Jewellery Styles for Every Occasion

Jewellery is the perfect accessory make a bold and unique statement. An exquisite collection of jewellery is the ultimate accomplice to any outfit to add some sparkle and shine. Some jewellery is for daily wear and some should be reserved for special occasions. Here is a guide to styling your jewellery for different occasions to get the best out of your outfit and turn heads.

Jewellery for weddings

The invitation for a wedding is the signal to flaunt your finest pieces from your jewellery collection. Pearl jewellery is the perfect accessory to wear to this special occasion. A beautiful but simple pearl necklace matched with cute pearl earrings will help elevate any wedding guest outfit to a whole new level.

There are many different types of pearls available but when it comes to special occasions like weddings, styles such as Akoya and Tahitian pearls are a perfect choice. You can follow CoCo Chanel’s lead and layer up strands of pearls for a real statement. If white doesn’t match your outfit, you can find naturally dyed pearls in many stunning colours.

Jewellery for casual wear

Beaded jewellery is the perfect accessory for casual wear to glam up a simple t-shirt and jeans combination. The beads can be made of plastic, shells or glass as well as various metals. A simple beaded matching set of necklace and earrings paired with a few gold bangles are perfect for daily wear and are also easy to maintain and clean.

Statement necklaces can be styled to almost any casual outfit to make a fashion statement. They are perfect for a shopping trip or lunch out. You can find them in most high street shops for reasonable prices with an expensive and elegant look.

Jewellery for a holiday

Boho style jewellery is the perfect fit for your holiday. It is lightweight so won’t weigh down your suitcase and the bohemian style of these accessories complement holiday outfits. Styles with feathers or animal designs in or flowers embedded look great and the loose and flowing style means it’s easy to wear in warm weather without feeling uncomfortable.

For evening dinner dates while you’re on vacation, a Boho shell choker with silver pendants compliments floaty maxi dresses or denim shorts and floaty tops. This beachy style will look amazing on your glowing skin from the sun. You can make your own seashell necklaces that have a Boho feel and are perfect to take away with you.

Jewellery for a job interview

The advice to those attending a job interview has always been ‘dress like you’ve already got the job you want’. Go for a designer watch and a pair of diamond stud earrings. This is not too ‘in your face’ but shows confidence, style and sophistication.

You want to use your jewellery for this occasion to show your unique style so go for accessories that say something about your personality. Coloured diamond earrings like pink or blue say approachable and sociable while gold or silver says maturity and class.

Jewellery for cocktail parties

These are the ultimate occasions to go OTT with your jewellery and get out your finest jewellery from your collection. To make your mark and look a million dollars Pair some pearl earrings with a stunning pearl necklace. Lace your wrists with dainty silver bracelets and be sure to add in 1-2 stunning rings on those fingers.

So, whatever the occasion, whatever outfit and however your feeling, use your jewellery collection to glam-up and add some sparkle. Using jewellery in an outfit is like using spice in a cooking dish, it should be used to compliment what’s already there and make you feel and look uniquely amazing.

* A Collaborative Piece

Your Body Image

I have been thinking about body image a lot lately and what I have begun to realise is that how people deal with their body image is sectioned off into three groups: “The Happy”, “The Openly Insecure” and the “In The Closet Insecure”.

“The Happy” are those that have a good self image of themselves and do not let others thoughts or opinions affect that.  You are either born this like or you have worked hard in order to attain and maintain this self image.  Either way, it is the best frame of mind to be in.

“The Openly Insecure” are those that let others opinions affect how they feel about their own body image.  As a side effect to this, by accepting other’s insults and allowing that to factor into the way they think about themselves, they can also develop a “not good enough” complex. 

I spent about twenty five years in the not good enough complex so I know how this feels.  It is a feeling that creeps back into your life sometimes and so I always keep an eye out for it and mentally whack myself around the head when I feel like that.

The “In The Closet Insecure” are those that use their own insecurities about their own body image as a weapon against others whom they perceive look “worse” than they do.  This can come out in the pure insult form, which is essentially boils down to “I’ll hurt you before you hurt me” or alternatively comes out in the form of anger. 

It was this anger that confused me for a good while until I realised that that it wasn’t anger at all.  It was jealousy. 

The “In The Closet Insecure” person sees someone who may be larger than they are, or someone who they think is less attractive and if this person looks confident and happy in their own skin then their anger is immediately provoked. 

How do they have the audacity to feel better about themselves than I do?  I look better than them; why do they look happier than I do?  Their base line of thinking is that they cannot stand someone who is secure in their own self image when they perceive them to be “worth less” in their eyes than they are.  Confused by what they see, they hurl anger and abuse; trying to bring the other person down to the same state of misery as their own; not that will ever admit that.

When it comes down to it, bad body image is learned behaviour. 

No baby is born thinking that it is not good enough to be around others.  No child thinks that she/he is ugly until someone else tells them they are.  Until they socially interact with others, nobody ever links their weight to how they should be treated as a person.

I still remember when I was a little girl, watching my mum get ready to go with my dad on a Saturday.  As I watched her, I didn’t judge her against anyone else or think about how society thought that she ought to look.  She was just my mother and I thought (and still do) she looked beautiful.

I think that one of the most important things that you can teach a child when growing up is that they need to find their own sense of self.  To rely on what they think about themselves rather than letting others define who they are and what they should look like.

The question that we need to constantly ask ourselves is not “What do others think of me” but “What do I think of me”.  Because the answer to that question is all that really matters.