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If you’ve bought the latest Teen Vogue, the one with Kristen Stewart on the cover or visit the Teen Vogue thread on FD forum, you would see many spreads that have been styled with vintage/heirloom-looking jeweled rhinestone, diamond or crystal jewelries. My ex-boss loved to wear her “corny” rhinestone necklace which she bought on the street of LA. One day, she asked me to get similar necklaces for her ad campaign project during my styling days in the past. In the beginning, I didn’t really get the look she was aiming for. I found them “trashy” and scream “ghetto fabulous”! It would be something that the Grunge Princess, Courtney Love would wear on stage or what Lil’ Kim would flaunt on her neckline. On top of that, I had trouble finding them and had to visit every vintage stores around New York. (How I wish I knew Etsy at that time, my life would be so much easier! *hint : I found my own vintage rhinestone necklace from Etsy =)
Then I saw the way she styled them with casual pieces: pairing a victorian rhinestone necklace with a plain T-shirt and jeans, or a casual jersey dress. The look was pretty stimulating, something refreshing to look at. My ex-boss styled that look almost three years ago and today, that similar look appears in every magazine spreads, especially around this time of the year when sparkles and glitz are found everywhere to mark the beginning of the holiday season.
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I admit it’s a bit tricky to pull off these “bling bling” without looking tacky, and end up looking like “emak-emak OKB =P” Don’t be afraid to do some trial and errors before wearing these sparkling babies. I blind-tested my rhinestone necklace on my vacation trip last month, the one I got from Etsy and pairing it with a blue jersey asymmetrical top. Unfortunately, the two didn’t go well and I should pair it with a simple white tee or basic tank top. My suggestion is to stick with basic and casual pieces, just to tone down the flashy jewelries. They automatically will stand out on their own, and don’t need to compete with the rest of your look. Above and below are some styling examples to inspire you. If any of you also have some great styling tips in wearing this statement jewelry, you’re welcome to share them with us here. So what do you think ? Yay or Nay?
Sources & images courtesy of: jvb, teenvogue.com, tv dec ’08, lucky magazine nov ’08, etsy.com
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Image may be NSFW.
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