With a cold British winter hovering just over our heads the time has come to briefly forgo our Christmas shopping for something equally important; preparing our outfits for the winter season. In every high-street shop we’re surrounded by an endless array of cute owl jumpers and much needed woolly hats, but it’s also important to make sure that your jewellery’s up to scratch. A frosty winter is the perfect time to get out your old silver pieces or splash out on buying more, so here are my tips and tricks for choosing the right pieces for you.
With a cold British winter hovering just over our heads the time has come to briefly forgo our Christmas shopping for something equally important; preparing our outfits for the winter season. In every high-street shop we’re surrounded by an endless array of cute owl jumpers and much needed woolly hats, but it’s also important to make sure that your jewellery’s up to scratch. A frosty winter is the perfect time to get out your old silver pieces or splash out on buying more, so here are my tips and tricks for choosing the right pieces for you.
First and foremost, are you a practical fashion wearer? As a committed flat-shoe enthusiast I prefer my jewellery to compliment my outfit without getting in the way. During the summer none of us really realise how much of nuisance jewellery can be. If at this time of year you find your necklace trying to escape or having your earrings pulled by gusts of wind, it’s time to reconsider your everyday pieces.
For the practical wearer choose small pieces of jewellery that stick closed to the body. You want it small so that it doesn’t feel cold on the skin, and fitted so that it can’t get in the way. Studded silver earrings and pendants on short chains are a simple but unobtrusive jewellery choice. If you don’t mind chilly fingers, silver rings mixed with a variety of jewel-coloured stones and delicate metal carving is also a great option.
Now for the serious bit. Does silver jewellery flatter your complexion? Any woman who colours her hair knows that matching colour to skin tone is vital. Silver by itself suits cool skin tones, which are usually pale with pink undertones, blue eyes and ashy hair colours. However, having a warm skin tone isn’t a life sentence. Many big jewellers combine silver with precious stones and resins to add an extra dimension to their pieces. For example, silver jewellery mixed with rich, warm-coloured amber brings out a healthy warm glow on a warm-toned person. If you’re cool-toned but aren’t excited by pure silver there is a huge market for silver with jewel-coloured stones in blues and greens that really bring like to icy skin.
Speaking of mixing materials, silver is a perfect backdrop for more than just precious stones. Pearl and diamond always look good with silver. If you’re going for a relaxed look choose tinted pearl, while if you want to emphasise the coldness of the metal sway towards the clearest white pearl and diamond. With these a little goes a long way. During the day choose pieces that use stones/diamond to accent the piece and hint at luxury. For a night outfit you can go all out with a string of snug-fitting pearls or and audaciously bright diamond-crusted bracelet.
Another area to consider is your winter style. Are you dressed to the nines even if it means suffering the cold, or do throw on those mittens and layers? For those that prefer a sleek look that defies the weather, there’s very little jewellery you can’t wear. Dangling hooped earrings, thick metal and stone bracelets and highly detailed necklaces look as good against the LBD in winter as the gold versions do in summer. You can also go a lot simpler, with little but extremely detail pendants (such as a cage heart), big but plain pearl studs and a couple of basic silver bangles.
For a woman who prefers to dress traditionally and wrap up, jewellery needs to balance out the heavy outfit without adding bulk or going totally unnoticed. Choosing metal jewellery with thicker lines (but not chunky) with less intricate detail is best here, as well as sticking to classic cuts when combining metal with other features. With winter woolly outfits and tweed you can let your personality shine more. There’s no need for decadence and detail when you’re free to buy that adorable cat ring or pendant or focus more on pieces that add colour and compliment the outfit. As long as you’re not wearing gloves you can also get away with big rings in a wide range of designs. Think colour and realistic design, harsh modern lines or classic chunky ovals.
Happy shopping and accessorising! Just make sure to keep to your fashion budget and choose pieces that you can wear again and again.
This guest post was written by Adina of Henryka, a specialist online retailer in amber & silver jewellery.
