Jewelry is beautiful in its own right, but it only really shines when it’s paired with the perfect outfit, the perfect attitude, and the perfect place.
Some jewelry can be worn anywhere by anyone, but most jewelry benefits from being part of a planned and coordinated outfit.
Learning how to pair natural stone jewelry with an outfit so that your jewelry and your clothing complement one another doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does take an eye for detail. Whether you’re looking at women’s handmade jewelry or men’s handmade jewelry, I have some tips for how you can match it with your unique style and wardrobe.
Before we get started, though, there is one thing you should remember.
More even than fashion, the most important thing to look for in jewelry is that you love it and that the jewelry makes you feel good when you wear it.
So, buy the jewelry you love, whether natural stone jewelry, birthstone jewelry, or jewelry without stones. Then use these tips to help make sure your jewelry stands out and shows off your personality and taste.
How To Pair Women’s Jewelry With Your Outfit
Women’s jewelry is almost expected in some settings. Professional occasions, nights out on the town, and even casual looks may call for a bit of jewelry to look complete.
Birthstone jewelry is a fantastic way to celebrate your own birth or the birth of beloved friends and family members. Natural stone jewelry is a fantastic way to honor nature’s beauty and variety. But all of your jewelry should first and foremost honor who you are.
So, take the tips that work for you, ignore those that don’t, and consider that confidence is the best jewelry of all.
Don’t Be Afraid To Layer Chains
Multiple chains and necklaces are very in vogue right now, and can work with a wide range of necklines and for many different occasions.
There are a few tricks here, though. If you wear multiple chains and necklaces, they should all be made of the same metal, or the metals should be coordinated to work together.
My Sterling Silver necklaces are perfect for layering with other Sterling Silver chains, but you should only mix them with copper, brass, or gold chain with care. You can do it, but it usually doesn’t look as good as matching all the metals together.
Another tip is to place the smallest pendant on the shortest chain and either use pendants of the same size or gradually increase pendant size so that the largest pendant is on the longest chain.
Layered necklaces look good with deeper necklines. If you stick to relatively small pendants, you can also wear them over turtleneck tops and blouses. The contrast between the color of the shirt and the color of chains and pendants can be striking as well as fashionable.
Statement Necklaces Are In - But Need Color Coordination
Larger statement necklaces, like my pendulum necklaces, are a fantastic way to stand out. They are perfect for formal and professional settings and can even add a bit of flare to more casual outfits.
The trick to wearing large statement necklaces is that they need to be coordinated with the rest of your outfit. If you choose a bright color, it should look good against the color of your shirt. If you’re wearing black or neutral shirt colors, you can match the necklace to the color of your pants or use a brighter color to add contrast.
Be careful with statement necklaces; they should be the center of attention, so you either want to wear matching earrings and bracelets or stick to smaller and more subtle jewelry for the rest of your outfit.
Mix And Match With Similar Elements
One of the beauties of women’s jewelry is that you have a lot of options out there. You can probably get away with styling different earrings and necklaces together if they have at least one element in common. Of course, matched sets are still some of the most elegant options, but you can mix and match.
Just make sure all of your jewelry uses the same metals across all of your jewelry. Using the same stones in different jewelry pieces can also help them look good together, even if the designs are very different. Amethyst earrings will almost always match an Amethyst necklace, for instance. Consider matching colors if you can’t match the stones and the metal.
Blue stones go with blue stones, red stones go with red stones, and so on. But be careful about which colors you choose. The color of your jewelry should look good with the color of your clothing. Consider matching colors, adding a pop of brighter hues to your neutral clothing, or using contrasting colors to help them both standout.
Small Earrings Look Professional, Large Earrings Look Beautiful
Matching your jewelry to the type of outfit you’re wearing is equally important as using coordinating colors—the size and style of your jewelry matters.
Smaller earrings are perfect for office settings and any occasion where you don’t want to draw too much attention to yourself. But larger statement earrings will attract much more attention to your face and always look more formal and dressed up than smaller earrings.
Consider my nest studs for a subtle look and my larger hoops, dangling earrings, or ear threads for a more formal or daring style.
Show Off Bracelets With Short And Cuffed Sleeves
Bracelets are less common than earrings or necklaces, meaning they need to be worn with a little more care. You should only wear bracelets and bangles with long sleeves if the sleeve is long and narrow enough for the bracelet to be worn over the sleeve.
Otherwise, you can use bracelets to show off short sleeves and strappy outfits. Or, if you have a puffed sleeve with a cuff at the wrist, you can use bracelets to emphasize the cuff and make your arms look thinner.
How To Pair Men’s Jewelry With Your Outfit
Jewelry is almost expected for women. But, when it comes to jewelry for men, it’s essential to be a little more discerning. The jewelry you choose should always add a little extra panache to the occasion, a little flair.
One nice thing about men’s jewelry being a little less common than women’s jewelry? It’s that much more likely to be noticed and appreciated!
Here are some tips to help you match your favorite jewelry with your favorite outfits
Add A Hint Of Color
Much of men’s jewelry is about the color of the metals used rather than the stones. However, adding color can add quite a bit of flare and taste to your outfits, as well as helping you stand out from the crowd.
Natural stone jewelry, especially brightly colored stones, might not be that common in men’s jewelry, but they can be very handsome.
Bright colors should either match the color of your other clothing or be added to neutrals with a pop of a matching color in a tie or pocket square.
Match Formal For Formal, Casual For Casual
There is a wide range of formality in men’s handmade jewelry. Stones are more formal than jewelry made with leather or jewelry metals alone. But it’s important not to dress up a casual outfit too much or a formal outfit too little.
For instance, my Greek Leather bracelets are a perfect addition to a casual summer outfit, while a nest stud earring might be better left for nights out on the town or more formal occasions where you want to dress up a little.
Less Is More, Subtle Is Good
When it comes to men’s handmade jewelry, you don’t want to layer on too much jewelry and overpower your outfit. Instead, it’s a good idea to stick to just earrings, just a bracelet, or to match those items with cufflinks or buttons.
Too much jewelry can make even the most masculine-looking jewelry seem feminine. So, choose the pieces you want to wear with care, and if you want to wear more jewelry than typical, be aware of how that changes your overall look.
This is a rule that’s made to be broken, but only if you’re going to feel comfortable and confident doing so.
Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment With Women’s Jewelry
Men's and women’s jewelry is decided mainly by fashion, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to a rigid set of rules. All jewelry can be worn by anyone who wants to wear it and who feels more confident in it.
If you find yourself falling in love with a pair of women’s earrings, a women’s bracelet, or even handmade women’s necklaces, don’t feel like you can’t wear that jewelry if you want to.
Society is getting more and more accepting of alternative senses of fashion, and gendered fashion is getting less strict all the time. It’s okay to step out of the standard fashion choices for your gender every once in a while.
You can use the other tips in the men’s and women’s sections to help pair your new jewelry with your outfit. But remember, the best jewelry and outfit pairing is always going to be the one that makes you feel comfortable and confident!
Jewelry Pairing Tips For Everyone
When it comes to jewelry, there are a few universal tips, whether you’re wearing handmade artisan jewelry, going to a formal occasion, or just looking for jewelry to layer on for an edgy look at the club.
These tips work equally well for men and women both, and you may even recognize some of these tips from the other advice I’ve already given.
Metals Should Match
There are a few rare occasions where mixing metal colors can work in jewelry. But, most of the time, it’s important to make sure the metal matches across all of your jewelry.
Metals don’t need to be precisely the same color, but they should be the same type—gold with gold, silver with silver, and so on.
When it comes to different colors of gold, you should also match them. Rose gold earrings might not look quite right with a yellow gold chain, though necklaces that combine both gold colors can be worn with any color of gold in other jewelry.
Larger Jewelry Should Make A Statement
Large pieces of jewelry will always draw a lot of attention, so it’s best to only wear 1 or 2 pieces of larger jewelry. For instance, you can match large dangling earrings with a more subtle necklace or a large matching necklace with no bracelets.
A statement necklace can be complemented by smaller earrings, with or without subtle bracelets. But, adding too large earrings or bracelets and bangles to an outfit with a statement necklace might look overdone.
Subtle Jewelry Should Match Your Outfit
The bigger and more striking your jewelry is, the more you can get away with it standing out from your outfit. But smaller jewelry should be a compliment to the rest of your outfit.
Small jewelry might not draw as much attention to itself, but that makes it more important for it to blend in.
Jewelry You Love Will Help You Look Best
One last reminder, none of these rules matter more than wearing jewelry you like. Jewelry you don’t like won’t ever look as good as the jewelry you genuinely love, no matter how fashionable it is or how well it matches your outfit.
Jewelry is a form of self-expression; nothing will show off your authentic self better than handmade artisan jewelry you genuinely love and look forward to wearing.
