Baubles on a Budget

This may not be news to anyone, but I’m something of a clotheshorse. In the past, when forced to choose, I would always pick a pretty dress over a new pair of earrings. The dress, I reasoned, had so much more wardrobe impact. But then, when I found myself increasingly facing a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, I started to reconsider. Why did I always find myself in a great dress, feeling underdressed? And why was my wardrobe so filled with one-hit wonders? I found myself admiring the way my most stylish friends accessorized, like a tall, slim acquaintance of mine whose talent for accessorizing adds flair to her uniform of slim jeans and simple tops. And another friend whose breezy, boho-chic look is always capped off with chunky wooden bangles and dangly earrings. I found myself really paying attention to accessories for the first time in a long time, and, not uncoincidentally, they also started to come out of the shadows of fashion, sharing style-mag-space with flashier, spendier extras like bags and shoes. They came into their own, just as I woke up and started to crave statement necklaces and earrings, bangles and cocktail rings. I’ve spent the last couple of years playing catchup, stocking up on pivotal pieces, particularly necklaces and bangles. (I am still too lazy, most mornings, to switch out my everyday diamond studs for something flashier, but that is slowly changing). And while there are some pieces that are definitely worth a splurge, whether it’s because they are destined to become your stylish standbys or simply because they are too fabulous to pass up, there are times when you want a little flash without spending a lot of cash. (Sorry –  couldn’t resist). These items might last you one season or several, but they all have one thing in common: maximum impact with no commitment.