Bangles are Back…Bigtime!
By Emily Kopec

Any girl worth her fake Prada bag knows the essentials for a fabulous day at the beach include a towel, sunscreen, and – DUH – a sexy bikini. And maybe the latest Pulse. Those must-haves haven’t changed, but this summer there’s a whole new item on the list and it’s so deliciously impractical that we just can’t live without it…that’s right, ladies, it’s big, bold, beautiful bangles and baubles!!!!

Thanks to the season’s wild jewelry trend, we can now can…no, should!…throw on a long necklace over our bikini, layer an excessive number of noisy bangles around our tanned wrist ~ heck, on both our wrists ~ and add some big hoop earrings just in case, god forbid, we still feel under-accessorized.

Don’t believe me? Check out the latest Victoria’s Secret swimsuit catalogue. Gisele and friends are wearing a sunken chest’s worth of bold jewelry over their bikinis and it’s hot (Okay, so they’d look hot wearing a trash bag. Whatever. I’m over it)…very hot.

The look is specifically about layering on the bohemian jewelry that’s become oh-so- popular recently. Think wooden bangles, thin, metallic gypsy bangles, dangling earrings, and necklaces that incorporate elements from nature like rocks, stones, shells wood, or even animal designs. Now think wearing a bunch of those pieces at once. If you do it right, you’ll be a couple pounds heavier when you’ve got it all on. And people will hear you coming from a block away.

Hell no, it doesn’t make sense to wear all this when it’s a scorching 92 degrees out, but fashion doesn’t have to make sense. In fact, it usually doesn’t. That’s why it’s so much fun!

Alas, there is some practicality involved in this trend (sorry to be the bearer of humdrum news): the look is both inexpensive and easy to wear. You don’t need to invest in expensive jewelry. Buy the cheap stuff and stock up on summer colors like turquoise and coral. If you’re timid about color, wood is a great place to start because it goes with everything. Bonus: no need to painstakingly search for exact sizes and cuts (skinny jeans fitting room scary flashbacks, anyone?) ~ jewelry is one size fits all (which makes it great for swapping ~ tired of your stash? Trade with your best friend!).

I already test-drove the trend myself during a recent daytrip to Newport. Between all the various clanky, metallic bangles and wooden bracelets I was wearing, my forearm was hardly visible, I jangled, and my elbow-bending capacity was limited.Halfway through the day, my husband looked at me funny and asked why I was wearing all those bracelets, anyway (leave it to a man not to get why). I told him I liked the look. After a quick eye-roll (I think they have to do that), he muttered that yeah, it actually did look pretty good. Told y’so, told y’so!

At this juncture, I have to issue a warning: this kind of all-out accessorizing can become an addiction. Once you get going, you feel naked without it. You grow to love and crave the constant weight of that necklace, the persistent jingling of those bracelets every time you move your arm. There’s nothing you can do about the addiction because it’s either all or nothing baby, there’s no moderation here.

My only other piece of advice is to not overdo it. I mean, overdo it in the sense of be fabulous, but don’t really overdo it. Don’t mix your earthy loot with non-earthy loot like blingy cubic-zirconia pieces or tiny, delicate shiny things or you risk looking tacky. Keep the style of your jewelry consistent. Remember we’re talking bohemian here, not flashy. Look to Joss Stone and Kate Hudson (or our Victoria’s Secret bathing beauty buddies, they know what’s up) for celeb inspiration.. You’ll get a dramatic, sexy summer look if you play your bracelets right.

Okay earthy mama, now that you’ve thrown it all on, you’re ready to hit that outdoor beach bar and tie one on (I mean a sarong, of course! )in style. Peace!

IN for the summer

Pooka shell necklaces
Oversized plastic beaded bracelets
Leaf design jewelry
Thumb rings
Big hoop earrings
Grecian snake jewelry
Cocktail rings
Nature inspired jewelry

OUT for the summer

Initial necklaces
Real pearl bracelets
Charm jewelry
Anklets
Small hoop earrings
Gothic snake jewelry
Dainty rings
Blingy jewelry