Lucky Fashion Accessories: January 2010

Let the spring breeze whisper in your ears... favulous drop earrings for spring

If jewelry is any indication of what kind of spring lies ahead, then we're surely in for one fun and flirty season. Get right into the mood with some lovely drop earrings in various shades of spring. Lime, turquoise, lavender, ivy, red - get them in as many different colors as possible, because you never know what your closet has to offer you on a certain day!

Drop earrings, available in a great variety of designs- all fresh and super cute, are going to be a big hit this season. They look absolutely light (and they are!), and serve as the perfect matching accessory for all your favorite springtime dresses. You may go for the ones with real lapis lazuli or South Sea pearl drops in them - it feels like wearing a piece of sky; but if you are in no mood to splurge, simply hit the nearby fashion street. Drop earrings, available in reconstituted gemstones, look great with any dress as well. And the best part is, they don't even burn a hole in your pocket! So, what you waiting for? I have got my boxful, start collecting yours!

Jewels at your feet girl - Rev up the glam quotient with cool toe rings

Valentine's Day unofficially kicks off the spring season. With spring comes loads of bright sundresses and capris that are best worn with pretty chappals. Why not complete the look with a pair of dainty toe rings?

Toe rings are a playful spring and summer special accessory, which has an unmistakable ultra-feminine charm to it. With or without trinkets, a pair of toe rings always manages to say a lot with its uncanny simplicity. You can wear them on beaches, flaunt them at campuses, or may even pair them up with dresses on some formal occasions - available in both hip and traditional style, a pair of toe rings always adds a shimmering touch to your attire. So, come spring, let your beautiful feet do the talking. Why should necklaces and earrings have all the fun?

When I think of handcrafted jewelry, I think of Bibi – Bibi Russel...

The person who gave a new meaning to fashion. - Beyond the glitz and glamor of the this profession, which makes it somewhat difficult for the common man to relate to it, made fashion look more humane. "People sell poverty. I sold the beauty in poverty," is how she explains her work. Much before this blogging bug bit me, I had this in mind that if I ever get to pen down my own thoughts about jewelry, I'll surely write about Bibi Russel and her creations.

An iconic Bangladeshi fashion designer and an erstwhile supermodel in the Europe fashion circuit, Bibi is known for her work with the artisans and weavers in Bangladesh. In the 1980's, she formed "Fashion for Development” in Dhaka to promote traditional Bengal fabrics such as Khadi (or Khaddar), Jaamdani, and more recently the humble gamchhas. Her range of accessories includes chunky earrings and wristwear, which are made out of natural sources such as terracotta, water hyacinth, palm leaf, wood, silk, jute and cotton

In the year 1999, UNESCO named her ‘Designer for Development” for her unfailing commitment to human dignity, development and the eradication of poverty. Presently, Bibi retails from her signature outlets in England, Spain, France and Dhaka. We, who are ardent admirers of her creations from India, are waiting with bated breath, when she'll come up with her outlet in this country, an emerging fashion hub of the world. Here are a few items from her prolific collections. Hope you like them:

For more information on Bibi Russell and her creations, log on to:

http://bibirussell.net/
http://knitpurlandstitch.wordpress.com

It's springtime girls! ... Check out the latest spring jewelry trends

Enough of those bulky jackets, pullovers and ponchos. Now, take out those cool tees in citrus shades and smart-fit denims from your closet. It has been quite some time now that they have been spending long pensive hours in captivity. Give them a fresh lease of life by teaming them up with some fun jewelry items.

Although spring is the ideal time to play with colors and experiment with different jewelry styles, there are few things that almost scale up to the category of springtime staples. These are:

Colorful beads of turquoise, onyx or pearls. You can either flaunt them in a neck-piece while wearing a spring dress with a dipping neckline, or can wind them up on your wrist for a more on-your-face statement.
This year, fashionable armlets are going to make a big come-back. Add a few of these jewelry pieces to your collection to do to your beautiful sleeveless dresses.

We have already talked about bangles, and how big they are going to make in the jewelry fashion arena in 2010. So, go wild with colors while sporting them in stacks or in singles.
Try some bling things for your hair too. As I said earlier, hair embellishments are going to be real head-turners this season.
Finally the anklets! How can we forget them? A springtime ensemble comprising a pair of lycra capris and a floral top is simply incomplete without an anklet of interesting style.

Time for some “heady stuff”!.. Dress up your tresses with dazzling hair jewelries

2010 is for sure the hottest jewelry year yet. The heat is going up, up and up. Such is the mercurial rise that it has almost gone right up to your head! Not getting where's this heading? Come on, I am talking about hair embellishments that are making quite a buzz these days. They shone in abundance at the Golden Globes red carpet, and now, are poised to take off as a trend after a long time.

Celebrity hair stylist Mark Townsend, who was responsible for January Jones' chic black ribbon headband, recently told a top fashion magazine, "Hair accessories and adornments are a big trend right now …. I love using ribbons, crystals, and sometimes even diamonds to dress up a simple hair style”.

One big misconception about hair embellishments is that they are only meant for holding long or mid-length tresses firmly in place. This is so untrue! Hair accessories are designed to add sparkle to tresses of all lengths and finish a particular dressing style to perfection. From the simple headbands, pony elastics, and hair clips, they have evolved greatly with time, and are now available in a wide variety of forms and designs. Some of the trendiest hair embellishments available these days include jewel encrusted bobby pins, barretts, hair combs, tiara combs, snoods attached to mini barretts, and floating gems.

Take a look at the following dazzling stuff, and choose your pick for that special night-out on the coming Valentines:

Dokra jewelries that took me back in time...

It was a breezy Sunday afternoon. I, along with a few friends of mine was strolling past the stalls at Dilli Haat. Suddenly my eyes fell upon a small assortment of demure golden beauties which was displayed at one of those nameless humble-looking stalls that lined the way to the Food Court. The moment I saw them, a strange feeling of ecstasy filled my heart - a feeling one gets when he or she meets a long-lost friend at some unexpected place. I immediately knew that I knew them – the dokra jewelry pieces that once used to bewitch us with their exquisite artistry and rustic feel during our college days back in Kolkata.

At the very sight of these wonderfully handcrafted jewelry pieces, a collage of memories rushed into my mind. I remembered those beautiful evenings when a bunch of college-going girls would make all the way from the bustling alleys of College Street to the very arty Rabindra Sadan premises- the so-called cultural hub of the city, to watch the latest release at Nandan. I remembered those endless chat-sessions that we used to have over innumerable cups of tea (small earthen pots for cups) in front of the Academy of Fine Arts - and – and those dokra jewelry pieces that would beckon us from an adjacent roadside stall. We used to ogle at them most of the time wishing if we could buy one or two, jump on them on some rare occasions, and fight over them as to who would take the most beautiful one.

Dokra fascinates me till date. An example of exceptional craftsmanship, dokra is believed to be one of the earliest known techniques of metal casting practiced by the tribals of Orissa and West Bengal. Here are a few dokra jewelry pieces of my choice. See if you like them:

To know more about dokra art form, log on to www.craftsinindia.com/indian-art-culture/dhokra-jewelry.html

For more pics of dokra art jewelry, log on to http://www.rareindianart.com

Matching is “Out”, Mixing is FUN! - A Prelude to Spring Fashion 2010

For all those, who had already despaired thinking that their jewelry collection lacked the much needed coordination, and was a big hodgepodge of different styles, forms and materials- here's a piece of good news. A recession-influenced reversion to less-precious materials and embellishments, coupled with a hip new consciousness about sustainability, has given rise to a “creative renaissance” in the jewelry fashion industry.

Now, it's more about the color, combination (no matter, if it's a bit kooky), size, and audacity. Yes, you heard it right - it's no longer unfashionable to wear a few layers of chains with heavy pendants and pile it up with earrings built with unusual material, as long as you are wearing the right attitude. Another thing you should keep in mind- when you want your necklaces, or earrings, or cuff bracelets to speak for themselves, do not dress up in something that is overtly glitzy. That may act as a major distraction. The trick is in finding the right balance of glitz. So, go - explore the bold new looks of the season, and have fun!

Personalized jewelry for a priceless Valentine's Day gift

Personalized gifting items have been around for quite some time now. Photo frames, coffee mugs, watches, and what not with names inscribed on them have been topping the list of favorites of Valentine's Day shoppers over the last few years. This year, there's a new trend in the offing... Instead of a regular gifting item, say- “you're the only one” with an exquisite personalized jewelry piece, and see the magic! All those moments of bitter soft arguments and silly issues you fought over will vanish in a blink. And what will be left behind for you to bask in is a wonderful bliss of togetherness.

Personalized jewelry comes in various forms, the most common being those with engravings. You can engrave a name, initials, a special message, or any text on rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants. Picture on locket pendants, however, are meant only for those who can carry it with the right attitude; otherwise, it ends up appearing a bit loud.

Personalized jewelry, like love, is timeless. Other fashion items and accessories may be hip and trendy at a certain point of time, but they will cease to be fashionable after a few years, or maybe just months. Personalized jewelry, if crafted elegantly, remains chic regardless what trends predict and dictate.

Jewelry Trends 2010 - Bring Back the Bling!

The new year has just begun. We are yet to know what it has in store for us. But whatever may lie ahead, why not begin it with a lucky charm? Now that the dreaded “R” word (recession that is!) is nowhere in sight, you can safely go ahead and buy all those dazzling charms that your heart kept longing for last year, but wallet didn't permit. And in case you didn't know what jewelries are going to set the trend this year, here you go:

Statement necklaces: Jewelry items like this may not be the most expensive pieces in your collection, but they will surely pack a lot of punch for the amount of money that you have spent on them. Explore fun patterns, rich shades and loads of sparkle. You may also try some bold stuffs like a metal chain with a heavy wooden pendant or a few layers of prayer beads.

Silver jewelry and classic hoops: The good old silver is back in style. Be it a sparkling silver jewelry piece or a stone-studded classic hoop - the pristine white shine is surely going to rock this year.

Cocktail ring: It's all about how elegantly you carry it. A cocktail ring is attention-grabbing, yet not loud. Just keep one thing in mind while choosing the gemstone on it - this year the mantra is- “the bigger, the better”.

Bangles: Do “not” play it safe this year. Sport an armful mix `n match of bangles over a long-sleeve top or sweater, and the winner's title is all yours! To give the stack a striking effect, blend your paper mache or wood bangles with sleek pieces in gold or jewel tones. You may also try your hands on a few of those chunky cuffs that are making waves these days.

Diamond studs and pendant: This eternal dazzling duo has no takers at any point of time. Come what jewelry trend is “in” or “out”, a set of diamond stud earrings and pendant is always going to be the hottest trend ever.