I’ve had a few emails recently from people telling me that I don’t show my necklaces well enough in my photos as they just can’t see it and I also often focus on the clothes and forget to credit it. Apologies for that, I probably need to go through the pain of having more pictures taken of each outfit so that you can see it better. Anyway I thought I’d do a round up on the pieces that I wear regularly.
Jewellery is a very personal thing and probably only something that you start to really focus on when you get a bit older and realise that the difference is in the detail. The most extravagant present that Mr MC has ever bought me was a hand tooled Smythson jewellery box on my first mother’s day. I couldn’t bear to tell him that I would have preferred to spend the equivalent on a very luxurious holiday, especially when it came with a promise that over the years he would fill it with appropriate jewellery. That hasn’t quite happened but I am gradually finding my own personal style and I love anything that is silver, with an organic, fluid feel to it.
So like everyone I guess, my necklaces fall into throwaway fashion pieces such as this year’s statement necklaces and then the items that transcend fashion and will stay with me forever. Here are my favourite recent buys that are still available in the shops.
This Zara necklace has been a big win this season. It sparkles and catches the light, it also sits at the most flattering point on the clavicles.
and worn more casually here:
It’s still available in store for £29.99.
The Jane Akester Designs necklace that Mr MC bought me at Easter has also been great for adding interest to simple outfits. It doesn’t work as well with pattern or stripes as the detail is lost, but here it is.
It also has the flexibility to be worn a bit higher as here:
I wear this Harriet Addyman razor shell necklace a lot, bought in an artist’s collective in Pembrokeshire but available online here. She works with items that she finds on the Pembrokeshire coast and casts them in pewter using an etching press.
I find it really difficult to track down the simple, silver jewellery that I love. I often look through Etsy but find it a bit hit and miss – some of the items that claim to be handcrafted look as though they have been made in a factory in China which is fine if you’re paying high street prices but not if you’re looking for something special. A few weeks ago I discovered that Jane Akester (the lady who made the first necklace I featured) also sells through giftwrappedandgorgeous. It has been set up by Amanda Charteris and Alison Griffiths with a mission to showcase small British designers who, as they say, are often modest and unassuming and need a bit of help selling their wares. There are all kinds of things on the website and they very kindly asked me to select a piece of jewellery to feature on midlifechic. There are some stunning pieces on the site but being me, I was instantly drawn to this infinity necklace made of recycled silver for £35.
It has exactly the kind of simplicity that I like, ensuring that your attention is drawn purely to its form. It is made by Nicola Bretherton of CasSam who (an added bonus for me) is based in Lancashire. It is a daintier necklace than the rest of my collection, perfect for a simple dressed down day or for wearing more formally in the neckline of a white shirt. It also came beautifully packaged so would be great to give as a gift. I really like the principles behind Giftwrapped and Gorgeous and it will probably be the first site I turn to now when I’m looking for birthday presents for my friends. This is how it looks on:
Today’s outfit by the way:
- White linen slub jersey top: Boden (old)
- Relaxed skinny jeans (Yawn): Next
- Plaited belt: Boden (old)
- Espadrilles: Gap – in the sale now reduced to £15.99 (these may not have been the wisest buy for someone living in the soggy Lakes)
So there we have it, a favourite necklaces catch-up piece. I will be back soon on the jeans subject – I have been on a quest to find (a) the perfect white jeans for summer and (b) a pair of non-distressed boyfriend jeans that don’t make me look like a boyfriend. I have ordered, tried and returned many, many pairs but I think, by the end of the week the conundrum will be solved.
Thanks for all your support on the culottes experiment – they went back you’ll be pleased to know. However I would love to hear if you have found anything other than jeans to wear in this mad hot/cold/sunny/wet all at the same time weather we’re having, I know a few people are struggling with their outfitting – please tell me if you’ve solved it.
