When traveling, you want to look your best, which often means using jewelry to put the finishing touches on your vacation wardrobe. However, traveling with valuable jewelry can be worrisome. Anxiety over how to secure expensive jewelry while you're not wearing it is a burden you don't need while you're suppose to be having fun!
The good news is that you can have your cake and eat it too! With fashion jewelry, you can look fabulous without the worry. High-quality fashion jewelry looks like fine jewelry, but at a fraction of the cost. Often plated with precious metals like gold and silver, it gives the illusion of the "real deal," meaning you can enjoy it without worry about loss or theft.
Another advantage of fashion jewelry is its versatility. With current fashion trends favoring lots of layers and big statement pieces, it's easy to take a few pieces of jewelry and mix and match them in different combinations to create entirely new looks each day. By getting more mileage out of a few basic pieces, you'll have less to pack and keep track of.
Here are some ideas for transforming a few basic pieces into new and different styles:
Take a necklace with a decorative clasp that can be worn in front as a design element. Turn the necklace around and add a brooch or pendant. Voila! You have an entirely different piece of jewelry.
- Bring necklaces that compliment each other and wear them alone; then, wear them together for a different look.
Vary the length of the layers for variety. Wear a long necklace in triple layers as a short "statement" necklace. Add a pendant or a brooch to it and you've got a choker with a completely new look.
- Select reversible jewelry to get two looks for the price of one.
- Use a brooch as a pendant. Look for brooches that have both a bail (the loop that allows it to be strung on a chain) and a pin on the back. If the brooch doesn't have a bail, simply pin it over the necklace.
- Choose pendants that can be easily attached, such as those with a magnetic bail. The magnetic bail makes it a snap (no pun intended) to add and remove the pendant.
- Take a brooch that can serve double duty as a pendant when it's not being used as a pin.
- For flexibility, take necklaces and bracelets in a neutral color. Pearls are great for this purpose. They can be worn with almost any color and combined easily with many other necklaces.
- Select pieces that complement each other. Look for an element that is common to both such as a specific stone, bead color or style.
- Take items that can be easily and efficiently packed. Elasticized cuff bracelets, for example, are great for travel. They're comfortable, don't get in the way as you handle luggage, and can be flattened for packing.
- Bring a couple of dressy pieces that can be worn in the evening. For instance, replace a more casual pendant with an elegant one to create an evening look.
BIO: Lia Wilson is an independent distributor with Premier Designs, a jewelry company based in Irving, TX. She loves fashion and enjoys the freedom of having her own business and working from home with her three canine "officemates." The most gratifying part of her job is helping other women look and feel their best through a well-accessorized wardrobe. Lia can be reached at liawilson@rocketmail.com.
**This is an unsolicited opinion. For my full disclosure policy, please see this page.
