Fashion Tips
Jewelry Fashion Tips
| How do you choose a necklace? Remember that every time you get dressed, you are designing the image that people see. In the photos, notice how necklaces can change the image. | |
| We see in two different ways. When we look at something, we can consciously focus on a particular spot. Or we can gaze and let the eye wander until something attracts the focus. The eye can only really focus on one thing at a time. The most dominant will attract the eye first. If there is too much competing for dominance, the eye does not really find a focal point and views your image as a bunch of clutter. | |
| What determines the dominance? Size, shape, color, brightness, contrast are a few things. | |
| Light colors appear larger than dark colors. | |
| Bright colors stand out. | Dull or dark colors recede. |
| You can control how people view your image by controlling the shape and position of the focal points. You probably already know that vertical or horizontal stripes can draw the eye in different directions. Other things can also do this. Beaded jewelry can help. | |
| Want to add a vertical line to your image? Try a long 2 strand seedbead necklace or a long strand of large beads. A pendant can make beads hang in a straight V line rather than rounded. | |
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 For a longer vertical line, wear pants, or skirt, and top of the same color. Then add a long strand of beads in a contrasting color. If wearing a different color top, match the color of your necklace beads to your skirt. It will help draw the eye up. | |
| Do you need a conservative career image? The traditional business suit for women seems to be less imperative today. A few simple pairs of earrings does not have to be the total jewelry wardrobe for the professional woman. A nice bead necklace in a neutral or subdued color can add interest to your career outfit. | |
 A mix and match set would give you the option of wearing the basic necklace for work. |  Then add a coordinating strand or longer length for other occasions. Look for these sets on the Gemstone Jewelry page. |
 To draw attention to your face, wear earrings and short necklaces that will frame your face. Choose colors that will compliment your skin tones. Pretty beads will draw attention to the top of your image. Don’t go wild and let your dominant jewelry distract from your face. | |
| Your jewelry colors react the same way as clothes colors. Bright colors dominate. Contrast is even more important. Colors that match your clothes will blend in, colors that contrast will stand out. | |
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| A necklace made entirely of a neutral color may not stand out at all and can add interest without attracting attention. Use it to make clothes the focus. Of course if its color contrasts with the fabric color, it will act the same as any other single color jewelry. | |
 This moukaite necklace has the same color beads as the stripes in this fabric. From a distance the beads blend in and do not really show . The stripes remain dominent. | |
 The peridot beads become dominent. | |
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| Our beads are designed to be worn rather than just looking pretty in a display case. Sometimes simple one color beads are a better choice to coordinate with your outfit than a fancy detailed necklace. | |
| When you wear a print fabric, try standing about 12 feet away from a full length mirror, or drape it over a chair and look at it from across the room. You can see which colors of the print seem to stand out. The greater the distance, the more the small details seem to disappear. | |
| When wearing a long necklace, choose a single color that matches the dominant color of your print fabric. Or for a more conservative look, match your beads to a background color of the print that will not compete for attention. In addition to color, the sizes and shapes of beads should look good with the shapes in the print. | |
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 Recently, I put a new fuchsia and teal print skirt on a chair and stood back to see the colors. The fuchsia was dominant. The store had paired a teal sweater with it. The teal was competing with the skirt instead of picking up the secondary color in it. I tried an aqua crystal and black necklace to see if it would accent the teal in the skirt. The answer was no. | |
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| When you wear a bright plain color fabric, choose beads that include a darker or lighter shade of the same color, a coordinating color, or a neutral color. Avoid too many different bright colors. | |
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| Sparkling beads are even more dominant. Sparkling colorful jewelry can be worn with beautiful formal attire without being too overpowering. The same jewelry worn with casual clothes will be much more dominant. Look for sparkling jewelry on the Handmade Swarovski Jewelry page | |
| The shape of your clothing neckline can determine whether you wear a short or long necklace. Again, stand back from the mirror. If the line of the beads interferes with the line formed by the neckline, choose a different length necklace. Usually a long strand of beads will look better with a round or high neckline. | |
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| If your necklace combines many kinds of stones, shapes, sizes, colors, and chains, does anything dominate, or does your eye view it as too much variety with a point of focus difficult to find? | |
| Your jewelry can be the most dominant feature in your image. Be aware of this fact, and determine whether or not you want it. | |
| To find appropriate jewelry for designing your image, visit our Online Jewelry Store. Use the drop down menu or visit our home page, HANDMADE BEADED JEWELRY .ORG | |
| Don’t forget to bookmark our site www.handmadebeadedjewelry.org | |
This neutral color shirt has its own vertical lines. The short black necklace does not interfere with the stripes and maintains the very conservative color of the shirt. 
Adding the long red seed beads creates a colorful focal point that interferes with the black stripes. 
The short seed bead necklace is a better choice to add the same bright color. 
This bright red on red print looks fine with the long matching red necklace. The seed beads add a touch of sparkle without competing with the print. 
The onyx and red necklace is still suitable because it incorporates the two colors in the print. The necklace becomes the focus.
The long black milfiori necklace with its multi color flowers competes for dominance. A plain black necklace would be a better choice. 
The short red coral beads are also a good choice. 
If you have a beautiful bright or multi-color necklace that you want to highlight, wear it with a neutral plain fabric. I consider black, white, beige, and gray to be neutral colors. You might also wear a very dark or very light shade of one of the colors in your necklace. 
You can also look at your bead jewelry from a distance. A strand of beads that combines a bright color with a neutral one can be considered a single color necklace if your eye focuses on the bright color and ignores the neutral. The onyx in this photo blends with the black sweater. The colorful beads stand out, making a splash of color without overdoing it. On white, both the black and the colors would be seen. 
This bright print dress has dominant pink and yellow flowers when viewed from a distance. I tried a pretty necklace that matches the pink perfectly. The details of the necklace get lost in the bright print. 
Instead, plain yellow beads bring out the yellow in the print and I like them better. 
A plain pink top lets the details of the pink necklace show. 
I didn’t really like the sweater until I put a rhodonite necklace with it. The beads echo the dominant color of the skirt at the top of the image and draw the eye focus. 
The aqua necklace looks better with my aqua and black top. 
The peridot necklace blends with the lime color top and looks fine. 
However, I prefer the faceted black onyx because it repeats the look of the black beaded flowers and adds emphasis to the top of my image. 
A shorter strand will be a better choice for a deep V neckline.
To keep the emphasis on the deep V, wear beads that will not compete with it for dominance.
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Posted By Handmade Beaded Jewelry Primary Jewelry Designer
Thank you so much for sending out the jewelry so fast!
~ Trish
I don't like it. I LOVE it. Thanks
~ Shelley
Just received the jewelry it is beautiful. I love it. It goes perfect with the dress.
~ Cindy
...thank you for the speedy delivery (only 2 days)...it made this Valentine's Day special!
~ Jack