Jewelry Essentials – Pieces Every Woman Should Own
In my Real Girls Need Real Closets and Real Girls Need Real Closets – Accessories Edition I discussed the pieces that are worth putting money into in order to build a complete wardrobe. Today I’d like to focus on what jewelry should make it into your collection in this guest post for Sasha Maks Vintage.
Over the years you’ll invest in new accessories, update your collection, and pick up great pieces on your travels, of both the new and vintage variety. Truth be told, putting together the perfect jewelry collection isn’t something that happens overnight, it’s a long process and while your personal style may evolve over time, the basics of what you should acquire will remain relatively static. With that in mind, here are some tips and suggestions to keep in mind while you’re shopping!
Statement Necklace:
Having a dramatic and eye-catching piece at your neck is a Must. Something that’s versatile and can work as the central focus for your look at a number of events – From casual to dressy to office appropriate.
{Monet Enamel Fan Necklace 1970s – $225}
{Inspiration Board on ASOS Fashion Finder – Nonoo – Letticia Floral Shorts, Jaeger Sleeveless Silk Blouse, Suuna Black Arabella Ladies Sunglasses & COGGLES EXCLUSIVE Lorelei Black & Blue Shoes}
Summer Casual – Inspiration for this look: Olivia Palermo’s fabulous floral shorts look from Verona, Italy photographed in July of 2012. A statement necklace can be the focal point of a basic or monochromatic look, or just another fabulous piece in a fun, vibrant outfit like this one.
Cuff Bracelet:
A cuff or wide bracelet allows you to throw on a single piece of jewelry and call it a day. This acts as an understated but dramatic piece that can complete a look without a lot of effort.
{Silver-tone Wide Ridged Cuff 1970s – $135}
{Inspiration Board on ASOS Fashion Finder – Fluoro Stripe Double Breasted Knit Coat by M Missoni, Black Peep Toe Booties, Diva clutch plain black leather from Boticca, Suuna Black Arabella Ladies Sunglasses, Mixed Chain Collar Necklace & ‘Betty’ thin leather dress}
Punk Princess – Inspiration for this look: Punk and edgy are two ways to go with a thick silver bracelet, so take inspiration from Brooklyn Blonde and try something new & exciting by pairing unexpected pieces. Unique styling, like these peep-toe booties and the sleeveless trench, make a look fresh and unique and 100% you.
Evening Earrings:
Whether you’re wearing a simple suit and attending a work function or a fun Little Black Dress for a cocktail party, you need a pair of killer earrings to punctuate your look.
{Trifari Beaded Ball Drop Earrings 1960s – $165}
{Inspiration Board on ASOS Fashion Finder – Leiby Wide Leg Jumpsuit With Belt, Fatale Natural Shoes, ASOS HARLOT Stiletto Leather Sandals, Lipsy Playsuit With Scallop Edge Hem & Blue, Jade, Noir & Sand Jersey & Silk Jumpsuit}
Retro Luxe – Inspiration for this look: The beautiful & fashionable Liz Cherkasova from Late Afternoon’s fun Summertime look. Depending on the size, style, and color, dangling earrings can easily go from day to-night, the key is to pick the right outfit to complement them.
Cocktail Ring:
A one-of-a-kind cocktail ring is an absolute must have. You need a piece that is fun and flashy, that makes you feel glamorous and acts as a great conversation starter.
{Rhinestone Cocktail-Party Ring 1960s – $95}
{Inspiration Board on ASOS Fashion Finder – Emerald Sarong Knot Cocktail Dress by Halston Heritage & ASOS HYLA Strappy Heeled Sandals}
Cocktail Fabulous – Inspiration for this look: Katie Holmes’s September 2012 cover for C Magazine, photographed by Matt Jones. A fun ring is very versatile, it’ll work equally well for girls night out, after work drinks, or a cocktail party.
Personality Piece(s):
Whatever your style, whatever your taste, you should have a stand out piece of jewelry in your collection that is 100% YOU. It doesn’t matter what it is, it could be s a fabulous pair of drop earrings, or a handful of stunning bracelets for stacking, or a simple pearl necklace that you inherited from your mother.
{Left: Christian Dior Faux Coral Demi-Parure 1970s – $1250, Top Right: Snake Bangle 1970s – $135 & Bottom Right: Faux Jade Cocktail Ring 1960s – $135}
Me? I’m obsessed with classic gold vintage pieces and animal jewelry like the pieces above. They suit my classic style and act as great finishing touches for my outfits.
{Inspiration Board on ASOS Fashion Finder – Left Outfit: Cream Asymmetrical Tie Blouse by DKNY, Black Leather Exposed Zip Skirt by McQ Alexander McQueen & Reiss Lotta BUCKLE SHOE BOOTS, and Right Outfit: White Poppy Blouse by Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, Black Full Flippy Skirt by Halston Heritage & Red Bow Front Patent Pointed Court by Moschino Cheap & Chic}
Black & White Stunner – Inspiration for the look: Donna Karan Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear & Temperley London Pre-Fall 2012. Perfect for a work party or a formal evening, the cut, silhouette, and lengths can be adjusted to suit the appropriateness of a given outing.
All jewelry from Sasha Maks Vintage – Original post on the Sasha Maks Vintage Blog
August 15, 2012 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: 1960's, 1970s, 1980's, 60's accessories, 60's fashion, 60's style, 70's accessories, 70's fashion, 70's jewelry, 70s style, 80's accessories, 80's fashion, 80's style, accessories, accessoriesdirect.com, after work drinks, Alexander McQueen, Alice Temperley, Angela Missoni, Anglomania, animal, animal jewelry, ankle boots, Ankle strap heels, Asos, Asos Fashion Finder, ASOS HARLOT Stiletto Leather Sandals, ASOS HYLA, ASOS HYLA Strappy Heeled Sandals, Asos.com, ‘Betty’ thin leather dress, Black & Blue Shoes, black & white, black clutch, Black leather, Black Peep Toe Booties, blouse, Blue, Bohemian, boho, bootie, boots, Boticca, bow heels, bracelet, Brooklyn Blonde, Browns, Buckle Shoe Boots, bug, C Magazine, Celebrity fashion, celebrity style, Christian Dior, Christian Dior Faux Coral Demi-Parure, christmas party, Cocktail Dress, cocktail party, cocktail ring, cocktails, COGGLES, COGGLES EXCLUSIVE Lorelei Black & Blue Shoes, coggles.com, collar, colored blouse, coral, court shoes, Cropped top, cuff, Cuff bracelet, dangling earrings, Dior, Diva clutch, DKNY, Donna Karan, double breasted, Drama, dramatic cuff, Earrings, Emerald Sarong Knot Cocktail Dress, Evening earrings, Fall 2012, Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear, Fall 2012 RTW, Fashion, Fatale Natural Shoes, floral shorts, Fluoro Stripe Double Breasted Knit Coat by M Missoni, Forever 21, girls night out, Glamour, Gold, gold jewelry, gold shoes, Green dress, Halston, Halston Heritage, heeled boots, Heeled sandals, Helena Glazer, Hippie, Hollywood style, Holmes & Yang, insect, Italian fashion, Italian Style, Italy, Jackie O Sunglasses, Jade, Jade Cocktail Ring, Jaeger, jewelry, jewelry box, Jewelry Essentials, Jumpsuit, Katie Holmes, key pieces, Late afternoon, Layering, LBD, leather, leather dress, leather skirt, Lee McQueen, Leiby, Leiby Wide Leg Jumpsuit With Belt, Letticia Floral Shorts, Lipsy Playsuit, Little Black Dress, Liz Cherkasova, Los Angeles Fashion, Los Angeles Fashion Blogger, Los Angeles Street Style, M by Missoni, Magazine cover, Matt Jones, McQ, McQ by Alexander McQueen, metallic, metallic sandals, midriff-baring tops, missoni, Mixed Chain Collar Necklace, Monet Enamel Fan Necklace, Monet jewelry, Moschino, Moschino Cheap & Chic, Multi Ring Hoop Earrings, must haves, New Years Eve, New York City Street Style, New York Fashion, New York Style, Noir & Sand Jersey & Silk Jumpsuit, Nonoo, Olivia Palermo, Oliviapalermo.com, orange, oversized clutch, patent leather, Peep-toe booties, playsuit, Pleated Skirt, pleats, poppies, Pre-Fall 2012, Punk, Punk Princess, Pussybow, Real Women Need Real Closets, red, Red Bow Front Patent Pointed Court, Red Bow Front Patent Pointed Court by Moschino Cheap & Chic, red heels, Reiss Lotta, Reiss Lotta BUCKLE SHOE BOOTS, Resort wear, Retro, Rhinestone Cocktail-Party Ring, romper, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco style, Sasha Maks, Sasha Maks Vintage Jewelry, shorts with heels, silk blouse, silver, Silver cuff, Silver jewelry, Silver-tone Wide Ridged Cuff, Sleeveless Silk Blouse, sleevless trench, Snake Bangle, Snakes, stacking, statement necklace, Stiletto Leather Sandals, Strappy Heeled Sandals, strappy sandals, Striped coat, Style, style.com, Stylebop.com, Summer clothes, Summer fashion, Summer styling, sunglasses, Suuna Black Arabella Ladies Sunglasses, Temperly London, The Little Black Dress, The Real Olivia P, Tie blouse, TLo, Tom & Lorenzo, Tom & Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated, Trench coat, Trifari Beaded Ball Drop Earrings, vacation clothes, vacation style, Verona, Verona Street Style, versatile jewelry, versatile pieces, vintage, Vintage Christian Dior, Vintage Coral, Vintage Coral Jewelry, Vintage Dior, vintage gold jewelry, vintage jewelry, Vintage Monet, Vintage silver jewelry, Vivienne Westwood, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, warm weather clothes, white blouse, White Poppy Blouse by Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, work party | 6 Comments
Mission: Put Together 2012 – Week II
I’m here today to give you a Week II breakdown for Definitely RA‘s 2012 fashion challenge – Mission: Put Together (similar to Freckles In Aprils’ 10 Day Style Challenge from earlier in the year) – my initial post on Week I post was published on May 15th. Clearly I’ve had a hectic Spring, but I’m glad that I’m finally sharing these fun pictures.
Ready for some color?
Week #2 was about one thing – Prints Prints Prints! I went from a solid black girl to mixing patterned pieces like a pro, the very reason that I wanted to take on this challenge in the first place.
Summer Stripes:
I feel like I should preference this by saying that this is the first time I’ve worn shorts since JUNIOR HIGH.
Striped Top: Zara, Royal Blue Shorts: Zara, Sandals: Vintage, Black Bag: Chanel, Sunglasses: Christian Dior, & Jewelry: JewelMint
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
That’s right. Junior High.
And of course I paired these too-cute bright blue Zara shorts with fun zipper details with a basic striped T-shirt. We all know how much I love stripes!
Polka Dots:
Polka Dot Blouse: Zara, Pleated Chiffon Mini Skirt: Zara, Black Blazer: Aqua, Clutch: Chanel, & Nude Heels: BCBGeneration
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I was totally mad for this outfit! Every once in a while I put something together that makes me just plain excited to go outside. And this is an example of that. I was bouncing around like a sugar-crazed little kid while Sean and I were waiting to meet my parents for dinner that night. I couldn’t even wait until after dinner to take pictures, we ran across the street from the restaurant after placing our orders to take these shots.
People were definitely stopping to stare at us while we were taking these pictures in Washington Square Park. I think trying to figure out who I was and why I was posing for photographs on a bike path…
Graffiti Girl:
When I saw this dress I knew it had to be mine.
Geometric Print Dress: Mango, T-Strap Heels: Zara, and Handbag: Zara
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I have a bad habit of wearing dresses that aren’t ideal for my body type. For example, I absolutely adore 6o’s mod-inspired styles and shift dresses, which are better suited for someone with a boyish figure – a la Twiggy.
Flower Child:
What do you wear when it’s gorgeous out on a lazy Sunday morning? Go hippie of course! And since I wanted to stay true to the challenge, I made sure to pick a fun floral printed dress to run errands in.
While I adore this print, what really made this dress stand out to me was the crocheted strip around the middle. Such a fun, unique detail.
Floral Dress: Vintage, Sunglasses: D&G, Cross-Body Bag: BCBGeneration & Floral Cuff: Vintage
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
Print On Print:
Who would have ever guessed that me, the girl who wore nothing but solid black for years, would be involved in something as crazy as pattern mixing?
I love this dress and I’ve worn it a few times this season, but it was really fun to try to pick out a great patterned bag to pair with it this time, something that I wouldn’t necessary choose during a random wearing.
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer via Bloomingdale’s, Sandals: Vintage, Striped Tote: Forever 21, Charm bracelet: Juicy Couture, Flower Ring: Forever 21, & Turquoise Ring: Asos
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
Color. Prints. Mixing patterned pieces. This was a big week for me, I definitely stretched my sartorial muscles. I’m sure that you also noticed that these are all weekend after-hours looks. I included a number of work outfits in Week I and wanted to try to incorporate more street style type looks this week.
Do you like the idea of a fashion challenge that forces you to make new and interesting fashion choices? Are you getting inspired to try out some fun new looks for Summer?
June 20, 2012 | Categories: Fashion, MCLV Style | Tags: 10 Day Style Challenge, 60's, 60's fashion, 60's style, 70's, 70's fashion, 70s style, Abstract print, Accordion-pleated chiffon mini skirt, Alice + Olivia Jewel Floral-Print Dress, Alice + Olivia Mina Button-Down Blouse, Alice+Olivia, Aqua, Aqua Shirred Three-Quarter Sleeves Blazer, Asos, Asos Fashion Finder, Asos.com, Avengers, Badgley Mischka, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Striped Double Layer V Neck Tee Shirt, BCBG, BCBGeneration, BCBGirls, beach tote, Ben Amun, Bird by Juicy, Bloomingdales, Bohemian, boho, Bottle Cap Restaurant, brights, California, Chanel, Charm Bracelet, Christian Dior, Cole Haan, Cross-body bag, D&G, D&G Sunglasses Square Oversized Square Sunglasses, Definitely RA, Diane Von Furstenberg, Diane Von Furstenberg Women's Oversized Logo Arm Plastic Sunglasses, Dolce, Dolce & Gabbana, DVF, European fashion, European retailers, Fashion Challenge, Flat sandals, Floral dress, floral print, florals, flower child, flower print, Forever 21, Foxy Originals, Foxy Originals Multi-Strand Leaf Necklace, Freckles In April, Free People, Gaia Too, Gap, Gold Coral Colored Stone Cuff, Graffiti, H&M, Halston, Halston Heritage, Heeled sandals, Hippie, I Propose a Coast Shorts, Jackie O Sunglasses, Jenna Shoulder Bag, JewelMint, Juicy Couture, Kat&Bee Marcia 14ct Gold Skull & Turquoise Bead Ring, lace, Lace insets, Love 21, MaddenGirl, Mango, Metreon, Mission: Put Together 2012, Mod styles, Multi-Strand Leaf Necklace, Neutral pumps, Neutral sandals, North Beach, nude pumps, Nude sandals, Oversized Logo Arm Plastic Sunglasses, oversized sunglasses, Pattern Mixing, polka dot blouse, Polka Dot Top, Polka dots, prints, Retro, Retro dress, Retro style, Rock Steady, San Francisco Fashion, San Francisco Street Style, San Francisco style, Sensuality, shades, sheer stomach, Shift dress, Shiny Black Bag, Shiny Black Handbag, Shiny handbag, Shirley Evening Bow Clutch, Shop the Look, short shorts, Shorts, silly putty pumps, Spanish fashion, Spanish retailers, Spring 2012 trends, Spring/Summer 2012, Spring/Summer trends, Steve Madden, Street style, Street style fashion, Striped tote, Stripes, summer 2012 trends, summer trends, sunnies, Tan sandals, Tibi, Tibi Amber Snake Flat Sandals, Tibi Sandals, TopShop, Turquoise Ring, twiggy, Union Square, vintage, Vintage dress, Vintage style, warm weather clothes, Washington Square Park, Whiting and Davis Studs & Snake Convertible Hobo, Z Spoke ZAC POSEN, Zac Posen, Zara, Zara Basics | 14 Comments
Do You… Derby?
When I think about the Kentucky Derby I think about hats. Pure and simple. Reminds me of the formal get-togethers that are hosted by the European elites, but with a country twist and plenty of bourbon.
So as we did with the Royals last year, lets judge us some hats while we mentally and sartorially prepare ourselves for the MET Gala that will be going on later on tonight.
Mint Julep anyone?

This Carolina Herrera confection is pretty stunning. Debra’s outfit wasn’t fabulous, but I really the combination of her hat and beautiful pearl necklaces. Very ladylike and proper, and quite appropriate.

I kind of love this. She did a great job of adding a hippie/boho vibe to a traditional Southern event, which makes her look much more personalized. And he’s adorable, but needs to get his suits tailored stat.

One of my favorite snaps from the weekend! Her hat is dramatic, as expected, but also elegant and tasteful. And the styling of her look is really fun and unexpected.
Clearly the female fashion at the Kentucky Derby is all about the hats – dramatic, eye-catching hats – but what do the men who attend this type of event wear?

When in doubt go with low-key neutrals and keep your look chic but understated. You’ll actually stand out at an event like this one!
What was your favorite look from the 2012 Kentucky Derby? Would you throw together a traditional Southern look if you got an invitation next year?
May 7, 2012 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: 2012 Kentucky Derby Fashion, Alexander McQueen, Atlantic-Pacific, Banana Republic, boho, Carolina Herrera, Celine, chapeaux à plumes, country fashion, Crazy hats, David Beckham, David Yurman, Debra Messing, Derby Hats, Flickr, Gap, Halston, Hats, Hippie, Kate Middleton, Kellan Lutz, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, Lee McQueen, Maxim party, McQ by Alexander McQueen, mens hats, Menswear, Michael Kors, Mint Julep, Miriam Gonzalez, Prince William, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, racetrack, Red Carpet fashion, Royal Headgear, Royal Wedding, Sarah Burton, Sharni Vinson, SnackFace, Snappy Life Style, Sophia Winkleman, Southern France, striped tie, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, The Icon Concierge, Tibi, Tom & Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated, Unbridled Eve Gala in Louisville, Victoria Beckham, Zara, Zara Phillips | 1 Comment