Are You Wearing Too Much Jewelry? Know Your Jewelry Etiquette!

What jewelry is appropriate to wear to the office

Picking the right amount of jewelry can be difficult. There are no hard and fast rules regarding jewelry etiquette, but you'll certainly know a fashion faux pas when you see it. Being over-dressed for a casual occasion or under-dressed for something more formal can make people around you feel uncomfortable.

There are a few things to keep in mind when considering jewelry etiquette but most of them fall under the golden rule, that is "treat others how you'd like to be treated." You wouldn't want your friend to show up to a wedding in flip-flops, so don't treat a ceremony like just another day. Dress up and show your excitement!

We are going to get you completely set on proper jewelry protocol. We certainly don't want anyone to make obvious errors so we will go back to basics, but I promise some meatier tidbits that you might not have considered previously. There is obviously a lot of ground to cover so let's get started!

jewelry etiquette fashion faux pas business woman

Dress For The Occasion!

In the wedding analogy above I stated that you should dress up for a wedding. That part seems obvious, but what might not be so obvious is the fact that you don't ever want to outshine the bride. Bling is always nice, but the bride is the centerpiece. Don't ever detract from her big day if you want to be invited to anything else.

While it's important not to go overboard in certain situations, it is undoubtedly important to pay proper respects to formality. Anyone who shows up to a black tie affair without any jewelry at all is going to look quite awkward in comparison to the other attendees.

If you are hanging out more casually then going all out can make it seem like you're trying too hard. That's probably the biggest jewelry faux pas of all. It is a very precarious balance to strike. If you want to follow jewelry etiquette, choose a single piece that fits your outfit and stick with it. How will you know if it fits or not? Well...

jewelry etiquette fashion faux pas floppy hat model

Matching Outfits Make Magic

When picking a piece of jewelry to go with one outfit or another there are a few things that should run through your mind. The very first thing being "what look am I going for?" If you're out to party then you can go a bit crazy with accessorizing, but for a more somber moment you'll need to tone things down quite a bit. Once you've decided how much jewelry you need it's time to make your selection.

Make a quick comparison of the jewelry and the outfit. Are you wearing a heavy knit sweater? Maybe that delicate gold chain isn't quite bold enough. How about if you're wearing silk or sheer fabric dresses? That oversized chain is definitely going to detract rather than enhance. The main lesson here regarding jewelry etiquette is that the jewelry needs to match the material.

So you've found some jewelry that magnifies your outfit? Great. The next step is to build on that. Only one piece of jewelry can be the focus of your outfit. If you're going out with a chunky necklace and gigantic earrings that is all people are going to see when they look at you. Go with one or the other and pick something that amplifies the other piece you've selected as the centerpiece.

jewelry etiquette fashion faux pas elegant field

Vibe With Your Look

Your look extends far beyond your clothing. How are you wearing your hair? Jewelry etiquette demands that you call attention to one thing at a time. Laser focus is important.

For example, if you've got long hair and you're choosing to wearit down then your luscious locks are the thing you're calling attention to. Tossing a pair of large earring on will detract focus from your hair so stick with something small and subtle.

On the other hand, big hoops can look great with an up-do or a cropped haircut. Matching your jewelry to your hair and makeup can make all the difference between a stunning look and bad jewelry etiquette.

jewelry etiquette fashion faux pas cover ears

Noisy Jewelry Is Poor Etiquette

I can't stress this one enough. It's one of my biggest pet peeves. Bangles are a bit out of style for 2020 (thank goodness) but the point still stands that you will absolutely want to avoid jewelry that makes noise.

If you find it even slightly annoying, I promise that the people around you will find it infinitely worse. Drawing attention is great, but doing it because you're loud and distracting is never a good thing.

Clean Jewelry Is Imperative

If you're walking around with a dirty necklace or a tarnished ring, it doesn't really matter how well it meshes with your outfit or not. This jewelry faux pas is a fairly common sight when I go to formal functions, and usually I don't have the heart to point it out to the inattentive owner.

I have to see them walking around all night, smiling and looking gorgeous, with one gigantic exception that I just can't unsee. You never want to be that person. The good news is that this broken jewelry etiquette can be easily remedied with Simple Shine's wide range of products.

We've got you covered no matter what. Softer stones and sensitive metals will be safe and shiny with our gentle jewelry cleaning foam! You can slow the tarnish that threatens your jewelry with cloth anti-tarnish storage bags. Of course for the diamond lover we also have a portable diamond polishing brush, small enough to be kept in a makeup bag but it packs a punch that will bring the bling.

You've probably invested a good amount into your nice jewelry, so please take good care of it. Letting your things look subpar isn't good overall social etiquette. Avoiding jewelry faux pas and upholding jewelry etiquette is truly a simple matter once you get into the habit. Trust me when I say that if I can do it, so can anyone else.

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