gilbertandfrech.com Blog

My daughter loves to ask questions!  She is extremely inquisitive and wants to know all the details.  She is also very observant.  I remember when my friend pulled her car into our driveway and she had her window down.  My daughter was standing in the grass and before my friend could finish pulling down the driveway, she says, “Oh you got your haircut and it looks so pretty!”  She had barely gotten a trim and she immediately noticed.  One of her favorite questions to ask is what your favorite color is.
 

 Well that is my question to you today.  What is your favorite color?  Most of the time, we like to wear things that are the colors that we like.  It is important to know what colors actually look good and compliment our skin tone and hair color.  We are going to take a look this week at determining what colors look best and then in turn choose jewelry that will also compliment.
 

Colors fall under 4 categories that are patterned after seasons.  Winter, Summer, Spring or Fall are the categories.  Within those seasons, you can also have warm tones and cool tones.  Today we are going to focus on Winter colors.
 

People who are winter have undertones in their skin that are pink and blue.  Their hair color is dark and they have deep colored eyes.  Skin color can vary from dark, yellowish olive, to pale white.  People who are African Americans or Asian typically are winters.
 

Winter colors are cool colors and range in intensity from dark to light.  The colors are rich and deep and then can be pale and icy looking depending on the light.  Colors are distinctive and crisp.  “Jewel” tone colors would fall into the winter category.  Some famous people that would be considered winters are Courtney Cox, Elizabeth Taylor and Eva Longoria.  Some gemstones to consider wearing if you are a winter would be sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and onyx.  These are stones that have rich color and are deep.
 

I hope this week will be helpful to you in picking out colors that work well with your hair color.  I am still trying to figure out which category I am in.  I have narrowed it down to two.  Join me tomorrow as we discuss Summer colors.

It is Friday!  Everyone loves this day because it is the end of the work week for most and it is time to relax with family and friends.  My sister is coming for a visit this weekend.  She LOVES jewelry so we might just put these simple jewelry tips to use and go shopping.  Gilbert and Frech is one of her favorite online stores, next to Pottery Barn, so hopefully she will check out Traderlou too.
 

 We are going to wrap up this series on simple jewelry tips.  Yesterday, we talked specifically about bracelets so today I thought we would wrap up the series by discussing shopping tips for rings and pendants.  We talked briefly earlier this week on rings when we were discussing tips to consider in reference to our age and body type.  There is a lot more information to take in so lets get started.
 

In addition to thinking about how a gemstone is cut, there are at least 12 different ring settings to consider.  Ballerina style is a larger stone surrounded in a circle but little baguettes.  Then there is the bar and channel setting where the stones are side by side.  There is bezel, flush, gypsy, illusion, invisible, pave, cluster, prong, and tension just to name a few.  One thing to consider when shopping for a ring with a gemstone is the color.  If you have dark skin and dark hair then the colors that are warm like earthy color gemstones and yellow gold are going to look better.  Stick to red, pink and purple color gemstones as well as sterling silver, platinum and white gold if you complexion is fair.  Green makes red hair pop and blue gemstones look great with blonde hair.
 

Here are some simple tips on buying pendants.  As a general rule of thumb, you want to have smaller pendants for bodies that are smaller and larger pendants for those that have larger bodies.  If your neck is wider, it is smart to go with a longer pendant to elongate the body.  Women who are younger can wear just about anything whereas women who are older will want to choose longer pendants to draw attention away from the neck.
 

Thanks for joining me this week.  I hope you will benefit from these tips next time you go shopping for that perfect outfit!  You will be able to add just the right touch without overpowering or choosing something that totally does not work.  Have a great weekend.

Well, it is back to school for my kids this week!  I was chatting with some moms after we dropped our children off and one of them was mentioning that she had a big anniversary coming up and she had purchased her dress but was having a hard time finding something to go with it.  Of course, I could not resist mentioning our sites, www.gilbertandfrech.com and www.traderlou.com  where she could choose from a huge selection of beautiful jewelry….AND….I just so happened to be writing an article on how to shop using simple jewelry tips!  Hopefully she will check it out.
 

Today’s topic is going to be all about bracelets.  We have spent a lot of time talking about necklace length, body type and age, and discussing some basic jewelry trends.  We will look at a few simple tips to make shopping easier for that perfect bracelet.
 

First let’s take a look at the standard length of bracelets and who they generally target.  A child or toddler’s bracelet is usually around 5 inches.  A bracelet that is 6 inches targets teenagers and very petite and thin women.  An average size woman will generally wear a seven inch bracelet and an 8 inch is more for a man or women with large wrists.
 

Keep in mind when you are shopping for a bracelet, it is important to understand what makes a proper fit for your wrist.  You want to make sure you can slip a couple fingers between the bracelet and your wrist.  Making sure it is the correct length will help protect the bracelet from breaking or getting snagged on something.  You also need to consider body type.  If your hands are wider and your fingers are shorter, stick with bracelets that are a medium width.  A bracelet that is either really wide or very thin will both tend to make that type wrist look even wider.  Hands that are petite and small need to stick with bracelets that are also thin and delicate.  Trying to wear a large bracelet will look completely out of proportion.   If you have hands that are slim and long fingers, then you are sitting pretty as you can wear any style you wish!
 

I hope that you will find a bracelet that is perfect for you by keeping these simple jewelry tips in mind.  Happy shopping!

So, are you finding these jewelry tips helpful?  I hope it is becoming a little easier to go into a store and have an idea of what you are looking for instead of feeling overwhelmed and unsure of the style or what looks best on you.  Using these simple jewelry tips will help to narrow down the huge selection that is available to most people now and help you to achieve success on finding that perfect piece of jewelry.
 

Today we are going to focus on 2 more simple jewelry tips to consider when purchasing a piece.  We have talked about necklace lengths and how to match them with what you are wearing and we have talked about picking out jewelry that is appropriate for your age and body type.  Now let’s discuss a few rules in shopping for the newest jewelry trends.
 

It is very popular these days to go big and bold in your jewelry.  Choosing a piece like this can help to express your personality and make a statement!  You just don’t want to make a statement that says “I do not have a clue!”  It is very important when choosing jewelry that is big and bold not to over accessorize.  If you are wearing large and loud earrings, then forget adding a necklace and maybe go with a chunky bracelet.  Also, keep in mind what clothing you are wearing.  You don’t want to wear an outfit with lots of pattern to have to compete with your jewelry, you want it to compliment.  When wearing colorful jewelry, consider wearing either black or white as a canvas for the piece that you want to be the focal point of your outfit.
 

Another thing that has become popular these days is to mix metals.  Before, the more traditional look was to have everything match.  That is not the case anymore, but if you are going to mix metals, then you need to do it the right way!  Try to keep to the same style of jewelry.  You don’t want to wear a traditional rope chain with a large and chunky silver cuff bracelet.  Stacking bracelets of the same style is a great way to mix metals, or consider layering chains of silver and gold.
 

We will continue investigating more jewelry tips tomorrow.  Thanks for taking the time to join me in this series.