The fall fashion trends are ushering in another excellent season for costume jewelry and accessories. Rich colors and bold looks dominate the trend. Teal, amber and amethyst are the important colors with olivine and green used as neutrals. Topaz and peacock are also important and all indications are that rich color will continue into the spring season. Metals are seeing a return to gold, but silver is still stronger.
Bold Designs Dominate Fashion Jewelry
Fashion jewelry thrives when bold designs are in vogue and that is very much the case this season. The high fashion look is popular in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with natural components contributing to the designs. Wood is continuing its second season of popularity with shell important even in the fall line. But the rising star in natural materials is gemstone, which provides the beauty of natural semiprecious stones to the costume jewelry designs. This will definitely continue and accelerate in the spring line. Also popular in neckwear are 48 inch and 60 inch ropes that are worn extended or doubled. Jet is strong in holiday jewelry and estate looks (antique designs) are becoming fashionable in bridal jewelry.
Traditional Costume Jewelry and Accessories
While costume jewelry in bold designs and rich colors forge the way for leading fashion, there is a larger market that shouldn’t be ignored in more traditional and classic looks. Theme jewelry in pendants, earrings, and charm bracelets has an appeal that goes beyond fashion alone because it identifies with what the wearer cares about. In addition, traditional rhinestone, bridal jewelry, evening bags, and formal gloves have a classic look with timeless appeal. There is a major market for these items that will always be present even as fashion changes.
Accessory Trends
Sequins and buttons are very big in all accessories, especially in handbags and evening bags. Beyond these, the looks of the larger bags introduced by leading designers are the trendy styles of the season. These are the bags the stars are carrying, which goes a long ways towards popularizing the styles. In evening bags, large sequins and buttons are very much in vogue, but traditional looks seem to be carrying the day.
Sunglasses are definitely big and bold with aviators the runaway favorite. Retro looks are also excellent and colored frames with matching lenses are very popular.
Hats and Headwear
In millinery, dress hats are an important part of the market, with ladies hats the dominant player. The looks are very traditional with a new element of pre-made bands allowing for the versatility of custom designs. Casual hats, however, account for the major share of the market and no design in 2005 is more important than the rollup cowboy hat. While the design is not popular in every region of the country, the sheer number of sales makes it the number one hat of the year. This rugged look that is typically American has risen to such popularity that it becomes an important fashion statement. After cowboy hats, the three most fashionable designs are wide brim floppy hats, ladies fedoras, and newsboys. The entertainment field has played a major roll in popularizing these designs and the fashion looks continue into the fall season with felt, leather, wool, and leatherette used as the material for the fall versions.
It's time again for yet another formal function. As you look through your closet you realize that you have the dress and the shoes. You even know how you will wear your hair. But, you are still searching for something that will add "red carpet" glamour and sophistication to your look. You know it is time to accessorize.
For many women today, this task can be daunting. There are so many jewelry questions to answer. Don't get overwhelmed! With fashion costume jewelry, it is easy to be the star of any special occasion.
Why costume jewelry? Costume jewelry is the best way to add sophistication to a formal look without a huge expense. When you think of the "red carpet" the first thing that comes to mind are starlets in hot gowns with even hotter jewelry. During any VIP event, we are bedazzled by the images of millions of dollars of genuine diamonds, sapphires, gold and platinum jewelry that adorn our favorite stars. In most cases, celebrities have the luxury of wearing the "real thing" because the jewelry they wear is free. That's right, the gems you see dripping from celebrities are usually borrowed from jewelry designers. Let's face it, if Halle and Angelina do not have to pay the big bucks for bling, why should you? For all of us non-millionaires, there is chic yet low-cost alternative: fashion costume jewelry.
What to look for. Don't get thrown off by the term "costume jewelry." Costume jewelry is just jewelry that is made from non-precious, gold-plated, or silver-plated metals and imitation or semi-precious stones. Although it may not be the "real thing" when it comes to the type of stones or metal that it is made from, you still can get real style and quality.
There is nothing wrong with cutting out pictures of your favorite red carpet looks and taking them with you when you are shopping. Once you find the design of your dreams, inspect the quality of the stones and strength of the settings. Although you know you are not wearing the "real thing," you do not want obvious stone imperfections or a loose stones to advertise it.
Invest in pieces that you would want to wear again. If you are like most of women in today's economy, you want to stretch every dollar you spend. The same principle can be used in your jewelry shopping. Select pieces that you love and know you will want to wear again.
You do not have to save your fashion costume jewelry for just special occasions. Did you see Paula Abdul on this weeks' "American Idol?" Along with her blue jeans and sheer top, Paula stacked on the gems with rhinestone bracelets and an oversized black gem ring. You too can pull off this look for a Saturday night out with the girls. It is a fun way to sass up any outfit.
Why not try a new piece of fashion costume jewelry on your next special occasion?
Both Michael Gietl & Julia White are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Michael Gietl has sinced written about articles on various topics from Jewelry. Mike Gietl runs Accessory Wholesale New Orleans, a seller of Costume Jewelry and Rhinestone Jewelry and much, much more -- All at Wholesale Prices.