Closet Rx : How Jewelry Can Be Accessory to a Crime

People who like rules and order should stay out of the fashion game. Gone are the days when all skirts conformed to a general hemline and corduroy was put on with the first falling leaves of autumn.

Now, many of the traditional “laws” regarding what to wear have been thrown out the window. One of the biggest questions is how to determine which jewelry goes with what ensemble, and there isn’t always a simple answer.

“It used to be easier to match jewelry with an outfit,” says Sandy Miller of Twice the Style in Costa Mesa. “Now there are so many choices, but there are still a few things to keep in mind.”

Balance is the key word. Beautiful dangling earrings don’t go with a flashy necklace. “No matter how beautiful or expensive a piece of jewelry is, its purpose is to enhance the clothes you’re wearing and not take anything away from them,” Miller says.

One of the oldest no-no’s still applies--don’t mix metals. “Wearing your silver bangles with a gold belt buckle just doesn’t look right,” Miller says. “The only time it works is if there’s some gold in the bangles and some silver in the buckle.”

It’s easy to forget to check clothing as well. “Many outfits have gold or a metallic trim; you have to be aware that you’re not clashing with them,” says Stephanie Grani of Stephania in San Juan Capistrano.

Metallic colors also create some confusion. Do you wear gold with a rust jacket or silver with your pewter shoes? “We have an outfit on display that’s called ‘flame’--it’s a combination of gold and rust. The necklace we use is gold, but the earrings are copper and gold. All three colors are picked up in the outfit,” Grani says.

Use your best eye and hold up the jewelry to the clothing to see if you can wear it together.

You’ve probably already noticed that some outfits look better with silver jewelry, while others are more attractive with gold. “Silver tends to work better with the ‘cool’ colors--magenta, some blues, purple, while gold works with ‘warm’ tones--yellow, some reds,” Grani says.

Another factor to consider is skin tone and hair color, especially regarding earrings and necklaces. “You may love some particular gold earrings, but they may not be you,” Grani says.

In general, her staff has discovered that darker colored hair and skin looks best with silver jewelry while lighter colored hair or skin looks best with gold.

If you’ve seen the recent magazine shots of models wearing fancy jewelry with casual outfits, you’ve already spotted the latest trend. Rather than relying on rules, you may have to use your creativity when opening up the jewelry box.

“Experiment with different looks,” says Lisa Valeriano of Twice the Style. “Sometimes a piece you never thought would go with an outfit looks great. You just need to give it a try.”