

 

Oliver Bonas also has this Wrap Around Studded Leather Bracelet £19.50.

695404_oliver-bonas_jewellery_wrap-around-studded-leather-bracelet[1]

So enough of understatement and subtlety, because there is also a very large place for statement jewellery in your stash. Don’t have a spangly top for your night out? Then add any of these gorgeous necklaces to a sweater or plain t and you will instantly add the right amount of going-out-ness to your look. Arguably, this is a much cooler anyway.

Stella & Dot has a very good selection of statement jewels including this Natalie necklace £85 which is one of theirs that you can wear in multiple ways.

Picture9

They also have a Black Friday sale on at the moment and this Plume necklace has been reduced from £115 to £86. It comes with black and cobalt interchangeable feathers and you can wear as a one strand necklace through to the full on statement piece.  A very versatile day to evening necklace.

Picture4

I used to be an Accessorize girl through and through but can’t seem to find as much to tempt me these days. I did find this Leila 3D Flower Statement Necklace £25.

9066814210078[1]

Oliver Bonas has this Rama Disc Necklace £25 in silver and gold, although the gold version looks a bit Christmas cracker to me.

966429_oliver-bonas_jewellery_rama-disc-necklace[1]

A few Christmas’ ago, I saw an article in the Sunday Times with the most gorgeous coloured cuff in it. I casually left this out on the kitchen table with a not-so-subtle post-it saying ‘this is what I would like for Christmas’. He took the bait and I have worn it so much since. But I am on the hunt for a new cuff because these are your arm candy on nights out.

Reiss has a couple of very nice styles that I am tempted by: Flis Metal and Suede Cuff £40.

996005-20-2[1]

They also have this Maple Chunky Cuff in nude £35 which also comes in black and dark brown.

996018-03-2[1]

Anna Lou of London has this lovely style as well: Kohl Heart Cuff £75. This comes in black, blue, white and pink.

Picture2

And now to finish off with some rings which pack a whole lot of punch despite their modest price tag. My favourite is the PS I Love You ring £35 from Anna Lou of London – this is the rose gold option – not sure why my hand looks so large and so neon but I can assure you that neither is down to the ring!

Picture1

 

Stella & Dot also has a few goodies too including the Pave Chevron Ring £25.

Picture7

And the Pearl Spike Ring £25.

Picture6

I think that there may be a few more post-its around the place in the run up to Christmas. But since a never to be forgotten and totally hideous bag (more suited to the Queen Mother than a new mum) was purchased, I do think a little bit of guidance goes a long way…

WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE LATEST LIFESTYLE TIPS & TRICKS, PLUS SOME EXCLUSIVE GOODIES!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *