A Look Back at 2011 Fashions and Celebrity Trendy Jewelry

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Allison Edrington

2011 was a raucous year for fashion. Starting out with a minimum amount of color and flair, that quickly transformed into loud prints and bright colors. The rising tide of impressively courageous prints was also unexpected, at least on my part. The familiar taste of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s were all present this year in some form.

But I’m especially glad the minimalist look isn’t really practical for a long period of time — it suppresses so much! If you’d really like to reminisce about the stampede of fashions that took on 2011, Vogue has a fabulous slide show up with their top 12 that nicely summarizes the year.

Celebrity Trendy Black And Blue Enameled Tribal Necklace

One of the celebrity trendy fashions that struck this year was a resurgence of tribal jewelry and styles — even down to the hair styles and sandals! Envious Gems also got in on that action, with tribal necklaces and a few that were paired with tribal style earrings.

The simple, geometric designs on this tribal jewelry can add a little spice to a neutral outfit.

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you’ll know that I’ve been crazy for the bold and clashing colors that have been paired together to create quite the new look. Whether you consider it a throwback to the beginnings of modern designs or just a break from the minimalist style that briefly reigned, the bright patterns and tones really brightened up the year.

Check out the whole Vogue slide show to reminisce about what 2011 brought us. Our celebrity trendy jewelry has perfected plenty of outfits throughout this year and we look forward to finding new styles so you can easily keep up with trends.

New Trendy Bracelets in Stock For Your Stacking Pleasure

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Allison Edrington

For more of your stacking pleasure, we recently got a whole slew of trendy bracelets in stock in a variety of colors and styles that you can easily mix and match. We even just stocked up on a bracelet to match one of our most popular necklaces!

But why stack bracelets? A number of actresses have been caught stacking beaded and leather bracelets up their arms for a colorful and eclectic look, but it’s not just a celebrity trendy thing to do. Fashionistas on the street have been making good use of the stacked bracelet look.

The most elegant of our newest bracelets are the trendy double CZ flexible spiral bangles in rose gold tone, gold tone, burnish silver tone and regular silver tone. The light bendable nature of these bracelets make them easy to slip on and you can wear them separately or you can stack two or three for that layered style.

Celebrity Trendy Double CZ Flexible Spiral Bangle in Rose Gold tone

These work for everyday outfits when you want a little glam in your day, but these sprial bangles are also appropriate for more formal settings.

We also have two new beaded bracelets in stock that don’t fit the normal style but are still fashionable. The turquoise beaded leather bracelet has a layered look without needing othe bracelets, as there are gold tone beads strung on two separate strands that sandwich the primary turquoise color. Perfect for a day at the beach or your favorite casual outfit.

Celebrity Trendy Turqoise beaded Leather Bracelet

For a more uncommon look, our Tai Pave Ball Weave Bracelet with gold or silver tone beads are a comfortable and simple solution.

Celebrity Trendy Tai Pave Ball Weave Bracelet with Gold Tone Accent Beads

I’m also excited to see we added a bracelet to match our fabulous Hamsa pendant necklace:

Celebrity Trendy Woven String Bracelet with Hamsa

At Envious Gems, we make it simple to pull off the stacked armbands look with our wide selection of affordable trendy jewelry.

Matching Jewelry Colors and Styles Made Simple

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Allison Edrington

News Flash: Your accessories don’t have to match. In an age of clashing colors and busy patterns, matching isn’t so in vogue, but don’t underestimate the power of matching jewelry colors and styles with each other.

When you find a killer combo, your effort does not go unnoticed. Spotting a well put-together ensemble is a treat and when they also combine that with matching jewelry and accessories, the effect is stellar. There are a few items from our shelves that would look fantastic when combined. Luckily, we only offer affordable trendy jewelry so you are bound to pick up a fashionable set.

The most perfect pairing we can offer manages to match both style and color. Our colored teardrop stone pendant necklace has a topaz color with a brushed gold plant that creates a simple elegant look all on its own. Combine this with our teardrop stone earrings in the same color and you have a matching set. Separately, these accessories are gorgeous and when combined they transform into stunning.

Celebrity Trendy Teardrop Stone Earrings

Celebrity Trendy Colored Teardrop Stone Pendant Necklace

To pair two or more accessories, matching jewelry colors is a must for the multiple pieces to work together. Of course, certain kinds of jewelry such as bracelets can have clashing colors and look just fine. Necklace and earring pairings though shouldn’t clash, as they are very close together and are the most visible jewelry on you.

My personal favorite pairing isn’t so much a match of style but a creative matching of colors. The teardrop earrings don’t have to be paired with another teardrop style, and my pick for the blue teardrop stone earrings is the Evil Eye pendant necklace. The blue and white crystals compliment the brilliant color of the teardrop earrings.

Celebrity Trendy Evil Eye Pendant Necklace 16"

Celebrity Trendy Teardrop Stone Earrings

While the topaz color pairing has more limitations on what outfits you can pair with it, the Evil Eye pendant necklace and blue teardrop stone earrings can go with nearly anything in your closet.

Black Ceramic Watch Stylish With Any Outfit

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Allison Edrington

New Trendy Celebrity Black Neon Ceramic Watch

One of the best accessories we picked up this year that combines style and utilitarianism is our selection of watches, including both ceramic watches and Geneva Platinum watches. While fantastic colors are really what is in vogue, I picked up the black neon ceramic watch for myself to accompany me to all my professional engagements. Not only does it match nearly everything in my wardrobe, but the sparkling CZ stones surrounding the face transform this from a typical wrist watch to a much more glamorous one.

While fashion trends may continue to get more bombastic and — let’s face it — outrageous, the understated accessory is always appreciated in a business atmosphere. This midnight black watch manages to strike a balance between professional and fashionable as well as between conservative and fun.

The only color I won’t match this fabulous watch with is brown, because in my book, brown and black do not mix. I know blue and black used to be taboo and that pairing is now much more common, but I maintain that black and brown serve the same purpose as a grounding color. Much like you shouldn’t pair colors that are too similar, putting black and brown together just looks atrocious.

While I personally prefer the midnight black color, we also offer the same style in white, which can be paired with both black and brown outfits quite easily.

Trendy Celebrity Geneva Platinum Chronograph Style Watch

Of course, you may not have to worry about maintaining a ultra-professional look. Even if you are, colorful watches can be carefully paired with a neutral outfit to add some color without crossing over into crass territory. Our Geneva Platinum watches come in fantastic colors, including purple, turquoise, pink, white and gold and solid white.

I could see the purple or turquoise watches going perfectly with a simple white blouse and a pair of jeans.

Religious Jewelry and Fashion in the News

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Allison Edrington

As Christmas comes closer and closer, my attention is drawn to a news story recently proving that even over a 700-year period, a woman can remain fashionable. The Virgin Mary was a frequent trendy figure in France from the 12th to 19th centuries and the fabric museum in Lyon has a show called “Fashion Icon” that runs until March that showcases the various garments cut just for her.

From large to small statues, the Virgin Mary was a popular icon for French citizens to dress up for centuries. While rarely adorned with fashionable jewelry, thousands have cut cloth to dress the holy figure, including French queen Marie Antoinette. For the full history and description of the show, check out the Yahoo fashion news story.

I will have to disagree with some of the assumptions the proponents of that show have made, however. While Catholic tradition does hold Mary in high regard, Catholics do not “worship” her or the clothes her statues had worn, which is what the curator of the show has implied. I will still view images from the show with interest, though.

Religious Jewelry For the Holiday Season

Honoring your faith outwardly is an important component of many religious, and those with an eye toward fashion can employ religious jewelry to do just that. I love our Angel Wings necklace for that very reason. Whether you prefer gold or silver tones, these wings make a great gift for a religious friend or for yourself – while it is religious jewelry, the style isn’t too faith specific like rosaries or saint necklaces are.

Celebrity Trendy Angel Wings Necklace 30"

For a slightly more edgy look, the cross and wings stretch ring provides you a piece of religiously themed jewelry while adding color and a little bit of rock and roll to your fingers. The pink and blue stones work well together.

Celebrity Trendy Crystal Cross and Wings Stretch Ring

If you have a charm bracelet or would like a simple charm necklace, our two-tone cross charm is also a great pick when you are looking for a simple piece of religious jewelry.

Jewelry Charm Two-tone Cross

Red Carpet Celebrity Fashion is My Guilty Pleasure

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Allison Edrington

I’ll be honest – I don’t really follow celebrity news too closely. Who has married who or who has cheated on their spouse in the rich-and-famous class has never captivated my interest, but they do fascinate me in entirely different ways. My true guilty pleasure is viewing red carpet photos of actresses and singers – the Oscars present some fabulous opportunities for those in the limelight to showcase some celebrity fashion and style, but so do many other events and galas.

Fashion shows often present edgy and sometimes impractical fashion that is entertaining and influences the way the fashion world continues to turn, but those items doesn’t always make it to production. What I love about celebrity fashion is that their dresses and ensembles are often one-of-a-kind, but a truly gorgeous piece will be replicated elsewhere out of pure demand. It’s a fashion show with breathtaking looks and occasionally hilarious attempts at pushing the fashion world forward (and not just from Lady Gaga).

Evil Eye Pendant Necklace 16"

For a selection of the latest celebrity style, check out Cosmopolitan’s holiday party slide show. One of my favorites in that lineup was Anne Hathaway’s long-sleeved dress with a frosty color and a jeweled/sequined look. I’d love to pair a look like that with a simple and understated necklace like the Hamsa disc pendant or the evil eye pendant. The silver tones would match a dress like that perfectly.

Perhaps the desire to sparkle like certain vampires has affected the world of celebrity fashion, because sequins have made a comeback. My grandmother’s sewing drawers are stuffed full of

Hamsa Disc Pendant Necklace 16"

sequins from when they were popular 40 years ago, but the sequins of today are much smaller and used with seemingly more care.

When wearing a sequin outfit, more simplistic jewelry is the best fit. The sequins will do all the eye-catching for you, and your jewelry should compliment that look and not take away from it.

Is Your City on the List? GQ Determines 40 Worst-Dressed U.S. Cities

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Allison Edrington

Top 40 lists featuring various locales around the country can either be a boom or a bust for the cities listed, depending on whether the list is a compilation of the best or worst on a particular topic. GQ recently unleashed their top list of the cities with the worst takes on fashion trends, and Boston is likely unhappy witih GQ, as that metropolis ranked No. 1 as the worst-dressed in the country.

Not only that, but the magazine accuses the area as being the source of much of the country’s hideous fashion trends. But Boston wasn’t the only shamed city on the list.

A few others on the list were penalized for their heavy use of outdoor or working-casual clothing, such as Boulder, Colorado and Kansas City, Missouri. While I wasn’t surprised that some farm-heavy locations made this list, I was legitimately surprised that Portland (No. 36) and Seattle (No. 34) made the list. However, the reasoning GQ authors gave is that styles are either mixed and mashed ineffectively or stuck in a prior era.

While I may agree that the fashion trends in both those places are not what I’d consider mainstream, I don’t know if that should qualify them for the worst-dressed list. However, they weren’t even near the top 10 of this list, so I suppose it’s not so bad.

For the whole list, check out GQ’s slideshow. While a good chunk of the list includes university towns, all of the names are recognizable. I think it is fair that GQ didn’t pick on small, Podunk towns, as rural areas have less access to and knowledge of fashion trends.

In other matters, there’s only a few days until the holidays are here so make sure to get your orders in for our fashionable jewelry soon. You can also spend your expected Christmas cash a little early and take advantage of our jewelry sales and our free holiday shipping offer – just use the promotional code HOLIDAY.

A-list Clothing Designer to Unveil Affordable Fashion Clothing Line in January

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Allison Edrington

As a lover of all things reasonably priced, I was understandably excited when I saw that Karl Lagerfeld will have a short run of affordable fashion wear next year, according to Yahoo News. After appearing at the Le Web 2011 conference earlier this week, he gave attendees a sneak peak at what he will be offering in January through Net-a-Porter.

I’m a little surprised that the German designer isn’t releasing this affordable line for a longer period of time – the clothing will only be on sale for about four weeks starting on January 25. If he was going to have such a short run, it’s surprising to me that he didn’t pick December to unleash it (but perhaps he’s hoping more people will go for the expensive clothes this Christmas instead).

While Lagerfeld is better known as the creative director for Chanel, he has also established limited edition lines for H&M and now Net-a-Porter in order to reach a wider audience. I’m especially looking forward to finding a few pieces to match a few of the necklaces from our Envious Gems’ stock.

I’d love to match our latest designer style braided silver mesh necklace to a biker jacket, which reportedly will be part of the latest Karl collection in January. The chunky look to this necklace would look great with either that or another kind of jacket from his affordable fashion line.

As I live in a climate that is chilly all year round, I’m also looking forward to the sweaters that come out in this line. Our two tone necklaces would look fantastic with a simple and fashionable sweater. I’ve also been hoping to find the perfect blouse to match the Hamsa pendant necklace; although it matches a few already in my closet, I’d love to have one specifically for it.

(You can sign up for updates on the Karl collection at Net-a-Porter’s website)

Owl Ring Pulls Off Quirky, Cute and Fashionable

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Allison Edrington

One of my absolute favorites from our stock this year has got to be this adorable owl ring. The piece is just the perfect quirky conversational piece that can’t pass by without comment. Every year we get a wide selection of gorgeous rings and other trendy accessories, but this little guy is really my favorite from 2011.

Crystal Owl Stretch Ring

For me, I think the appeal is the mix of components that come together to make this stretch owl ring. The little eyes are black crystal stones and the majority of the ring is metal with a stretch band that will fit almost any finger comfortably. But the most eccentric part of this piece is the belly of the owl, which is made from a peacock feather. If you look closely, you can tell the texture is soft.

This item has been so popular that we actually ran out of the silver tone owl ring, but we still have the gold tone ring in stock.

Celebrity Trendy Crystal Owl Stretch Ring Gold Tone

This eclectic owl ring would make a great Christmas present for someone you love who needs a little spice in their jewelry box or if you know anyone who is an owl lover. Luckily, Envious Gems offers all of its stock at practically wholesale jewelry prices, much below the typical retail store price, so you can easily pick this up.

Crystal Owl Stretch Ring We’re also offering free holiday shipping right now if you use the promotional code HOLIDAY when checking out, but be sure to order soon so it gets there in time for Christmas!

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Collection Coming Soon — Find the Perfect Trendy Necklaces For It

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Allison Edrington

289

Whether you’ve read the books or you’re only keeping up with the movies, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the series it is a part of has made a huge impact with its edgy style and dark look. Perhaps a sign of its popularity, H&M is releasing a Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Collection using gray, black and dark maroon tones — This highly stylized collection features tight fitting clothing with intentional rips and tears.

Although I’ve become addicted to the bright fashionable colors that are so prevalent right now, I’m always a sucker for mystery thrillers and these dark tones perfectly suit the tone of the movie. I’m sure the fans of the series are also stoked (or at least willing to try on the clothes themselves). H&M is set to release the collection Dec. 21. I’m surprised they aren’t giving Christmas shoppers more time, but maybe H&M is hoping to catch the folks who received cash and gift cards for the holiday.

H&M Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Collection Preview

There is a serious lack of compatible jewelry coming out with the collection though, and that is where Envious Gems can help. When I first saw this collection, four of our trendy necklaces came to mind as an excellent match to the theme.

Our two tone chain necklaces were my first thought, as it can easily slip over the tight fitting biker jacket planned for this collection. The black and silver tone necklace will be your best color match — the simple, dark colors just suit this collection best.

Celebrity Chic Two Tone Trendy Necklaces

The Angel Wing necklace also seems strangely appropriate. Maybe it’s that dark gritty look mixed with a symbol of innocence and purity that is appealing, but I hope to see this combo on the streets.

Angel Wings Trendy Necklaces 16"

The large link chain necklace can sometimes look a little too thug when paired with the wrong clothes, but this collection makes these chic necklaces much more fashionable.

Large Link Silvertone Trendy Necklaces

With the multi-stone trendy necklace, you can add a small splash of color to these otherwise fashionable yet gloomy colors. It can serve as a small way to brighten up your outfit without seeming crass.

Multi-Stone Trendy Designer Style Necklace