Be bold and take a risk when piecing together your fall outfit du jour. Statement jewelry, outrageous materials- such as leather, lace and neon- and chic capes are wild accessory options this fall. Popular fashion bloggers gave them a try, why don’t you?
Make an outfit memorable with a bauble brooch or a chunky necklace. Statement jewelry lives up to its name by giving you a method to express yourself that people can’t ignore.
“I actually use statement jewelry in interviews because it helps people remember you,” explains UMD senior marketing and communications dual degree candidate Emma Goode. “If you have something that can identify you that easily it’s totally worth it.”
Popular fashion blogger Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere offers a crafty DIY trick to create one-of-a-kind statement jewels in her Sept. 21 blog, “Baubled Brooch How-To.” All it takes is a touch of nail polish! “As a huge fan of Tom Binns’ neon necklaces, and all of the subsequent DIY interpretations that followed, I wanted to try out the hand-painted-jewel technique for myself.” Check it out here.
Speaking of neon, edgy materials beckon courageous fashionistas this fall. Day-glo is still going strong with neon making an appearance on shoes, bags and as the one and only color used in eye-catching ensembles.
“I love neon when it’s used in small doses,” notes Goode. “I’ve seen that J.Crew has small strands of neon beads and if you layer things like that it definitely adds pop to an outfit.”
Lace is another material to snag for outfit accents this fall. Combine it with another material hit of the season, leather, and you can be bold and beautiful. “Seek out a leather dress with details like pockets or lace trim for an enticing style that is more sophisticated than biker chic,” recommends InStyle in the “Fall Fashion Trends 2011” styling tips.
“Leather and lace together is traditionally taboo, but I think it’s hot,” expresses UMD senior history major Nikki Curry. “Like a leather skirt and lacey gloves with a nice blouse and some boots.”
Susanna Lau, affectionately known as Susie Bubble, is the eclectic mind behind the blog, Style Bubble, and raves about the use of lace in her Sept. 8 post. “You’d want to show off the texture and pattern of this English lace… I normally take scarves to scrunch up and obscure into some odd formation but with this Marwood shawl, I’d rather just let it fall simply and revel in the sheer amount of lace used.”
The fashionably fearless and chic at heart might dare to don a cape. “This fall capes have gotten sportier—some are tailored and sleek; others feature slits so you can actually use your arms,” according to InStyle’s “Fall Fashion Trends 2011” top trends.
“I think that they’re cute for if you’re going out on the town and you want to look fashion-forward,” states Curry. “Extra long ones that look like a real cape are a little too much.”
Plus-size fashion blogger extraordinaire, Gabi Gregg of Gabi Fresh, rocked a sheer beaded cape to SoHo’s Fashion’s Night Out, according to her Sept. 8 post. “I definitely got a lot of stares in this, both good and bad,” she writes. “I consider that the sign of a great outfit.”