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The Houston Home Journal
c Wecfcfinfi (Parties:
—-BLING BLING IT ON!
Being a member of a wedding party and
attending the numerous required social
events invites the inevitable question of
what to wear. When Emily Hopkins realized
she would be attending several festive occa
sions in conjunction with her best friend’s
wedding, she immediately set about putting
her best clothes together.
“I had to prepare for three showers, four
pre-wedding cocktail parties, the rehearsal
dinner, the ceremony itself, the gala recep
tion, and the post-wedding brunch,” says
Emily, “and I needed a wide range of styles
from dressed-up casual to elegant formal.”
Undaunted by the challenge, she relied on
her creativity and, following a current major
fashion trend, focused on jewelry and acces
sories.
Emily was taking her cue from high-pro
file stars such as Nicole Kidman, Charlize
Theron, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose
Oscar-winning red-carpet looks laced with
“bling bling” are propelling fashion and set
ting the style for women everywhere. A term
originated from the way the spotlights reflect
off large baubles worn by performers, bling
bling has become synonymous with showy,
extravagant style, and widespread enough
to merit an entry in the latest edition of the
Oxford English Dictionary.
There was a time when prestigious, high
fashion magazines were the principal dress
motivators of the style-conscious. Times
have changed and fashionistas now look
to the stars for inspiration-that is, the ones
seen in movies, on television, and making
grand entrances at awards extravaganzas.
Indeed, celebrities are even pushing the
fashion professionals out of the front row at
fashion shows.
“While designer clothes are always im
portant, jewelry and accessories are at the
forefront of today’s fashion and are the real
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show-stoppers on the international runways
this year,” explains Chad Crawford, cre
ative director of DiamondSafe.com, a New
York-based internet retailer. The most siz
zling ornamentations merit the superlative
descriptive, “bling bling”. From opulent to
vintage to American western-inspired, these
hot new looks include layers of multi-tiered
gemstone necklaces; bangled and bejeweled
cuff bracelets; chandelier and hoop earrings;
and gem-encrusted, pearl-faced watches
with glittering bright bands.
Such fashion influences, it seems, are
coming from everywhere in today’s media
conscious world-TV talk-show hosts Katie
Couric and Diane Sawyer with their gor
geous gams enhanced by Manolo Blahnik
shoes; Sharon Stone at the recent Emmy’s
in an eye-popping shiny satin gown with
dangly cluster diamond earrings; and at the
Cannes Film Festival, Angelina Jolie exud
ing subtle sexiness in a Dolce & Gabbana
tuxedo look complete with white shirt and
jeweled hoop earrings.
“Fabulous jewelry worn by glamorous
mega-stars like Jennifer Aniston, Halle
Berry, and J. Lo, are driving our current
Gary Cvtrell
PHOTOGRAPHY
Weddings
HEADSHOT • PORTFOLIO
PRODUCT/INDUSTRIAL
478-922-6063
Cell 396-5551
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fashion trends,” says Crawford citing strong
customer preferences at DiamondSafe.com.
"The most stylish consumers are purchasing
gems that are ‘red carpet ready’.”
For Emily Hopkins, who wishes to look
sensational for every occasion, it’s only a
matter of “putting on the glitz”. Attending
an elegant engagement party she may wear
an ultra-feminine black silk chiffon and lace
slip dress with glistening crystal and pearl
chandelier earrings and a cuff bracelet, and
later, at the rehearsal dinner, wear the same
dress with a rose quartz and pink garnet
heirloom necklace with delicate teardrop
earrings. In the bling of an eye, she has a
whole new look.
The focus on jewelry isn’t confined to the
ladies. Guys are even being smitten by the
bling bling siren. Taking their lead from rap
stars and athletes, more mainstream males
choose to adorn themselves in some form of
jewelry. In fact, many established jewelry
companies have recently introduced collec
tions devoted exclusively to men.
For instance, to go with the velvet blazer,
which fashion oracle Philip Bloch, L.A.’s
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“stylist to the stars”, calls this season’s truly
stand-out look for men, guys are choosing
handsome cufflinks, tie clips, and unique
belt buckles as a great way to finish off a
look that's just right for a bachelor party
or wedding lunch. Crawford agrees and is
enthusiastic about DiamondSafe.corn's suc
cess with the trendy “Hot Diamonds” and
Invicta watch collections - both with several
styles for men.
So, for both guys and gals, when dressing
for wedding parties or other special occa
sions, it’s not just a matter of what to wear,
but how much you want to dazzle. The fun
is in putting it all together and finding the
right pieces of jewelry and interesting ac
cessories—often great conversation pieces
and ice-breakers at any social engagement.
The internet is a great source, with online
retail sites such as BlueNile.com and Dia
mondSafe.com presenting an impressive se
lection of star-style bling bling that will put
the wearer on center stage.
Bridal News Network
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