Faux Jewelry

I’m gearing up for the holiday party whirlwind (it starts next week for us).  I love getting dressed up and feeling glamorous --- its very much part of the “on the coattails” thing.  But I’m not spending a fortune doing it.  Part of what takes a simple classy outfit (like my tuxedo) up the notch to positively glamorous is the jewelry.  Nearly all of my jewelry is costume stuff from high-end stores like Claires, Target, and the Icing (yeah – high end!!)  So I got some advice from a friend of ours who runs a jewelry store (the real kind – the kind I can’t afford) on choosing costume stuff that doesn’t scream “cheap”. 

·       Watch the stones.  Cheap costume jewelry often has brightly colored stones that simply could never occur in nature.  Go for the flatter, duller stones when you’re looking at colored “gems”.

·       Buy something big enough to be impressive, but small enough that no one looks at it and “knows” that you could NEVER possibly afford a real stone that size.  My faux diamond earrings do this terrifically for me.  Where I work, a lot of the women have much, much larger (gaudy, almost) diamond studs in their ears.  Mine are large enough to look great.  But if I had studs as large as some of the ones I see, everyone would instantly know they were fake. 

·       Watch the setting.  You want to see prongs around the “gem”.  A lot of cheap jewelry is glued together and that’s it.  Good jewelry is held into the setting using prongs to hold the stone. No prongs announces FAKE, FAKE, FAKE from 10 feet away.  (or however close you can see the missing prongs)

·       Shiny fake gold looks fake.  Brushed fake gold and matte fake gold can often pull it off.  Watch the super shiny stuff.

·       Take super good care of it.  The fake stuff scratches like crazy which is a dead giveaway that its cheap.  Watch that it doesn’t wear away over time and show the base that’s underneath the coating of fake gold.  

Personal Luxe: Revisited

 So since I started thinking about luxe and luxury this past week, I did some scrounging around online and came up with a few quintessential luxury items.  You know me, I’m not springing for the luxury price tag – nope I’m looking for luxury on a shoestring. 

1.    Pearls – I don’t care if it makes me seem like an old lady ---(It doesn’t) pearls are a girls best friend.  They’re way more affordable than diamonds.  Faux pearls look far more real than faux diamonds.  They look gorgeous with all kinds of things.  I saw a young woman in the grocery store the other day wearing a simple buttoned up sweater (1950’s style) in pale pink, a black pencil skirt and a mass of faux pearls.  Do I even need to tell you how fantastic she looked?

2.    A croc purse:  Again, faux croc looks just fabulous.  And a croc purse always looks luxe.  I look for big statement type bags --- in subdued colors (none  of this neon or flashy stuff, thank you).  It always comes off as classy and elegant and it looks like it costs way more than it really does. 

3.    Good leather shoes:  I do the cheapie Walmart shoes for cute and fun shoes, but for serious leather shoes, I hunt the sale racks at Lord and Taylor.  I want good leather shoes that will hold up over time.  Its subtle, but it shows. 

I’m also looking for luxury in my private space.  I want to feel luxuriously pampered and indulged ---

1.    cashmere socks – nothing is so soft on the tootsies – and warm, warm warm. 

2.    A silk slip --- yes, yes, I know – slips are so not “in” anymore.  Don’t’ believe me?? Try finding a slip.  It takes some doing.  You don’t just walk into a department store and buy a slip anymore.  So finding and wearing a silk slip is a personal bit of luxury.  It feels great against the skin and it makes your dresses look better on the outside.

3.    A terrific white t shirt:  these are hard to find. Its easy to find a cheap, ill fitting white t shirt – just buy a bag of men’s underwear.  But to find a super great t shirt that fits right without spending an arm and a leg – that’s rare.  If you find one that does wonders for your body – buy a dozen!!  I had a terrific one from Target a few years back – I bought 3 or 4 at the time.  I’m down to just one that’s still in good condition.  I might cry when I have to go shopping for a new one, because I know its not going to be fun.

My Personal Luxe

I was playing a vocabulary game with my students the other day and we came across the word “luxe”.  It got me thinking.  I have a few very inexpensive “luxe” items that make me happy.  Some of them get me lots of compliments

1.    a  pair of terrific equestrian style boots.  Mine are almost flat and super comfortable.  They come up high on the leg – almost to the knee.  They have a tiny bit of understated detailing at the ankle that gives them a little classy edge.  Oh, and they’re brown, not black

2.    Leather gloves:  I seriously collect these.  I hunt all the time at TJMaxx, Marshalls, Loehmans, and the clearance tables at department stores.  I love good leather gloves.  I look for superb details and a good fit.  As soon as the weather turns cold (its starting to) I’ll be wearing them every day.  They always look terrific and they kick up a bargain basement outfit any time.

3.    A faux fur vest;  I can’t tell you how many compliments this has gotten me.  It’s a cheap clearance item from Dress Barn from quite a few years back, but it looks fantastic.  I’ve had women stop me on the street and inquire about the tailor who cut down my coat for me (its hard not to snicker).  All fall long, this looks terrific.  Its just warm enough.  A pair of jeans and a button down shirt suddenly become elegant with this over them. 

4.    Serious sunglasses:  I am prone to migraines if I’m out in bright sunshine without dark glasses, so I’ve taken to the Jackie O look with the big dark sunglasses.  I love them and they always garner compliments. 

5.    Ooh-La-La Undergarments:  These garner lots of compliments too – but only from one person.  There is something about wearing elegant undies that makes you feel fantastic.  And it shows --- your undies aren’t what shows – the terrific feeling is what shows.  It gives you a certain “je nais se quois” that makes everything a little more chic and elegant.