With everyone’s New Year resolutions in full swing (hopefully!), now’s the time to start looking ahead – while you’ve promised yourself a purge of your wardrobe and jewellery box, getting rid of anything you’ve not looked at twice since you bought it, you’ve got to replace what you ditch with stuff you know you
WILL wear.
Accessories can make or break even the most carefully thought out outfits, so it’s vital to get those little additions perfect – there’s no sense in following the trends and crafting the perfect outfit, only to pair it with jewellery that’s fully of styles from two years ago. This handy guide runs through some of the basic jewellery styles which are hitting designer stores and high street shops alike in 2014.
New Colours, New Stones
Recent trends, particularly for those moving into 2014, have seen a shift away from traditional colourful stones like sapphires and emeralds – partly because of rising prices and the demand for more affordable jewellery, even amongst high-end designers like
Louis Vuitton, but also because designers are beginning to cotton on to the fact that these previously more obscure stones open up a whole new and broadly untapped colour palette.
This means that 2014 will see an explosion in unique-coloured jewellery with garnets, opals and topaz taking precedence over their more valuable cousins. It’s something of a retro throwback to the 70s, where these unusual stones were similarly popular, and the reinvention of styles from these eras is definitely big this year.
Large, Statement Necklaces and Chokers
‘Go big or go home’, as the saying goes, and this is especially true for necklaces and chokers in 2014. We saw an abundance of new big and daring styles in this area in 2013 and 2012, and this trend is set to continue in 2014, with a focus on bigger being better. Whether in bright colours and ornate styles, or simple gold or silver finishes, it’s all about big necklaces and chunky chokers.
Following this trend is the perfect way to not only complement an outfit’s existing style, but also to add a statement piece and accentuate an otherwise subtle and muted outfit.
Retro Watches Are Back
Ralph Lauren championed this look on the catwalk in 2013 and, since then, countless other designers with their own ladies watch lines have cottoned on that retro jewellery is set to be big business in 2014. Leather straps, delicate watch faces and noticeable yet subtle watch shapes are all popular fashion choices, with a hark back to the 60s and 70s seeming to be a particularly big choice of style.
For the catwalk look, designer is the way to go –
Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger and Karen Millen are amongst the big names taking the leather-strapped retro look by storm.
O’Hara’s range of ladies watches is a great place to start for finding that perfect addition to your wardrobe.
Go For Gold!
Despite the growing trend to coast away from the norm in terms of stones in jewellery, some things never change; the popularity of gold is taking 2014 by the horns and dominating with full force. From chunky chokers to delicately beautiful bracelets, gold is set to be the number one style of jewellery in 2014 with countless 24-carat designers and their followers on the high street both going all-out with our favourite yellow metal.
As with large statement pieces, even the most delicately elegant piece of gold jewellery can add a spark of something truly special and eye-catching to a simple, minimalistic and muted outfit. Don’t go overboard with every piece of gold jewellery in one go, but make sure you have a good range of earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings to choose from to suit any style of outfit.
This guest post was written by Tom McShane – professional blogger working with UK-based Nigel O’Hara Jewellers, who supply designer watches and jewellery for perfect accessorizing.
