Here’s another installment in exploring personal style with Rocksbox jewelry. The last set tested personal geometry. This time we’ll focus on ornamentation and color.
In choosing my next pieces from the Rocksbox Wish List, I hearted a certain Gorjana cuff. Their stylist added dangling Trina Turk earrings, and a very dangly necklace by Charlene K.
Pretty, right? But when I went to get dressed, this set fought with my personal style so hard it bullied me into a trip to Imaginary Texas.
Standing outside Neiman Marcus in the Shopping Center. Seemed only fitting.
In thinking about this set, I had planned to wear white jeans and a white tee, a blue utility jacket, and dark Birkenstocks. The usual Aging Intellectual Tomboy Californian getup. This jewelry would have none of it. “Add a lace tee and resort sandals,” it ordered. “But, but,” I stammered, my only lace tee is from Costco!” “That is your shame to bear,” said the bling.
The necklace even forbade me to wear my hair in a braid. Updo, OK.
Let’s take a look at the set in better light, at my father’s house. Next time Rocksbox is welcome to send a cute dog as part of the package.
What we see is that the accumulation of visual details, and the degree of dangle, conflict with my preferred more streamlined style. It would be hard to use tools while wearing that necklace. Also, coral-red is not for She Who Loves Blues.
My family agreed that this set Was Not Me. My sister took particular issue with the color of the earrings next to my face. My father might have said something, but was too astonished that yes, in fact, my jeans were holey on purpose.
By the way, data now indicates that the majority of High WASPs believe one should put one’s own holes in the knees of one’s jeans. They do not, however, object to Costco tees, only to Costco visual overwhelm.
This set would be good on someone who wears skinny jeans, maybe heels, and a blazer with rolled sleeves. Someone who sports a topknot with ease. Someone with coloring in the yellow family, who endorses vivid, and the high contrast of coral with black.
I’ll do one more Rocksbox post, next month. I’m thinking about trying a pendant necklace, to see if that’s how I want to repurpose my extra pearls and random small stones. I might even try out a honking big ring. If there’s anything you’d like to see, feel free to weigh in.
As long as you’re experimenting, I say, do it with gusto. We learn at the fringes.
What I’m Wearing Besides The Jewelry
- White 100% cotton boyfriend jeans. Similar, but more current in 2016, here.
- Charles Jourdan sandals. Vintage, i.e. I bought them 20 years ago.
- Lace tee from Costco, $9.99. One can make a lot of hay with a lace tee. Similar albeit more than $10 via Lord & Taylor.
- Bottega Veneta Large Hobo in blue. This year’s blue is more cobalt.
- White cotton sweatshirt peacoat held over the shoulder in the shopping center photo so it looks like I’m hoisting a secret sail, UNIQLO. Here’s an inexpensive one by Michael Kors.
Your code for one month of Rocksbox free is skyepealexoxo. This post is not sponsored, if you sign up I receive $25 in credits which, if they accumulate, I will use towards a Privilege giveaway. Most of the clothing detail links are affiliate and may produce commissions.
31 Responses
Lisa, I love your outfit, costco tee and all (I wear VS pink tees with everything and think it works, lol). Wishing it were warm enough to wear something like your white ensemble here! Would love to know how you rate that uniqlo jacket.
p.s. I’m finally back blogging again~
Mary Jo
I like the UNIQLO jacket a lot. Very comfortable, substantial fabric. I could have used a little more length, being long of torso, but that’s a quibble. And welcome back to the blogosphere!
Since I will be lunching at Neiman Marcus at noon today, this is very appropriate timing on your part. I like the necklace on you, but agree about the earrings.
And actually, the top knot is charming. I like your hair with the braid as well.
Ah, will you be having the popovers?!?! Thanks for the hair feedback, much appreciated.
Yes, I had one of the popovers with strawberry butter as well as the demitasse cup of chicken broth. So traditional at Neiman’s.
It’s good to try different things.
I have a pair of jeans that are distressed and I think one pair is probably all a wardrobe needs.
@RoseAG, I have more than enough now;).
I tried the Rocks Box, for 20 bucks it was worth a gamble. The first box was just not me. There was a necklace, very thin silver with an off center oval feature. At the end of the day I hated it, because it was too short for my necklace tolerance level.
I have plenty of jewelry, I just like to play with new things so I will try a few more boxes.
I do like your hair up.
@Nola RIce, Good hear on the hair. Maybe I don’t have to cut it off…and I agree it’s the fun quotient that’s high. $20/mo for a little fun seems OK, although, of course, they gave me 3 free months so I cannot say for sure.
Agree that the jewelry is pretty. I would have to double (triple?) that necklace in orde to stand wearing it.
Have to agree with your family on the jeans. I have never understood paying large sums of money for something with holes in it. No offense intended to you and your lovely taste. Just a bugaboo of mine.
Like the updo. Good for hot weather.
How fun to try new things, then send them back. Great concept.
@Mary Anne, I could have done that with the necklace, you’re right!
You look great in the photos but I agree that it is not a streamlined look. Also, for what it’s worth, I just don’t like holes in my clothes. As soon as a hole shows up, that piece of clothing goes in the donation pile. And yes to the updo! Sometimes I wish my hair were long enough to do that. Have fun trying new things!
@Jane, Thank you:). I like a hole or two, but I find myself in the hole (wow I never do that) wrt some non-holey pants.
Ah. So glad you explained about the white cotton sweatshirt. It did look like you were sprouting a single wing. I kept wanting to make the winged appendage part of the background, but my brain would not cooperate, and rightly so. Love the Costco lace t-shirt on you. I’m with your dad on the holey jeans. My favorite pair of boyfriend jeans came to me from Citizens of Humanity with distressed fabric that the description did not mention. I waited too long to return them, so wore them hoping they would not become holey too soon. A left-knee hole appeared quickly, and it makes me self-conscious every time I wear them. If given a choice, I am now clear that I’d prefer no holes in my jeans no matter if they are other- or self-inflicted. Agree that these jewelry pieces are not you. The nicest piece was the bracelet. I’ve noticed recently that I wear less and less jewelry. It all seems so complicated.:)
Agree about the jewelry. I think it’s quite aging unless you wear it sparingly.
@Katherine C. James, I tend to wear one noticeable piece of jewelry, almost always earrings, and everything else very small or subtle. I’ve realized that can’t do 3 pieces of equal visual weight.
But I’m still a fan of holes in my jeans. I think Dad’ll forgive me:).
Oh my…I’m reminded of Coco Chanel’s quote “Before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror and remove one piece of jewelry”. I like the bracelet, on it’s own, but wearing it with something simple that doesn’t compete. Do they really suggest that all pieces should be worn together? Still, a good exercise and one that you intuitively knew was not “you”.
@Lisa, I think for a taller person, wearing more formal clothes, the jewelry might not seem so dominant. But yes, not me.
I love your jeans, and I’m glad your BV is in the color you bought, not navy. I don’t think the larger BV bags show the texture as well in very dark colors.
As for the jewelry……Love the sandals you love, but just a warning. I have a very similar pair and it’s more work than I like to wrap them around my ankles, so I barely wear them. You have to sit down, have your glasses, wrap them correctly, etc. And then they bother your ankles.
@kathy, Glad you like the jeans and bag! I will say, the jeans fit in the hips really, really well. Good for my current life where dressing up a bit means white jeans vs. blue ones….
The sandals would be totally dress shoes in this world, not every day. I revert to Birkenstocks and slip-ons so readily, it’s true.
And your arms are fabulous BTW.
@kathy, All credit to the trainer! Thank you:).
Of course you look delightful, and the jewels are nice enough – but I agree, it’s not you.
The benefits of practice and study, one knows, pretty quickly.
I thought this was an interesting article about the social capital required to pull off shredded jeans:
Continuing on the non-blue-jeans jeans update from a few posts back, here is one of my…
Retry the paste :
Http ://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/magazine/who-gets-to-wear-shredded-jeans.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fmagazine
Sorry about that!
Looks to be a great article – firewalled, so I have to work at it!
Really like what you are wearing. But the jewelry no, and not only on you- especially that too-shiny fake gold. After 50 Your Jewelry Should Be Real- which doesn’t necessarily mean precious. e.g., a silver, bronze cuff, or Bittar acrylic bracelet (OK, acrylic’s noble metal but it is not pretending to be something else. Realize you are allergic to silver, though.) Real jewellery can be fun, too. Worth saving for.
Sorry, I meant to write “acrylic’s NOT noble metal”.
Haha! Your inner voices are too funny. I like the bracelet, but the other stuff just seems too much.
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