The Little Black Dress

Here are some tips and ideas to accessorize your LBD this season

The Little Black Dress is one of the most versatile and stylish pieces a woman can own. It can be worn to work, out on the town or to a party, depending on how you accessorize it.  And now that the Holiday season is officially upon us, it's time to find some fun combinations with your jewelry.

First, decide on what look you are going for.  For a conservative look, go for clean and pretty accessories such as tasteful bracelets and necklaces and match them with simple earrings and some flats.  To go for a more trendy vibe, wear some fun shoes and a statement jewelry piece like a bold necklace.  To sport a funky style, add a lot of color with your accessories and maybe some fun stockings.

As your black canvas of sorts, your LBD is a perfect backdrop to make your accessories stand out.  Sometimes, a great pair of earrings is all you need to dress up your dress.  If you only wear earrings, try on a pair of big, bold and beautiful ones.  If your dress goes well with a necklace, add some pizaz to your outfit with a statement necklace.  For color choices, the skies the limit when wearing your LBD.  Bracelets are another great addition to your dress style.  Wear a simple elegant bracelet, go bold with chunky bangles or stack a few together for a fun look.  You can add just a smidge of pop by adding a bold and colorful ring.  Paparazzi offers a great arrangement of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, ring and more!

Once you have your jewelry in mind, try on different types of shoes, cardigans, scarves and leg stockings to complete your look.  Your LBD and you will be hitting the town in style this Holiday season!

Best necklace for your neckline

Tips for choosing the best necklace length for your shirt's neckline.

Oh harmony.... beautiful jewelry harmony.  A good combination between your necklace and your shirt or dress's neckline can bring beautiful harmony to your wardrobe.  Choosing the right necklace length for your outfit not only compliments your ensemble, but can also flatter your neck, collar bones and bust.

Here are 4 basic tips for choosing the best necklace length:

1. Higher necklines need larger or longer necklaces.

2. Collared necklines need narrower or shorter necklaces.

3. Open necklines need a necklace that covers the exposed area.

4. Embellished necklines are gorgeous on their own and are best paired with cute earrings and bracelets.

Here is a great visual cheat sheet for pairing a great necklace length with your neckline!  Paparazzi Accessories has tons of different necklace shapes, lengths and styles to match every neckline and personal style!

But hey - rules are meant to be broken.  My rule of thumb is wear what makes you feel good and happy!!!!  

Wearing jewelry on scarves

The Fall means.... A new school year is starting, the leaves are starting to change colors, but most importantly, SCARF SEASON is upon us!!!!  Woo hoo! I love scarves.  I love heavy, keep-you-snug-as-a-bug scarves and I love fun, light and airy scarves. This is my first Fall season loving, wearing and selling Paparazzi.  I am so excited to be able to mix two of my fashion loves together this year!  I wanted to share with you, just a few of the ways I've found to combine them already. Here are some great ways to Glam up your scarves this season!

Adding a cuff bracelet Paparazzi's Urban Collection has a great selection of leather cuff bracelets.  Made from flexible materials and using adjustable snaps to accommodate different wrist sizes, these leather cuffs are an adorable addition to a scarf.  Using a basic scarf wrap (scarf around the neck with both ends in the front), I attached a cuff around the neck cowl and one of the ends to add a cute touch to the simple look. Even my daughter Adrianna wanted to show off the style!

Using a ring as scarf jewelry Scarf jewelry pendants are a popular trend these days.  Unfortunately the pendants can be a little pricey.  I recreated the same look by adding an adjustable band ring to my scarf!  Using the same simple scarf wrap as above, I created a fun new look!  I threaded the scarf through the ring band and centered it in the middle of the scarf.  But it could be worn in numerous different areas of the scarf for a cute affect!

Make a scarf tie using a ring Using an adjustable band ring, you can create a super simple and chic tie look!  Putting both ends of the scarf through the ring, it adds a little pizaz to your outfit. I played around with moving the ring higher and lower on the scarf and it made for a fun new scarf accessory!

Wrapping a necklace into your scarf I love necklaces and I love scarves!  Unfortunately your scarf typically covers up any necklace you are wearing.  Now I've found a fun way to include them both!  I used a long necklace and a simple half-fold scarf technique (fold your scarf in half and drape around your neck.  Take the two ends which should be next to each other, and slip them through the loop in the scarf).  Loving this fun new style for the season!

These are just a few of the fun new ways I've started glamming up my scarves!  Excited to continue to play around and find fun new ways to accessorize this Fall!

Color trends for Fall

Color trends for the Fall I love the changing colors of Fall... both outdoors in the beautiful Pacific Northwest - as well as indoors in the cute fashions that I see. Pantone, the global authority on color, has made their predictions about the Fall colors coming out in 2013.  I love the richness of these! Green seems to be the front runner.   From deep mossy greens to a yellow-based Linden green.  They are also predicting Emerald, Acai purple, Mykonos blue, Samba red and Vivicious pink. Gorgeous, right?!?!  I'm excited to see all these colors walking down the street this year!  Plus, excited that these colors are ALREADY showing themselves in Paparazzi's Fall line!

Fun Alternative Uses for Your Jewelry

Jewelry can do more than just brighten up an outfit.  Some simple tricks can totally transform how certain pieces of jewelry get worn. Check out these fun alternative uses for jewelry, that I got from other bloggers...

USE A HAIR CLIP OR BROOCH TO SHORTEN DRESS STRAPS

Extra long spaghetti straps on a dress?  Use a hair clip with a pin or a brooch to cinch the straps together in the back.  This technique pulls the bodice up a bit, making the dress more fitted.

USE A NECKLACE AS A BELT

If you have a very durable necklace that has no clasps, you can double the strand, feed a ribbon through the loops and tie the ribbon behind you.  Now you have a new fashionable belt!

USE BRACELETS TO DETRACT FROM SHORT SLEEVES

If you have a shirt or jacket where the sleeves are just a smidge too short, don’t throw it out!  Use matching bracelets on each wrist to fill in that empty wrist space!

USE A SAFETY PIN TO SHORTEN A NECKLACE

Use a safety pin by passing the point through one of the chain links of a necklace.  Use the safety pin as the ending jump ring, by attaching the necklace clasp to it!

USE A HAIR CLIP OR BROOCH TO TIGHTEN A BLAZER

If you have a blazer or cardigan that needs a better fit, you can use a hair clip with a pin or a brooch, to cinch in the waist!  Putting the hair clip or brooch in the back works great! Great idea for on-the-go tailoring!

USE A BRACELET TO LENGTHEN A NECKLACE

Any bracelet with a clip closure that fastens securely can be used to lengthen a necklace. Clip the bracelet clasp to the small ring of the necklace, and then attach the small ring of the bracelet to the necklace clasp. Now your necklace is several inches longer. 

USE A HAIR CLIP ON A NECKLACE

Add another 'pop' to your necklace by adding a hair clip to it!  Either right up below your shoulder or adding it to the bottom of the necklace, a hair clip secured by the alligator clip will add versatility to your necklace.

USE ONE NECKLACE TO DOUBLE UP ANOTHER

If you’ve got a clasp-less necklace is too long, try using a clasped necklace to double up the other. Fold the clasp-less necklace in half, thread the clasped necklace through the folds, close the clasp, and voila!  Now you are wearing a double-stranded necklace.

USE HAIR CLIPS ON THE TOPS OF SHOES

Have some shoes that need a little something extra?  Using the alligator clips on matching hair clips, attach them to the top of the shoes for a new fun and cute look!

USE A RING AS A CUTE PONY TAIL ACCESSORY

After putting in your pony tail, wrap a stretchy band ring around it for an extra cute touch!

Some photos and information courtesy of http://www.alreadypretty.com/2010/03/alternate-uses-for-jewelry.html