Current Fashion Trends in
Costume Jewelry and Accessories
by: Michael Gietl
Color Trends in Costume Jewelry
The fall fashion trends are ushering in another excellent season for
costume jewelry and accessories. Rich colors and bold looks dominate the
trend. Teal, amber and amethyst are the important colors with olivine and
green used as neutrals. Topaz and peacock are also important and all
indications are that rich color will continue into the spring season.
Metals are seeing a return to gold, but silver is still stronger.
Bold Designs Dominate Fashion Jewelry
Fashion jewelry thrives when bold designs are in vogue and that is very
much the case this season. The high fashion look is popular in necklaces,
earrings, and bracelets with natural components contributing to the
designs. Wood is continuing its second season of popularity with shell
important even in the fall line. But the rising star in natural materials
is gemstone, which provides the beauty of natural semiprecious stones to
the costume jewelry designs. This will definitely continue and accelerate
in the spring line. Also popular in neckwear are 48 inch and 60 inch ropes
that are worn extended or doubled. Jet is strong in holiday jewelry and
estate looks (antique designs) are becoming fashionable in bridal jewelry.
Traditional Costume Jewelry and Accessories
While costume jewelry in bold designs and rich colors forge the way for
leading fashion, there is a larger market that shouldn’t be ignored in
more traditional and classic looks. Theme jewelry in pendants, earrings,
and charm bracelets has an appeal that goes beyond fashion alone because
it identifies with what the wearer cares about. In addition, traditional
rhinestone, bridal jewelry, evening bags, and formal gloves have a classic
look with timeless appeal. There is a major market for these items that
will always be present even as fashion changes.
Accessory Trends
Sequins and buttons are very big in all accessories, especially in
handbags and evening bags. Beyond these, the looks of the larger bags
introduced by leading designers are the trendy styles of the season. These
are the bags the stars are carrying, which goes a long ways towards
popularizing the styles. In evening bags, large sequins and buttons are
very much in vogue, but traditional looks seem to be carrying the day.
Sunglasses are definitely big and bold with aviators the runaway
favorite. Retro looks are also excellent and colored frames with matching
lenses are very popular.
Hats and Headwear
In millinery, dress hats are an important part of the market, with
ladies hats the dominant player. The looks are very traditional with a new
element of pre-made bands allowing for the versatility of custom designs.
Casual hats, however, account for the major share of the market and no
design in 2005 is more important than the rollup cowboy hat. While the
design is not popular in every region of the country, the sheer number of
sales makes it the number one hat of the year. This rugged look that is
typically American has risen to such popularity that it becomes an
important fashion statement. After cowboy hats, the three most fashionable
designs are wide brim floppy hats, ladies fedoras, and newsboys. The
entertainment field has played a major roll in popularizing these designs
and the fashion looks continue into the fall season with felt, leather,
wool, and leatherette used as the material for the fall versions. |
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