Statement bracelets are often the stepchildren of the jewelry world, considered after their much more popular siblings, the necklace and earrings. Before I got my ears pierced, at the ancient-for-piercing age of 38, I was all over bracelets. But now they are sort of dead to me in favor of earrings. However, this doesn’t mean I don’t love a gorgeous bracelet or think there are times where a statement bracelet isn’t the better jewelry choice. In today’s Accessorized 5 Ways it’s all about giving statement bracelets some much needed face time using one of my all time favorite ones, the Petra bracelet from Stella & Dot.
Why do I love this particular bracelet so much? Well aside from it being a gorgeous and substantial hunk of prettiness, it’s much more versatile than it immediately appears. And this is another big reason why I wanted to feature it. Often we have these blingy bracelets that seem so limiting at first when, in fact, they can easily be styled with jeans and a sweater, a ball gown, and everything in-between.
Here are some examples to show you.
Versatile ways to style statement bracelets
Outfit #1- From desk to dinner or for business travel
Most of my corporate clients tell me that they hate wearing bracelets to work. The second they start tap-tap-tapping away at their computer the bracelet gets taken off. Yet, for easily changing a look from more daytime to something after-five a bracelet like this can make a work dress look more elegant. This is a great idea for business travel or days where you have to go out after work and don’t want to change completely. It’s nothing to throw a bracelet into a suitcase vs. another dress and it’s easy to just carry a dressy bracelet in your work bag and throw it on while on your way to a business event in the evening. Instead of just packing a statement bracelet away for that one wedding you might attend a year, consider it a great way to elevate a work dress for more formal professional functions.
In this outfit, this bracelet makes a cobalt blue dress from Anne Klein, a pair of strappy pair of colorful heels, a burgundy work bag and basic CZ stud earrings look ready for an evening out.
Outfit #2- To dress up jeans and a sweater
What I love about this particular statement bracelet is how easily it can be styled with jeans and a sweater. Few think of wearing such a blingy accessory with a casual look, however, statement bracelets make it so easy to elevate the ordinary. In addition, statement bracelets allow you to wear statement necklaces. Unlike how bold earrings and bold necklaces often fight each other, because they are located so close to one another on the body, a statement bracelet and statement necklace are far enough away from one another that it looks much more balanced.
In this outfit the bracelet upgrades a grey drapey Alice + Olivia sweater, a pair of bootcut jeans, a pair of strappy silver sandals from Anthropologie, metallic handbag and a silver statement necklace, also from Stella & Dot.
Outfit #3- To jazz up a printed summer dress
For those daytime events in your life where a summer dress would be completely acceptable but you want to elevate it a statement bracelet can do it. Here, this casual printed dress gets a dose of a little something extra with some more formal accessories, the bracelet included. A strategy like this works well with a summer maxi dress, as well. A great thing to consider when traveling this summer and you want to take a day dress into evening. It’s certainly cheaper than buying a whole new dress.
To make this Modcloth dress a little more special it is styled with the bracelet, a pair of feminine purple heels from Nordstrom, a pair of Kendra Scott earrings and a white BCBG clutch.
Outfit #4- To dress up a summer casual look
Even with a summery top and white pants this statement bracelet works. Plus, it being silver in tone, you can style with whatever color combination you are wearing. And just like my tip above, how a statement necklace and statement pair of earrings can fight one another, here a pair of chandelier earrings work with the statement bracelet because they are far enough away from one another.
In this outfit, the bracelet adds some dressy punch to a yellow Anthropologie top, a pair of white bootcut pants from Boden, a printed clutch, turquoise Modcloth flats and bold earrings from Gypsy SOULE.
Outfit #5- For a formal look
Of course, a bracelet like this can also be styled in the way it was intended, dressed up. Obviously, if you’re not feeling the whole jumpsuit thing you can swap it out for the cocktail dress or gown of your choice. But even the simplest of formal outfits can get a punch with such a bold bracelet. In fact, simple outfits allow this bracelet to shine. Have a simple formal dress that is boring you to tears? Try a statement bracelet; a particularly good choice for situations like this one where a cowl neck would look weird styled with a necklace.
In this outfit, a Trina Turk jumpsuit is styled with silver using this bracelet, a pair of silver sandals, chandelier earrings and a silver clutch.
Shop for statement bracelets
Dress them up, dress them down, check out these other statement bracelets from around the web.
