This summer the hottest things to sport on your neck, wrist, ears, ankles, waists, anywhere, are rocks. Not rocks of the dull grey and brown categories, but semi-precious rocks like turquoise, coral, lapis, silver, and onyx. Just like summer weather, the rules for jewels this season are the brighter the better. And just like summer Big Gulps, the bigger the better.
There’s no use flaunting these brightly colored stones if you can’t see them. Silver chains with large pendants, oversized ropes of stones, and large silver pendants on leather ropes are the coolest accessory for the hot weather months.
As expected, their are exceptions to the rule. Multiple ropes of smaller stones, uncompromised in brightness, are a sure thing. And, ropes made of smaller stones with interesting pendants of either carved pendants of butterflies, flowers, or zen symbols serve as equally stellar neckware.
The basic rule of thumb for summer style is hippie chic, a word so obviously borne of the magazine culture. The overside, tribal-inspired bobbles flooding the market recently make an interesting contrast against the wispy, feminine fashions that have accompanied them. It’s unlikely that this pairing is incidental on the part of designers.
When women’s clothing is at its most masculine or abrasively stark, accessories often take on a delicate flair or gentle form. Hence the small and simple silver jewelry that surfaced in the middle nineties with the advent of Calvin Klein’s minimalist revolution.
Now that apparel has taken a turn for the decidedly feminine, accessories have responded, leaving women with a semblance of strength and rugged charm. Some of the best places to find these of the moment creations are online, and when Ithaca is your oyster, this is a good thing. Banana Republic, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters all offer modern, trendy pieces at moderate to expensive prices.
However, the best place to search for accessories that will leave your friends stone cold, refer to p45, an avant-garde, urban store in Chicago. They offer the most fashion forward apparel and accessories available, and the prices reflect this. The majority of their merchandise is seen on young Hollywood trendsetters such as Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz. To view and purchase their to-die-for goodies, log on to p45.com and click away.
If p45 is a little too pricey for a fly-by-night trend, you can always appeal to the tried and true favorite: the flea market. These places are the ultimate hunting ground for the shopper in all of us, and the perfect place to find an inexpensive, completely original piece. Besides, you may be able to find one of those in Ithaca.
Archived article by Laura Thomas