A Strange Way You Could Determine How Gullible Your Friends Really Are

I recently read a feature in an accessories trade magazine that highlighted this $54 monogram script necklace as a suggestion for retailers to add to their jewelry offerings. At first I was impressed with the retail price since $54 is a pretty good deal for these types of necklaces but, then, after reading about what the designer is calling the “Universal Monogram,” I realized that this is not a real three-letter monogram. It’s a big swirly mess meant to look like a real monogram.

The idea is this: wear this necklace and trick your friends into thinking that those are really your initials. They will never know, right? You can hardly decipher monogram designs anyway, so who cares? Save yourself the time it takes to order a real necklace that actually consists of a custom-made three-letter monogram of your first initial, last initial and middle initial and sport this fake monogram around trying to be fashionable. Err…as creative as this is (got to give the designer props for trying!), I’m going to pass and stick to wearing a pendant that actually means something to me.

Posted by Brianne

Image source Accessories Magazine

Smelling Fresh 24/7

Image source Lisa Hoffman Beauty

I’m a total sucker for anything multifunctional. Whether it’s Chanel’s Wallet on a Chain or something more simple like Stella & Dot’s La Coco retractable bracelet from a necklace, I’m immediately sold.

With that being said, you can imagine my delight when I read about Lisa Hoffman’s Fragrance Jewelry in the March issue of Self. This beauty company has created necklaces and bracelets that contain perfume beads to provide you with the scent of wearing perfume without real fragrance ever touching your body. With fragrances like Madagascar Orchid, Tuscan Fig and French Clary Sage, you can get a trendy necklace or beaded bracelet AND unique smelling perfume for $65.00. The jewelry comes adorned with a charm that you fill with fragrance beads so, unlike traditional perfumes that fade away throughout the day, I love how this fragrance jewelry will keep you smelling fresh 24/7. On the contrary, if you’ve had enough of your perfume for the day, you can just take off your jewelry. Love.

Guess we know what item I’ll be adding to my wish list…

Posted by Alyssa

Social Style

Image by Bauble Bar

I have ALWAYS wanted a personalized name plate necklace, and I can absolutely assure you I was lusting after one years before Carrie Bradshaw made it cool. My yearning for the necklace started in about 6th grade when my friend Lauren got one. For some reason, I never told my mom about this obsession, or asked for it as a birthday present (maybe because at the time it was a little “Jenny from the block,” but then again, so was I), but instead I would venture into Chinatown and go from hole-in-the-wall to hole-in-the-wall trying to bargain my way to an inexpensive necklace (my father would be proud!).

Now, many moons later, I still don’t have one — but I do have the chance to get ahead of the trend, once again! BaubleBar has just launched personalized Twitter handle name plates, which, let’s be honest, are pretty hilar/amaze. I’m not completely sold on getting one with my Twitter handle just yet (maybe if I had a cooler one, like ManRepeller), but if I actually had any sort of Twitter influence, I would absofuckinglutely get this for myself.

I guess it’s a good thing I waited to buy one of these — they’re only $88 and I remember them being muuuchhh more expensive in Chinatown…

Posted by Hannah

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dog Tags

There are certain areas where I’d trust, and maybe even seek out, Guy Fieri’s judgment: interesting tailgate foods, top local “greasy spoon” spots, the best at-home bleach products. Noticeably missing from this list is jewelry advice. Joining Joselyn James in the land of “people who have no business entering the beauty/fashion/accessories space” is the spiky-haired Food Network star, who recently launched a line of dude-friendly gems. The “off-da-hook” baubles include a dog tag, cuff links and chain bracelets, all emblazoned with, what I like to call, “I hate my dad stars,” made popular by the music genre of the same name. In other words, something an angsty teenager might pick up from Hot Topic.

I’ve never been able to get on board with man-jewelry, never mind these tacky trinkets. If you ask me, Guy is better off sticking to his core competencies: meat, sports and how to combine the two.

Posted by Abby

Fowl Play

To say that Nicki Minaj was recently spotted rocking a rather unusual accessory on the red carpet would be old news. Generally looking like a cross between a Harajuku doll and a nightmarish version of a Candy Land character, Nicki’s fashion choices are always noteworthy to say the least. It is no secret that I am a huge fan.

However, the neon-pink chicken wing necklace she was seen wearing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival raised a few feathers. And yeah, you read that correctly: neon, pink, chicken, and necklace were all used in the same sentence.

Onch, the now-famous jeweler responsible for the meat-cessories, has created a YouTube channel explaining the inspiration behind her delicious  line of fun, wackadoo creations which also includes a Bacon Bracelet, a glow-in-the-dark pretzel necklace, and a mini pizza slice chain.

After this, and The New York Times’ pin-up chicken, I will never look at a piece of poultry the same way again!

Posted by Emily