In the mid-aughts my college boyfriend once brought me to a store he thought "totally captured" my style. The store was Chico's, which wasn't quite the embodiment of my early twenties, Manhattan-dwelling vibe. (In his defense, I was aggressively channeling Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's boho style during those years, so I can understand the misinterpretation.) Nonetheless, I instantly vowed to avoid chunky jewelry and linen culottes. Over a decade later I'm finally reevaluating this decree, thanks to the renaissance of bigger, better, and bolder jewelry seen on the Spring 2019 runways. And thank goodness, because the dainty jewelry trend was starting to get a little dull for me. So I trepidatiously tested the waters and quickly found myself compulsively purchasing and navigating how to style all manner of chunky jewelry (colorful, and over-the-top too).
Much like a swipe of red lipstick or a statement purse, bold jewelry makes it look like your outfit is put together, with minimal effort. It also doesn't involve the level of sophistication required to apply and maintain a red lip. As someone who loves fashion but doesn't love spending hours getting dressed, the instant individualization provided by the addition of statement jewelry is heaven-sent. Wearing a tee and jeans again? Distract them with bold earrings. Boom.
Last week I wore a hot pink Ganni boilersuit and the there's a lot to be said for the smiles color elicits from total strangers. Incorporating a little color isn't groundbreaking as we head into summer, but as evidenced by collections from Marc Jacobs to Maryam Nassir Zadeh, it's time to embrace it wholeheartedly. Why not, after a long winter? To anyone unsure of wearing head-to-toe hues, I suggest colorful jewelry. To anyone excited about wearing head-to-toe hues, I also suggest colorful jewelry.
From chain links to colorful shells, the extensive array of bold styles showcased in the Spring 2019 collections is literally dizzying. Which means you can embrace anything, and I mean anything, that fits your fancy. Lucite earrings that have diamante "VOTE" text? Yes. Chunky hardware bracelets woven with hyper-pigmented thread? Also yes. Charm bracelets, chain necklaces, hefty earrings — the list is endless. And while I wouldn't recommend going full Iris Apfel and doubling down on every style simultaneously, you can definitely mix and match with gumption. One of my favorite combinations involves layering a chunky chain necklace with a shell iteration, particularly colorful shell styles. Not only has the shell trend been been gathering steam for a while, it also plays neatly into Spring 2019's fixation on handicraft and wanderlust. From my vantage point as a newly minted maximalist, I can say with conviction that more is definitely more.
