That Finishing Touch

[olive bleu]

My "finishing touch" is actually what i start with.When i am going out and getting all dressed up, i like to take the time to really pay attention to what comes BEFORE I get dressed. I like to take a hot bubble bath,taking the time to exfoliate, so my skin looks and feels it's best, and then put on some really luxurious lotion(like a bodyshop body butter )

Slipping into clothes you love, is even sweeter when you whole body feels great.For me, the jewellry would have been decided on at the same time, that i picked out the outfit, so the Final, FINAL touch, would have to be that spritz of perfume as i head out the door!

 

[Pink Dahlia]

I'm all about the necklaces.

 

[Adelaidey]

I have a box of my great-grandmother's jewelry that my Maga found in the basement, so I have a few brooches, earrings and other baubles that I use from that assortment religiously...

Alas, since I am a poor, poor student, I tend to go with a simple flower in my hair-- though I adore pouring through sites and shops full of old jewelry, scarves, and hats that I can't afford! One day when I'm rich (lol, something my friends and I say all the time) I'd love to have oodles of hats and scarves for every outfit! I love hats!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I always liked this thread

LD

I had forgotten all about it! Thanks for the *bump*

My "finishing touch" is actually what i start with.When i am going out and getting all dressed up, i like to take the time to really pay attention to what comes BEFORE I get dressed. I like to take a hot bubble bath,taking the time to exfoliate, so my skin looks and feels it's best, and then put on some really luxurious lotion(like a bodyshop body butter )

Slipping into clothes you love, is even sweeter when you whole body feels great.For me, the jewellry would have been decided on at the same time, that i picked out the outfit, so the Final, FINAL touch, would have to be that spritz of perfume as i head out the door!

This is a really good way of looking at it. Turning the act of getting ready into something luxurious makes it seem like less of a chore and more like something that is enjoyable, from start to finish. Well, maybe not the squeezing into the girdle part, but the rest is enjoyable!


I just started getting into the accessory thing. For some reason the only time I ever really wore accessory's was when I had to go someplace formal or black tie. I've always loved the dressier costume jewelry. But I always have kept things simple with my daily wear. A simple pair of diamond or pearl stud earrings, or a cute pair of diamond hoops that my Mom and Dad gave me a few years back. These were actually the biggest earrings I ever wore! For variety I would sometimes wear a small pair of diamond flowers, but somehow one got lost I'm hoping that it will turn up one day, for they were given to me by my Mom when I first got sick. I wore them everyday during a 6 week hospital stay, and no matter how unattractive I felt the pretty earrings made me feel better. Anyway, I used to just wear either a pearl necklace, part of a set that belonged to my maternal Grandmother who I never knew, so they too mean a lot to me. Or a pave diamond heart that was a college graduation gift. I would wear my simple Tag dive watch and sometimes if I was wearing a suit I'd wear my Grandmothers tennis bracelet or pearl bracelet. I was never comfortable wearing a lot of rings, or really big rings. I have a saphire and diamond ring that is a copy of my great grandmothers engagement ring. My sister has the original, it is so beautiful and so antique. I am tempted to ask her to trade with me, but I don't want my Mom to get mad. She had my ring made. (my parents are very fare, they couldn't give my sister something and not get me the same, so for milestones in my life I always know what I'm getting because it would always be the same thing my sister got on that same occasion.) Well, she had the ring made with the diamonds from her wedding band. Since my sister got something old and sentimental, she wanted me to have the same. (I'm convinced this was not out of sentimentality, but she probably figured if she did this sweet gesture for me my Dad would think of it as sweet and she'd end up getting a new wedding band! There's always an ulterior motive when my Mom passes things down!) Sometimes I'll wear a pretty tanzanite and diamond ring that I got in Mexico last year. The first piece of jewelry I ever bought myself. I dragged poor Hemingway Jones to every jewelry store in Cozumel Mexico. Poor guy, he was so incredibly patient and very helpful, especially when it came time to try and get the price down. I think if I had bought it without a guy present, I might not have gotten such a good deal. Having guy friends does come in handy sometimes!!

Well, up until now I wore just these things. But lately I've been getting into more fun things, like the bigger beaded necklaces, floral earrings, cute brooches. They just add that extra pop to an outfit, and I somehow feel a bit more put together.

As for cute vintage-y accessories, places like Forever 21, Delia's, and this new store I came across tonight called Windsor all have some very cute and very affordable necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that have a vintage look to them. Also, this last place has a couple of very cute belted shirt dresses that have a real vintage look to them and lots of pencil skirts. Their prices are quite reasonable too. So if you are on a budget but looking for some accessories to spruce up an outfit, check these stores out.
I think that there is a lot of 40's and 50's inspiration in the coming seasons fashion trends. So you might just be able to find some very cute vintagey accessories in a lot of stores, especially those that cater to juniors. I haven't been to the mall in a long time, but Clairs Accessories usually has all the trendy things. It might just be a good time to stock up while they have them. We all know how quickly trends can come and then just disappear!