Caroline Maguire's Favorite Necklace Is Surprisingly Simple For A Maximalist

Journey With Jewels is our series that explores one’s relationship with jewelry beyond adornments — as a force to transform, empower, and even draw on energy from the past. From perennial favorites to vintage heirlooms, the meaning we attach to these decorative objects range and reveal more than our styling preferences. This edition is with the fashion director of Shopbop, Caroline Maguire.

As the fashion director of Shopbop, Caroline Maguire is no stranger to colorful, creative fashion — it’s her job to know what’s in. Her Instagram page is splashed with the latest trends — floaty colorful dresses, printed puff-sleeve blouses, and even designer sweatpants. Her jewelry collection is equally eclectic — stacks of bracelets, rings layered together — but her most sentimental piece is decidedly simple.

“It’s a gold apple charm necklace with a tiny diamond in the middle as an ode to New York City (the big apple),” she tells TZR. “When my husband was in elementary school, his family moved out of New York to a foreign country for a couple of years due to my father-in-law’s work relocation. This special apple charm was given to my mother-in-law as a remembrance of New York, so she would not get homesick.” Adding that the Christmas gift from a few years back was first given to Maguire’s mother-in-law by her sister, and has become the one item she wears the most.

While Maguire is not an NYC native herself (she hails from California,) the token is one that holds a larger symbolism, “this charm brought [my mother-in-law] thoughts of family and friends from home, hoping it could do the same for me.” And, according to Maguire, the charm has worked. While she often layers on other jewelry — she’s a maximalist! — the necklace stays put. “I wear this piece all day every day... I don’t even take it off to shower!” That means when Maguire is traveling, whether it be to Paris Fashion Week for work or on a family vacation with her two children, she has something to remind her of both her first home and her current one.

In the five years that Maguire has held her role at Shopbop, she’s helped to inspire shoppers not only by introducing them to new, emerging brands but also by sharing her own everyday ensembles — posting highly saturated Instagram photos where she showcases the ease with which she layers the latest fashion and accessory trends. Being bicoastal, her personal style marries the anything-goes attitude of California style with the trendiness that New Yorkers possess. “I am a firm believer that ‘more is more and less is definitely a bore.’ When in doubt, go all out!” Playful jewelry labels like Venessa Arizaga, Maison Irem, and Roxanne Assoulin are frequent additions to Maguire’s daily look, and she was an early adopter of the colorful jewelry trend that’s currently taking off.

Maguire isn’t afraid to mix prints, play with volume, color, or trendy cuts, but part of the appeal of her never-take-off necklace is the fact that she doesn't have to worry about it clashing with anything else. “It is such a classic piece with the gold and singular diamond that it pairs perfectly with any look I plan to wear.” That may mean layering it with other similar gold necklaces or playing with homespun, beaded options when the occasion calls for it. Maguire also likes to layer charms on the same chain to add playfulness to a look. But, even if she’s wearing it all alone, it’s the piece of jewelry that makes every outfit complete.