It's not that I don't like jewelry. I love looking at it in my jewelry case, trying it on sometimes. And I like to look good. I'm sure I wore nice outfits and maybe a scarf on all those occasions. It's just that I never think of jewelry unless it's a fancy evening affair. I did buy a new necklace and bracelet for the Edgars this year! So I'm a failure in the jewelry department. I guess I'm actually an all around failure in the accessory department. My mother loved purses. She had purses to match every outfit and she changed them regularly. I change my about twice a year--a dark purse for winter, a bright purse for summer. I had an elderly friend who wore matching jewelry with every outfit--earrings, necklace, bracelet, the lot!
I tell myself it's because I'm always in a hurry, with three million things to do that I don't take time to go through my jewelry box. But it reality I have to confess that I'm just not a blingy sort of person. So I'm intrigued to know about my fellow Reds (who always look so put-together when I see them). Do you wear jewelry all the time? On special occasions? Jewelry to match your outfit? And how about purses? Do you change to match what you are wearing? Am I the only boring Red?
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I am evermore not a blingy person. A combination of natural tendencies, being raised by a mom who was of the "Take one thing off before you leave the house" persuasion, and thirty years of living in Maine. Maine is not a blingy place. We won't say it where you can hear us, but if you're wearing jewelry on the beach, we make fun of you.
I am the queen of handbags, though. I have dozens and dozens, none of which I've been carrying this year as I am in mourning. But when I'm NOT shrouded in black, I love to switch up purses every day to match my outfit. Unfortunately, that doesn't fly when I travel (pun intended) so if you only ever see me at Bcon or Malice or some other conference, you won't be able to appreciate the splendour of my bag coordination.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: One of my favorite stories. Two days after I met Jonathan, we were walking down the street in Nantucket. And he said, unbidden, "What kind of jewelry do you like?" I stopped in my tracks.
"Excuse me," I said. "I have to call my mom."
That said, I wear the same jewelry every day, essentially. Pearls, almost every day to work. And bracelets, and rings. I don't have pierced ears, but I wear clip ons, which I am always losing, so sometimes they don't match. But, whatever. I have other bling, very nice, but sometimes I forget, even though I love it.
Handbags. I call them purses. I have too many, but I carry the same one all the time. And every time I make myself switch them up, change, I forget to move something, and I regret it.
Let's not talk about shoes. (RHYS: My husband John has been known to take pictures of Hank's shoes, because he is so fascinated with them. I'm trying to put my hands on one of those pictures!_
LUCY BURDETTE: Not a wink of bling here either. I have one purse, it's a Baggalini and I use it with everything. (thoough this is the bag I was carrying when my passport disappeared, eek.) I became allergic to my pierced ears some years back, so I can no longer wear my favorite earrings. I will wear a necklace for dress-up but I don't like the feel of watches or necklaces. I had to remind myself of this last week at a craft show when I was very tempted by a bracelet made out of a spoon. So Cute! I remembered at the last minute that I wouldn't wear it, so saved myself forty bucks:)
INGRID THOFT:: I’m going to buck the JRW trend! I love jewelry and wear it every day. I favor small, delicate necklaces, but I’m rarely without some kind of necklace in addition to my wedding and anniversary rings, and earrings. I love hoop earrings since they go with everything, but I also have things like glass studs from Pike Place Market and a dangly pair from El Rastro street market in Madrid. One of my favorite necklaces was a gift from my mom upon the release of LOYALTY. She had a necklace made with some glass beads in my favorite colors and a tiny book cover engraved with LOYALTY on the front and my name on the back. She even had matching earrings made! The only jewelry I don’t like is bracelets, not because they aren’t lovely, but they get in the way when I type!
JENN McKINLAY: I firmly believe diamonds really are a girl’s best friend. I love jewelry and have too much and wear it all the time. I have three holes in each ear just so I can wear more. It’s ridiculous.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I am allergic to nickel, the alloy in gold jewelry, so my bling options have always been limited That rules out most really expensive jewelry right off the bat. My only diamonds are the little chips in my white gold wedding band, which I can wear, thank goodness. My ears have been pierced since I was fourteen, and I adore earrings. I can wear sterling silver, titanium, and some very good hypoallergenic costume things. (Chico's is the best I've ever found for hypoallergenic jewelry, if anyone else has these issues.) I love bracelets, too, when I can find them to fit my little wrist, and a couple of years ago Rick found me a titanium watch--the first nice watch I've ever owned, because bands and buckles always made me break out!
I do not have the purse gene, or the shoe gene, as my daughter and my more fashionista friends will be happy to confirm.
But more often if I have to look smart I wear a scarf. I do have an awful lot of scarves... so I guess we all have our secret vices, be it shoes, handbags, or bling!
How about you, dear readers? Who wears matching jewelry with every outfit? Who changes their purse to match their shoes? Who loves bling?
Jewelry makes me smile; bracelets and rings top the list of my favorites.
ReplyDeletePurses, on the other hand, make me absolutely crazy. It never took more than a week for me to decide that I despised the new purse and to wish I could just give it back. But when I happened upon a couple of wonderful vintage Lucite purses my problem was solved. Lovely purses and I never had a thought of sending them back . . . .
I've always admired those vintage Lucite purses, Joan. But for me a purse has to be something I can wear cross-body so I don't put it down and forget it.
DeleteI'm with Roberta on the one purse thing, but I do love dangly silver earrings, preferably with turquoise in them. And I like bracelets and a watch in the summer, but they get lost under long sleeves so I don't tend to wear them in cold weather.
ReplyDeleteTurquoise is your color, so good choice, Edith!
DeleteWell, I have to be the stick in the mud. I don't wear any jewelry of any kind.
ReplyDeleteI’m not from Maine like Julia but I am an LLBean type person - so not a great deal of bling. I have only two bags - also Baggalinis like Roberta, dark for winter, lighter for summer. I do wear pierced earrings, usually beach glass from Rockport, and always wear the same simple Anne Klein watch that I’ve had for twenty years - I change the colors of the watch band depending on the season. I also will wear a bright necklace or scarf for a reading or talk or event - just for general interest. But overall, boringly non-blingy!
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a jewelry person either. I have my wedding rings (the diamond was my husband's great-grandmother's and he had it reset for me 38 years ago) and a ring on my right hand that he gave me on our 12th anniversary. I have my Mom's wedding ring that I occasionally wear for a special occasion. My pierced ears don't like earrings anymore and bracelets annoy me. I do like necklaces, but forget to wear them most of the time. I feel curmudgeonly - ha! Purses - well, I'm really picky about them. I like the inside and outside pockets the way I like them. I'll buy a purse and use it for 3 or 4 years exclusively and then buy another. Hopefully, just like it. I'm a Dooney and Burke fan.
ReplyDeleteRhys, love your scarves. They are always so colorful and classic. We won't even mention Hank's shoes - I'm just in awe of their heels. I'd fall down in about two seconds.
Oh, thank you! But you know I always have flats in my purse…
DeleteThe point is that you can walk in them Hank. I can’t even sit in heels
DeleteIn my long ago youth, I couldn't have or wear enough jewelry. I've had pierced ears since I was nine, and I've lost more earrings than I can count. (Hank? Seriously? Do they even sell clipons any more?)
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I gave my daughter my favorite ring, a piece of estate jewelry I inherited from my gay aunt's lover of 50+ years. It looked like a stoplight, three on carat diamonds set in a row in a gold filigree art deco setting. I still miss it. All the rest of the good stuff has since gone to my daughter and granddaughter with the exception of a couple of pieces by a local gold smith, a gold locket I got for my fifth birthday, and a pair of diamond hoops that I never wear. All the rest is earrings. Still, I've had the same silver studs in my ears since the start of the summer.
I do the same thing Rhys did. I pack up a variety of earrings when I travel and never see them again until I get home. I do the same with scarves, which I hate wearing, make me choke, so those stay in the suitcase too.
Purses? I've had a few. Good ones, cheap ones, all unsatisfactory in one way or another. Right now I'm using one I bought in an Amish leather store in Pennsylvania. It's purple. I consider it the new black. It holds all I need it too, which is wallet and phone, a pen and some Kleenex, my passport, the odd cough drop and pill and mints and gum. It has a long cross body strap and I think I'll carry it forever. No matter what color shoes I'm wearing.
Now shoes ... that's another whole story. When in doubt, buy shoes
True!
DeleteAnd you are right, it is truly difficult to find clip on earrings! Especially since I am picky about them… But too late now to pierce my ears—, just not going to do it!
DeleteAnn, that's my story too... A box full of one-earrings, the other one having vanished into the carpet, never to be found again.
DeleteBut I could never wear clip-ons. They give me headaches.
Hank, it's never too late to pierce your ears!!!! And so easy to do nowadays. They will even do them both at the same time--it's just a pop.
DeleteBeware of eating those odd cough drops, Ann. You never know where they've been.
DeleteHeh
DeleteI like the idea of jewelry but I seldom put any on since I've retired. I stopped wearing earrings when I realized the only ones that didn't give me problems were gold ones and I had so many other cute ones. But then I got my hair cut very short and I wanted to wear earrings again. There was a bit of torture at first but now I wear them all the time. Mostly they are the tiny gold balls but I also have pearl studs and small hoops. I love to look through my jewelry box with my granddaughter and she tells me about pieces she likes. When she was little she often would borrow a piece just for fun. Not the expensive ones. Usually I got it back.
ReplyDeleteI love jewelry but, like Deb, I'm allergic to nickel so I mostly wear sterling silver (which I love) and semi-precious stones (my faves are amber and amethyst). I didn't get the shoe gene but I love my Baggalini purses! I also love scarves for a dressy look.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching a junior high classmate rip her ear lobe doing a forward roll in gym class, I passed on piercing my ears. Hank, you're the only woman I've met who doesn't have them. I have long strings of beads I can loop several times (jet, pearls), and for travel, I pack a few scarves.
ReplyDeleteAhhh....and there you have it. xoxoo
DeleteYou are all making me feel quite the peacock (peahens are drab, by the way). I love and own tons of jewelry, mostly costume, and gobs of scarves (nearly 200, collected since 1969), shoes and bags.
ReplyDeleteMy mother was the jewelry queen. All three of her husbands (thrice widowed) bought her very good pieces, including my own dad. I wear her old wedding ring, and have the fabulous but fragile garnet my dad gave her when I was small--that stays in the jewelry box most of the time. Over the years, Mother has passed a lot of the good stuff on to me and my two siblings, which is fun. My own husband "doesn't care about jewelry", so unless I buy it myself or get some from my mom, it's costume.
I do wear a necklace almost every day, a delicate one like Ingrid's, changing to suit my outfit. But by evening it irritates me, and I end up with a little pile of bling on a kitchen counter. Also, like Debs I have very small hands; my ring finger is a 3 1/2, so big rings like Ann's stoplight one look silly on me, removing that temptation.
And like Roberta, I default to the Baggalini most days. It's just the easiest one to organize, and holds everything I'm likely to need. I especially like the clip that holds my keys secure.
Hank, I do have pierced ears, since about 1971. But the young woman who did it made one hole too low, so I always look lopsided. It's so annoying.
You are always so well turned-out, Karen. I've never seen you looking unfinished or underdressed.
DeleteThank you, Rhys. And I'll return the compliment!
DeleteI have never found rings or bracelets comfortable. I wear a simple wedding band, and wore nothing on my wrists for years until I did break down and get a Fitbit two years ago.
ReplyDeleteNecklaces, I'm kind of in the middle. I wear them sometimes, but as my 60th birthday approaches later this year, I've noticed that the neck region isn't necessarily where I want to draw anyone's eye, so I am a little less likely to wear them than I used to be. They were never a daily accessory anyway.
But earrings! My husband would affirm that I consider "naked ears" a scandal. I suspect it is because I have worn my hair very short for many decades, but I just don't feel dressed without earrings. It might just be a single pearl or it might be a big dangling creation, but I almost always have on some kind. But that said, I have remained old fashioned in that I have only one piercing in each ear, so I wear but one set of earrings at a time,
Susan, I too feel naked without earrings (just one piercing per ear here as well). I have also discovered when I’m feeling low down in body or spirit, my earrings are still on the dresser.
DeleteI love earrings, but my ears won't stay pierced and I find clip-ons hurt too much, so no earrings for me now. I have some rings I love, but a broken hand which didn't heal so beautifully means they don't fit very well anymore. I like arty necklaces and have several that I'll wear on occasion. One purse at a time. Shoes I wear forever because I'm hard to fit (must be a wide 'B' or a narrow 'C'--easy to find, huh?). Love scarves, but can never achieve that artless, fashionable look. My sisters, on the other hand, especially the older one--tons of jewelry, scarves, shoes, cute purses. I look on with awe!
ReplyDeleteI love jewelry but not too big or shiny, and I LOVE vintage. I have a drawer full of delicate bracelets and dangly earrings. I can't stand weight around my neck, so while I can still wear pearls, no clunky necklaces for me. I have been buying fabric necklaces from local artists, and that's fun. And oh my gosh, I owe a million scarves! That blue one is spectacular, Rhys!
ReplyDeleteI love vintage too, Ramona.
DeleteAnd the blue scarf.. I bought in Eze, France.
My relationship with jewelry is cyclical. I have one small, delicate necklace that I always wear. It tucks discreetly under the neckline of my tops and rarely shows. I have pieced ears, love earrings and enjoy pairing them with my outfit. Those are the constants. Other items come and go. Sometimes it's loads of bracelets. Sometimes it's rings, and sometimes it's a statement necklace. All costume. I'm still looking for the "just right" purse. Shoes are a challenge due to an extremely wide foot and a generalize clumsiness that prohibits heels.
ReplyDeleteI have many pairs of earrings and I wear the same ones all the time. One small set of crystal studs for my second hole, a bigger set of crystal studs for the first hole or a set of crystal/silver hoops for fancy occasion (the look of diamonds without the "holy crap I lost an earring" stress). I will occasionall wear a set of fused glass dangles The Hubby bought me. I used to wear the same set of silver hoops until the hook wore out. I have a couple really nice necklaces, but the one I almost always wear is a simple silver flat choker (used to be two-tone silver and gold, but I never take it off and the gold wore off - must not have been solid gold).
ReplyDeleteI have a black Coach wallet I carry all the time because it's big enough to hold cash, cards, phone, and receipts. If I need more, I have one chocolate-brown Coach purse.
I used to have tons of shoes, but now it's mostly flats: one brown, one pale-pink, one gray (those are horribly grass-stained because I was wearing them when I tried and failed to get the car unstuck one day), one black patent with gold bows (wore those to Malice this year, but they are tricky because the are open in the middle), and one more I'm forgetting, but probably a neutral color.
Three scarves: one blue, one pink, one orange, but I think I'm going to steal back the scarf I bought The Girl in NOLA with pictures of the Eiffel Tower on it - she never wears it.
Yes, I'm very boring. But I do OWN fancier jewelry, I swear!
Mary/Liz
I buy one handbag and use it until it decomposes then I buy a new one. I'm not a shoe gal. So, jewelry it is, although I am upping my scarf game!
ReplyDeleteYou're tall, right? So you probably wear a shoe size that isn't easy to find.
DeleteI wear the size they always have on display, size 6, and it goes on sale more often than any other because so few people have feet that dinky. It's ridiculously easy to justify having too many pairs when they're cheap.
Yes!
DeleteI should add I always wear a little bit of jewelry. A watch and earrings, at least, and a necklace if I really want to be pulled together. I always feel that if I put on lipstick and earrings, I'm good for the day - it's proof that I made some effort, and in Maine, seriously, it can take me from the farmer's market to the symphony.
ReplyDeleteI don't wear jewelry at all. I don't even wear a watch any more, using my phone or some other clock for that. My last watch and broken so that a watch band wouldn't attach to it, so I was using it as a pocket watch. When I broke down and get a cell phone, I realized I had two "pocket" watches, so I started just using my phone.
ReplyDeleteMy ears rebelled against their piercing and that was the end of that. A shame as I had some lovely earrings! Still do. I wear a Fitbit or a Garmin and call it a day.
ReplyDeleteIn Florida, I don't even carry a handbag opting for a waist purse - in Maine I'm all about a cross body purse and have a collection that could probably hide bodies :)
Julia, I'll go to the grocery store or the post office without earrings--although not without lipstick! Otherwise, looking presentable means earrings. Otherwise I feel undressed.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love scarves, but I don't have the scarf tying knack. My daughter is a whiz. Even my son-in-law can tie a scarf for me. It's so frustrating. I may have to turn to YouTube.
I have two nice Fossil leather handbags, one for winter in deep burgundy, one for summer in light blue. Do I carry them? No. Last fall I bought a small multi-pocket leather crossbody bag for my trip to England. I have since worn that one out and replaced it with exactly the same one. It holds my phone, lipstick, driver's license and credit cards. If I need a hairbrush, I'm out of luck.
Ditto here, Debs. Love Fossil bags.. But I've bought a really soft, lovely leather one in Italy, pale blue and not exactly practical for once
DeleteThe much thinner me loved rings, but I plumped out of wearing them. My pierced ear closed decades past. I still have my mini hoard, and will clean and detangle the chains from time to time. When I retired, so did my mickey mouse watch.. Upon reflection it appears the jewelry will be passed along to the kids and grands.
ReplyDeleteI do treasure rocks.. but this is for another day, no?
I never wanted to pierce my ears, and since I generally wear my hair long, earrings just get in the way. Although my style might best be described as practical but weird, I do love scarves and rings. Once I took off my wedding band, I moved over to interesting pinkie rings, and I have many, which I switch out all the time when it's cool enough to wear them. Shoes? Handbags? I refer you back to the practical part of my style statement. Also, does dog hair count as an accessory?
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun read for a Monday AM! Hot and rainy outside, I have a cough that won't quit, noisy street construction, work awaits, so thank you, Rhys! Answering the question, I wear plain earrings every day, these days, as one ear tends to close up if I don't. I have a large collection, crafty rather than valuable, for dressing up. Like Debs, I have some metal allergies and never wore a watch of any kind for many years. They all gave me a rash. For a long time, I used cell phone for time keeping. Then, on the way to vacation , no international phone plan, I realized I'd need something and bought a cheap, silly Swatch at the airport. And kind of liked wearing it. My fashionable family was appalled and daughters jumped in when I finally said, "I'd like a nice,classic watch for next anniversary" Now I wear a watch. Lots of purses but pnly use one whicte all summer and one black all winter. The rest are for special occasions. Like Rhys, scarves are my favorite accessory - but I can say for sure I don't wear them with her flair!
ReplyDeleteI live in Swatches, Triss. I have a plastic one to swim with and a really pretty one for the rest of the time
DeleteRhys, I can identify with the packing of jewelry and ending up wearing the same earrings or other items most of a trip. I actually do want to wear fabulous looking necklaces that I see others coordinating with their outfits, but it just usually doesn't happen. Maybe I'll try again this Bouchercon, but don't count on it. I do have some nice pieces, but I just don't get the coordinating done. I do like some quirky jewelry, and have some flamingo earrings I'll be bringing to Bouchercon.
ReplyDeleteSince I broke my fourth metacarpal on my left hand in April and had to have my rings painfully removed (took the numbing shot for the second hand, let them remove rings on both hands since they were too tight), I haven't put rings back on. I do like wearing rings, but I've gotten used to not wearing any this summer. I have a gorgeous ring that my daughter's sister-in-law made me, with pearl and turquoise, and I've lost it somehow. I keep looking for it and hoping it will turn up, as it costs me a pretty penny. I also have a pearl necklace with a bead of turquoise in it from the same jeweler, Laine Benthall Designs (she lives and works in amazing Hawaii), and I do love it so. My mother wasn't a bling person at all, so all I have from her is her wedding ring, which I'd like to have incorporated into a necklace someday.
Purses and shoes. Just give me a purse I can carry forever and enough shoes to have a change or two during the seasons. Comfort is my main criteria in selection these days. However, don't discount my urge to do something quirky and end up with flamingo shoes to go with my flamingo earrings.
Yikes Kathy... Shots in the finger are so painful!
ReplyDeleteThey are, Rhys, but getting the rings off of the finger without a shot was excruciating.
DeleteOnce in a while I wear a pearl bracklet or a pearl necklace to a formal event like "ladies who lunch". For galas, I tend to wear something in my hair.
ReplyDeleteNot a big fan or jewelry these days when you think about "blood diamonds" in parts of the world where the money is used to fund wars!
Diana
I have 2 big jewelry boxes and 3 small ones but since I retired I don't wear my things as much. I always have 2 rings and a watch on when I go out. With a watch, I can sneak a peak at the time instead of being rude and taking my phone out and activating it. I've never worn earrings or bracelets, and now some of my rings are too small. Also I've been getting rid of some necklaces and pendants because I can't do and undo them myself. Yea for pins. So many of my things came from vacations or family that I hate to get rid of them. Sometimes I give them to family or friends.
ReplyDeleteI don't wear any jewelry. I used to wear a watch, but I found I never used it to tell time, so when the battery died I never replaced it & stopped wearing it. I'm not a purse or shoes person either.
ReplyDeleteRhys,
ReplyDeleteI do wear jewelry every day actually, to match what I'm wearing as well as on special occasions. I think it adds a bit of cachet. As for purses, I have loved them since I was a little girl. However, I often forget to change them.