Sep 11
29
How to Select the Right Jewelry
We can just tell when a woman looks particularly good. We don’t always know why – if it’s her outfit, hair style, good mood or what – we just know that it all clicks. Let’s suppose we were to dissect her appearance bit by bit to see if we couldn’t pinpoint what it was that made her look fabulous that day. Is that possible? Yes! In fact there is a whole industry built around doing just that. It’s wardrobe styling. Recently I met with a wardrobe stylist, not for myself, but to better serve my jewelry clients.
I know instinctively which jewelry pieces look best on which women. Many times I can do this without even seeing her. After asking pertinent questions of the gift buyer; I usually know just the right look for her. I start with an open ended question: I ask what she looks like. I can gather a lot of information from their
response. If they have trouble with that, I ask how she compares in size to me. Then her hair and eye color and skin tone. I ask what she does, what her job and lifestyle is, briefly. If I’m still not getting a picture, I ask what she wears. It’s interesting how much information you can get from those key questions.
By considering her scale, shape, coloring, and personality when selecting the jewelry she wears, a woman will look particularly well put together, even causing people to ask if she got a haircut or changed her makeup!
The right piece of jewelry is as important to an overall look as the right hairstyle, according to experts. However, for many women, jewelry selection remains a mysterious and highly personal subject. A woman probably knows what she likes in terms of the jewelry she sees and wears, but what she may not know is what styles specifically flatter her – or how to wear the pieces she owns and loves. She may also not know what to take into account about when adding new pieces to her jewelry wardrobe.
A woman’s personality is key. She should always select pieces that reflect her own personality. There are jewelry pieces to suit every style and personality, ranging from conservative to those with a definite creative streak. The universal style categories, defined in 1995 by Alyce Parsons are: traditional, elegant, feminine, sporty, alluring, creative and dramatic.
I like to think I’m all of those at any given time! You may want create a certain impression, such authoritative, or perhaps approachable. Sharp angles, straight lines and geometric shapes convey authority, like the necklace to the left, with the large angular geode pendant.
Classic conservative designs (like small hoop earrings and classic pearls) are highly professional and authoritative. To be more approachable, include colored gemstones or softer design elements like curves, circles and ovals. Pieces with movement lend approachability, like the pale pink round freshwater pearl earrings to the right.
Ok, now what looks good on you? We know that you want to take your personality into consideration. We also learned that scale and shape are important. In my next article we will look at the most important piece of jewelry to illustrate scale and shape – the earrings.
