While high fashion sets trends, runway looks can sometimes feel over-the-top — but you can wear them your way.
Elegant models clad in new fashions strut down runways to show the looks of the season in apparel and accessories. But let’s face it, unless you spend a lot of time walking red carpets, some of the trends pictured in magazines and on blogs aren’t made for the world you live in.
However, you can raid your jewelry box — and add a couple of key pieces — to wear the runway looks your way.
Pearl power
Runway: Dusting off their sometimes too-proper reputation, pearls got funky on the runway this year.
Long necklaces piled on with metal necklaces; tight, swirling chokers; pasted to model’s faces; used as hairbands.
Your Way: You can paste a pearl to your face if you wish, but otherwise, take the designers’ passion for pearls as a starting point. If you want to layer a long pearl strand with a metal necklace, better to go with faux pearls — real ones will get nicked and lose their nacre when subjected to the harder metals. However, you can wear the pearl and metal trend with a station necklace — metal chain linking real pearls. Get the hairband look with faux pearls, too; real pearls can easily come unstrung, and hair products like spray or gel may damage them.
If you have a longer strand of pearls, double it up for a choker or wear one larger pearl pendant close to your neck. Bracelets, rings and pins with pearls are also looking fresh for the season. Earrings are also a way to showcase pearls.
Finally brooch the subject
Runway: Brooches roared out of the past for fall fashion. Gigantic, flashy and festooned with diamonds and gemstones, brooches and pins are being designed in circles, initials, and free-form abstract designs. And by big, we mean some the size of your hand.
Your Way: This is one runway look that’s actually easier to pull off than most. Even if you don’t go for an insanely oversized brooch, an ornate pin on a jacket, bag or a couple used to adorn ballet flats will embellish your look. You can even use one to pin together a scarf, which is a perfect look for the fall!
Chokers
Runway: Chokers were everywhere at the fall shows — wide bands in fabric or leather around the neck, some with diamonds or gemstones pavéed all the way around.
Your Way: If your neck is long and swan-like, go with the wide choker. But unless you want to start bedazzling, the pavé look is hard to find at a non-super-model price point. So wear a wide choker and attach a gem or pearl as a pendant at the base.
For a less extreme look, a narrower choker with a pendant will be totally on-trend and a little easier to wear. And if you’re not comfortable wearing a choker, you can go with a shorter chain with a pendant, which will give a similar look.
Long & fringe-y
Runway: Fringe is big in apparel, accessories and jewelry this fall. Styles include long earrings in gold and fabric that brush the shoulders; bracelets with chains of metal falling over the hand; piles of necklaces with lots of fringe or a fall of delicate chain fringe on pendants in 20-inch lengths or longer.
Your way: Frankly, the long-fringed bracelet looks like it could be aggravating, but a shorter length will be more comfortable and less likely to snag or tangle. The rest of this trend is remarkably easy to wear, in gold or sterling silver. Earrings with shorter fringe look and feel great, and a long necklace with fringe is a fabulous ways to make this look your own.
