Return to the Jewelry Box: A Study of Necklaces

 
We all agree that a bit of jewelry can add the finishing touch to an outfit.
 
I’ve had some difficulty over the years deciding what to buy (What will it go with? Does it make me look like a female impersonator?), but it turns out acquisition is only half the job.

 
 
Once you have jewelry, you have to remember to wear it.
 
This is a real problem for me.
 
Remember to wear. Remember to wear.
 
I recently acquired this Marni necklace from Vestaire Collective, so you would think I would be able to remember to wear it. In actuality, I only put this necklace on because my hand fumbled over it while looking for a watch.
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Is it too much? Am I a walking collage?

 
 
I didn’t find the watch, but what a lucky pass through my jewelry drawer.
 
This combination could be ripped from the pages of Consuelo Constiglioni’s head!*
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Non, Directrice, non; the only way out is through!

 
As a previously-owned item, the necklace cost me only a fraction of its original retail price, which seems about right, given that it is a mass-produced plastic geegaw.
 
The medallions (I am giving them legitimacy by using that word here) are resin strung on a nylon cord and then attached to a thin strip of black patent leather.
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You can see why it captivated me, can’t you

 
 
Does this necklace remind you of anything? Anything at all?
Goetze's Caramel Creams
Goetze’s Caramel Creams; yummy!

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Could this necklace be the Universal Necklace?
 
 
Remember to wear! Remember to wear!
 
What else could I wear this caramel geegaw with?
 
Many things. I wear a lot of black, white, and grey.

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I don’t know about that, but I think it will go with more than you might imagine

This necklace is 30 inches long and slips on over the head. It has no clasp and short of taking it to a leather repair shop and a jeweler, the length cannot be shortened. Unless . . .
 
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What a failure of imagination, Directrice; just knot the strap
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Problem solved; necklace is shorter and the knot looks intentional

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Overkill? Have you looked at the top photo in this post?
 
 
Here is a second look for this necklace, which is well suited to a casual sundress.
 
By the way, I like the fact that the necklace is black and orange and not black and red. A black and red necklace with the red sandals might have been . . . wait for it . . . overkill.

 
 
I like this charming dress with the electrified, white-wall, red patent leather sandals.
 
The outfit can be made a little more conservative, a little more formal, with an elegant necklace. Like so.
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A subtler approach

 
 
You’ve seen this necklace before. It’s 44 inches long and closes with a toggle clasp, which means it can be doubled or, my preference, trebled.
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Adds elegance

Of all the necklaces I own, this one sits the most squarely at the intersection of distinctive and useful. With semi-precious beads in the mix, it’s much more interesting than a precious metal link necklace, but onyx — i.e., black — goes with everything.
 
 
The onyx beads have a terrific shape; they’re like torqued cubes. The silver beads, which are actually sticks, get visual interest from the cable grooving. And there is a little gold in the mix, too: tiny, spherical beads.
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Actually, this one is probably the true Universal Necklace

That’s all!
 
Resin Necklace: Marni; Ruffled top: Isa Arfen; Floral dress: Derek Lam 10 Crosby; Black sandals: Donald J. Pliner Fritz Sandal; Striped dress: JCrew; Onyx necklace: David Yurman Precious Beads Cable Stick Necklace; Red Sandals: Aquatalia Wanette Sandals

* I meant that botched metaphor. See The Virtues of Red Sandals. Consuelo Constiglioni is the director of Marni.

5 thoughts on “Return to the Jewelry Box: A Study of Necklaces”

  1. I genuinely like both necklaces and always like to see what people choose and find interesting. Your first necklace is eye catching with the orange and the second a wonderful piece can be worn limitless times. I’m currently having a love affair with French Kande necklaces and bracelets. The history of medallions alone makes me want them all. Kate

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  2. Love the Marni necklace with both outfits, but the first outfit is outstanding layering. Brava! I’m always messing with the lengths of my necklaces to make them just right for both my outfits and my stature. Everyone has ideal necklace lengths based on body proportions and we’re all different. But sometimes, an outfit doesn’t cooperate and you have to fiddle to frame the necklace properly. Great post!

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  3. Look at you – even altering necklaces to be absolute perfection! The knot in the back looks smart and adds to it!
    Thank you for the photo of you in glasses – that is my everyday look so I appreciated that more than you know 🙂

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  4. Humm, it was when you were rummaging for a watch that you happened upon the necklace? That says to me that your jewels may not be stored in such a way that they remind you to wear them.
    If something can be melted down and sold for the materials I keep it out of sight, otherwise I like to keep jewelry out so I’ll remember I own it.

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  5. Oh, that first outfit is not too much! Just absolutely perfect. I like the other outfit too, in both iterations. Those onyx beads are really something.

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