Product Review: Pam Neri Necklaces

With the exception of a few delicate pieces, I tend to like my necklaces like I like my thighs: chunky.  So, it's no wonder that I love the line of chunky beauties created by the talented Pam Neri.  Chunky beauties like this one:

It's the "Blueberry" necklace, which you can find here, and after much, much deliberation, it's the necklace I chose to review on the blog.  Ultimately I went with this one because I am unable to resist anything blue.


But, let me just say that it was not an easy choice.  Pam's necklaces are absolutely beautiful.  For necklaces like the "Blueberry", the individual wire strands are crocheted and then woven together.  You can see the technique better below:

I love the sense of movement in the necklaces, but also that they look raw, and have an almost "found" quality about them.  Part of that appeal is in the materials used.  The above necklace is the "Aruba" necklace and includes both coral and sea glass among the materials used.  I think it's a brilliant mix.

All of Pam's necklaces are beautifully made, and, best of all, she also takes custom orders.  I love the idea of a custom-made necklace to take with you on, say, a cruise.  When you're traveling with a limited wardrobe and limited color palette, why not have a necklace designed to compliment that wardrobe/color palette?  It's also a great option for wedding jewelry.


You can find Pam's necklaces, and place customer orders, on Instagram (@pamnerinecklaces), Amazon and her website (pamneri.com).


I'll share the outfit I wore with my gorgeous "Blueberry necklace" a bit later, but, in the meantime, go ahead and visit Pam's sites and treat yo'self to some swooning over some truly gorgeous necklaces.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Day 2: Black & Blue & Neon Too

For Day One of the Perfect 10 Remix Challenge, I wore stripes.  For Day Two, I wore solids:

And for Day Three, I’m planning on mixing stripes and a solid.  Just kidding, I have no plans for Day Three.  I prefer to go where the morning takes me.

And, on Day Two, the morning took me to this look:

This look being a navy blue sleeveless tee (Gap, similar) paired with a black, pleated skirt (thrifted, similar).  Yep, that’s right, black and blue.  But, with neon too, in the form of my neon yellow necklace (Target) and some neon blue studs that you can’t see because of my hair.  I finished the look with a multicolored belt (Target), some studded cuffs (Nordstrom) and my trusty Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact).

I have to say that I actually picked the rather staid, non-psychedelic items I chose for this challenge on purpose.  I like color.  A lot.  All over my body.  All the time.  Oddly enough, not everyone feels the same way, and, as a result, there is a school of thought that says you can have a small, neutral capsule wardrobe with maybe a couple of accent pieces but that otherwise depends on accessories to add color and interest.  I, of course, think this is a bunch of hooey.  

But, still, it’s an interesting concept, isn’t it?  So, I figured I’d use this 10 x 10 challenge to try a toned down palette, like black and white and navy, but with strong accent pieces, like neon.  So far, it hasn’t been terrible, but, it’s only Day Two.  By this weekend I may be sleeping in my printed dresses because I miss them so much.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Trends to Try: Neon

Like many fashion trends that have been here before, neon has come back around.  It first cropped back up a year or so ago and is still going strong today.

So, how do you try this trend without looking as though you're starring in a Wham! video?  Well, for one, avoid wearing it with feathered hair and short shorts.  Agreed?  Good, now here are some other tips that might help you try this trend.

1. A little goes a long way.  Try this trend in small doses such as jewelry, belts, small handbags and shoes.  I think you'll find that a even the smallest pop, such as studs, or nail polish, is still fun.
2. Wear it with mid-tones.  Especially if you're not sure about this trend, you may find that pairing neon with too strong of a color might be too much look.  Try pairing your neon with mid-tones such as gray, khaki, navy and olive to keep your look modern.
3. Stick to neon in colors you love.  I wear a lot of pink and orange so I naturally gravitated to neon pink, neon orange and, my personal favorite, neon peach.  If you wear neon in shades you like, you'll be more comfortable trying this trend.
4. If you choose to wear more substantial neon pieces, like skirts, dresses or sweaters, make sure you wear them in a modern shape and/or with equally modern pieces.
5. Wear it with denim.  In the form of a belt, shoes, sweater or clutch, neon anything looks good with denim everything.

Looks to Try:

 

Neon by fashionforgiants on polyvore.com

Looks not to try, a.k.a the aforementioned Wham! video:

What about you, Reader Friends?  Have you (re-) tried neon yet?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Watercolor and White

This weekend I received a gorgeous watercolor-print scarf from FRAAS:

It is the Mystical Waters scarf, in turquoise, and it’s great.  It’s actually pretty big (40 x 72 inches) and can be used as a wrap, but isn’t too bulky when tied as a scarf, which is how I wore it today:

I wanted to keep the focus on the scarf, so I kept the rest of the outfit neutral, pairing it with a gray tee (Target), trouser jeans (Banana Republic) and a white blazer (Banana Republic).  I also added a clear belt (v. old, Old Navy) and platform booties (Nine West via TJ Maxx).

I think the scarf adds just the right amount of color, texture and interest to the look.  It’s definitely a piece I can see myself wearing all spring and summer. 

If you’d like a FRAAS scarf of your own for the upcoming season, this particular scarf (Style 623949) can be ordered by calling 212-575-0191.  And other scarves are available at fraas.com and amazon.com.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

Similar trouser jeans (available in Tall)

Gray Target tee

Similar white blazer (available in Tall)

Similar clear belt

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Girls Night Out: Feathers and Fire

On Sunday night, I went to dinner and a pole dancing exhibition with my friends, Jodi and Erica, for the first part of my birthday celebration.*  I wore feathers:

Thrifted top, Juicy Couture necklace & Gap blazer.

And watched stuff get lit on fire at El Gaucho: 

Flaming sword of meat.

FIRE!!

Bananas Foster in the making

But, let’s get back to the feathers.  Although you can’t see it very well in the photo above, I wore a feathered headband fascinator from Dorfman Pacific:

Image via Hartford York

When I was offered a chance to try one of these fascinators, I was a little worried I wouldn’t have any place to wear it.  And that I wouldn’t know how to style it.  But, a fire-filled dinner and a Christmas-themed pole dancing show seemed like the perfect place to wear it; and I paired it with more casual pieces, like jeans and a blazer, so that it still felt like me.

Thinking about a fascinator for yourself?  Here are my pros and cons.

Pros:

Feathers!

It was very comfortable.

It stayed in place even as I demonstrated some very vigorous booty-shaking to my friends.

Feathers!

Cons:

Not the best thing to wear in a windstorm.

You have to pay attention to overhead clearance; especially if you’re already tall.

Your friends may mistake your feathers as someone eavesdropping on your conversations.

Your cat will try to eat it.

As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons, so I strongly recommend fascinators for everyone.  And I recommend the Dorfman Pacific fascinator.  They have all sorts of different types, from the simple yet effective model I wore, to those with full on veils and silk flowers.  If you are interested in a Dorfman Pacific fascinator, you can find them here, at Hartford York.

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Gracey

*Little known fact, tall people celebrate their birthdays for at least three days.