How do you wear yours?

When is a piece of jewellery not just a piece of jewellery? When it’s a memory, a story, an expression of love. When it’s used to create a look, a style an image. When it expresses personality and individuality. How we choose to accessorize ourselves is rarely just about putting a ring on, or a bracelet, a scarf or a belt. It’s as individual as our own style. Our own self even. We can use accessories to create totally new images, outfits and looks. If used well jewellery can create the ‘WOW factor’ every outfit should strive to have. It can highlight, accentuate and illuminate or it can disguise, hide and detract

But most of all jewellery is about fun! We should enjoy it, play with it, get creative with it. Experiment and dress up with it. Remember the excitement of rummaging through your mums jewellery box and hanging, layering and pinning every shiny bauble you could find on to your small self. Well I do. And that’s why I love jewellery. As a stylist I encourage clients to rediscover the fun and frivolity of accessories. To see them as a safe way to experiment with new looks and trends without having to dress head to toe in the very ’latest’ fashion. Try stacking your different pieces – ring on ring, necklace on necklace. Very current. Very simple. Very effective.

And use jewellery to your advantage. What parts of you do you love most? What bits of you do you love least? Learn how to flatter your body shape by using accessories to attract or deflect – to fool the eye of the onlooker. For example, the great British pear shape looks fabulous with a broach or an eye catching choker as the focus is on the neckline – not the bottom line! If you are broad across the shoulder slim your torso by wearing a long line necklace creating a V shape which draws the eye downwards.

Jana Reinhardt jewellery is the very embodiment of this fun and frivolity. Inspired by the greatest of women – Mother Nature herself, the pieces evoke thoughts of childhood memories and girlish dreams. For me its dens in the garden, walks in the forest, my dressing up box and picnics in the sunshine. Each piece can be used to tell a different part of the story, another suggestion about who we are, were and still want to be. I love their golden sparrow hoop earrings for it’s clean lines and gentle simplicity. Or my favourite their golden rock flower ring for its bold statement of glamour. Either would tell a little bit more about who I am and what I love. But what is it for you?

So. Jewellery has a myriad functions - rarely is it just ‘worn’. It gives messages out about who we are, how we feel, what we love and sometimes who we love. It can cheer us up and it can gladden the soul. So the next time you go to put on a piece of jewellery take a second to think about what it is saying – you may be very surprised.