SPLURGE or SAVE: Jewelry Edition

Do you SPLURGE or SAVE for your jewelry?
	SPLURGE- You can't beat designer.
	SAVE- There's no need to spend on costume jewelry.
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We're back to our old ways (well, sort of)...when it comes to jewelry Erin is willing to SPLURGE on statement pieces and Maddie opts to SAVE on her favorite accessories!

SPLURGE

I realize that it's starting to sound like I tend to SPLURGE on a lot of fashion and beauty products. However, I think I have a good reason for being willing to splurge on jewelry. I've never worn a lot of jewelry and most of the pieces that I wear all the time have been gifts that are appropriate for everyday dress. For instance, I wear a necklace of the #7 with small diamonds on my neck because it was a gift handed down to me from my mother. I wear a silver Irish Claddagh ring on my left hand everyday because I have since I was very young. I wear a Tiffany & Co. roman numeral ring on my right hand everyday because I guarantee I'll lose it if I take it off. Lastly, I wear a Cape Cod ball bracelet because almost every girl in my family has one and it symbolizes where I grew up in the summers. All of my everyday jewelry has special meaning to me and that's why I never take them off. However, there are times when I want to step away from my everyday jewelry routine and show a little more personality. I'm a sucker for statement jewelry pieces and my favorite brands happen to contribute to that boho-chic vibe that I've talked about in past posts. I'll tend to splurge on jewelry such as statement necklaces or stacks of bangles because these pieces are so easy to pair with super simple tanks and jeans to make your outfit effortlessly interesting and stylish. My go-to for unique and attention-getting necklaces is Nicole Richie's line, House of Harlow 1960.  One of my favorite statement necklaces from this line is the 5 Station Necklace in Leather, which I have in black leather and wear all the time. In my opinion, it's not a bad price for $75 and the geometric shapes of the necklace add instant intrigue to your outfit. Researching for this post has been dangerous for me because now I've got my eye on the slightly more expensive Gypsy Feather Necklace. Another great brand that I love for jewelry is Alex and Ani. So I never fell into that Pandora charm bracelet phase that seemed to take over for a while but I have definitely committed to hopping on the Alex and Ani bangles bandwagon. The line has a lot of jewelry pieces but I stick with the bangles because I love the look of different beads and charms stacked on an arm. My first bangle was the initial charm which runs for $24. These bracelets are arguably a splurge because their price tags aren't too high, but you can never have just one...that's where the obsession and the extra cash comes in!

~Erin

SAVE

There are very few instances in which I feel like I have to spend more than $25 on a piece of jewelry, and that's when it is made of something valuable. I will never understand how people spend so much money on a piece of costume jewelry. It is literally beyond me because it will go out of style within a couple of seasons and it's not something that you're going to hold on to for the rest of your life. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy to spend big money on pearls, diamonds or gold that I will have for the rest of my life (or rather I am happy to accept them as gifts that my fiancee has spent big money on), but there is just something so backwards about spending upwards of $100 on something that is literally worth almost nothing. This is why I choose to SAVE on jewelry. Forever 21 is my best friend when it comes to necklaces. You can find some truly amazing things in there that look almost identical or better than designer jewelry. People always assume that I got my cute statement pieces from JCrew or Nordstrom, but they are almost always bargain finds. The best example of this is the statement necklace that I got from Forever 21 that we blogged about in one of our Current Obsessions. It's unbelievably adorable and it was $12, so when it inevitably goes out of style I don't even feel guilty about it.  If I am in need of something a little nicer for an event, I will peruse the Dillard's sales counters in the jewelry department for something good. They almost always have amazing deals and I can get a necklace that used to be $70 for around $18. It's truly a magical experience and that is why I choose to SAVE on my jewelry instead of SPLURGE.

~Maddie

How To: Dress Festive Without Being Obvious

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! Today's How To is tailored to dressing for Holidays without being obnoxiously obvious about it.

I absolutely love to dress up for holidays regardless of how big or small they are. There is just something about going to my closet and having the challenge of dressing to a theme without looking like my parents dressed me for a 4th of July parade when I was a kid. I also love it when people point out that I dressed to theme and I can look at my outfit and act like I had no idea that that happened. I like live for that moment for some weird reason, but it really can be a challenge so here at The Glamorous Graduate, we tried to put together a how to so that you can have your moment too.

1. Go Off Hue: Just because Memorial Day's colors are classic crimson, navy and white doesn't mean that you have to dress in exactly those colors. Going off hue like the JCrew top below shows that you're being festive with your outfit choice, but you're not being a try hard. By doing this, it's like you just happened to be in theme for the day accidentally on purpose of course.

2. Play with Patterns: This is just a cardinal rule for every day, but it especially rings true when you're trying to effortlessly dress the part for a holiday. The high waisted skirt by Alex and Olivia has a nice blue to it that fits into Memorial Day's colors, but it doesn't scream that that is its sole purpose in your closet.

3. Accent Accordingly: Don't be too matchy-matchy. Even though you may be off hue, you don't want your accessories to be exactly in the same blue and red as you used in your outfit. Your accessories should hint at your colors, but not match them so well that it's obvious. The Chan Lu bracelet in this outfit accents the red of the top and the yellow of the clutch well, but doesn't match them perfectly.

4. Use Surprising Accessories: Just because the colors of today are Red, White and Blue doesn't mean you can't use accent colors outside of that palette like you would in your every day style choices. By using surprising accessories like the yellow BCBG Generation clutch, you are able to really look the part of Memorial Day, but actually be able to pretend like you weren't trying to.

"Oh! I guess I did dress in Memorial Day colors! I had no idea! I wasn't even trying to this morning" (Don't worry, your secret's safe with the girls at The Glamorous Graduate)

Memorial Day by theglamorousgraduate 

J.Crew evening top / Alice + Olivia a line cotton skirt, $280 / Chan Luu red bracelet / BCBG Generation Clutch/ Forever 21 Necklace