Hoop earrings are one of my go-to accessories. Personal style aside, as an image consultant, I recommend them as one of my “top 10 essential wardrobe items.” Like most of the other items I endorse when building a core wardrobe, hoops are basic. They can be worn with dressy or casual clothing. Mostly I love said hoops because they don’t detract from my interesting, statement necklaces. There was a time when the fashion of the day called for matching earrings and necklace set, but currently the matching look is passé. Instead of searching my jewelry wardrobe for a pair of earrings that coordinate with a necklace, but don’t match, I’ll wear hoops in a complementing metal. Take note, the hoops must always be a bit smaller or subordinate to the necklace for it to work. As I mentioned earlier, I do advise coordinating metals. For example, you want to choose silver hoops if your necklace is silver based. I will admit, however; this is a guideline that can be broken from time to time, especially when you’re dressed more casually…but it can be tricky! Lastly, a couple of more points about choosing hoop earring size. For business, (Read more...)

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I was working with a client on Friday whose mother had come into town for an extended visit, and was organizing everything in sight. (I so wish my mom would do this!) Very shortly after I arrived at my client's home, said mom whisked me into the enormous closet to showed me what she'd done with the jewelry.

She had put cork board on the wall above the built in dresser. Then she had put in tons of push pins and hung the jewelry on them. Okay, so it's a really simple concept, but it was amazing how organized it was and easy to see the jewelry. Obviously, it worked for necklaces and some earrings, just not posts and bracelets. Still!

After we'd gone through my clients existing fall wardrobe, and I was accessorizing her "new" outfits I'd created, I was able to see the jewelry so much easier than when I'd even just had it all laid out on the dresser in the spring. One caveat though, you have to keep sterling silver in plastic bags so it won't tarnish, but I can picture pinning the bag on the (Read more...)