I'm never not wearing jewelry.

I wear it to the grocery store, to the gym, to the playground with my daughter. I have pieces that I can layer and pieces that I wear everyday. Jewelry can't just be worn. Just like clothing, if you style it even slightly, it adds a whole other layer to your look.

While I love going all out with jewelry, I don't love the messy look. For many jewelry brands, the way to go 'maximalist' is by layering a ton of jewelry. I find that if I combine pieces with size variety, emphasis on color, or add a different texture, I can appear like I'm going all out.

Play With Sizes

The maximalist way is usually go big, or go home, but why not combine pieces that are both big and small? This adds interest to your look. You can mix metals this way, and create something really unique. Think antique or heirloom (smaller piece, maybe gold) with contemporary (a larger piece, maybe silver or brass).

My go-tos as of late? I love pairing a smaller ring with a big cuff, or my statement hoops with a simple choker chain.

Play With Color

I love a good monochrome look, but I also love pops of color. You can choose colors to compliment your outfit, either something in the same tone or to add an accent. I'm usually drawn to wearing all black clothing, so it's fun and easy for me to add something striking with color. In the jewelry world, you can opt for the more traditional route by wearing gemstones, or be a touch more modern by wearing enamel jewelry.

If you're struggling for color combinations to match your outfit, my favorite way to choose a palette is by searching on Pinterest for branding colorways. Brands want to stand out so their color combinations tend to be more surprising and unusual.

Play With Texture

This has got to be my favorite way to play with jewelry. Think beads, enamel, glass, matte finishes, high-polished finishes, mixed metals, alternative materials.

I love all-metal jewelry (jewelry with no gemstones) for the simple fact that you can create a nice base layer for your jewelry look. After selecting my base pieces, I might add a bead-embroidered cuff, or a pair of shiny enamel earrings with a pop of color, or one of my grandmother's costume jewelry pieces. For me, the all-metal jewelry pieces lay the foundation, they set the tone. Then anything with texture can really stand out and it's how you draw the viewer into your look.

Shout out to my friend Marleena of After Lore for making that beautiful beaded cuff.

Thanks so much for reading my blog.

Take care for now,

Caitlin