French Girl Jewelry

It seems like French women know how to wear the perfect amount of jewelry while also being able to somehow combine sentimental heirloom pieces with more trendy items. How do they do that?

We’re going to be talking about French girl jewelry and I’m going to be showing you my dainty and minimalist jewelry collection, which is also my sustainable and ethical jewelry collection.

I’m also going to be showing you Jewelry Styling 101.

We’re talking about how to stack your rings, how to layer necklaces, what necklines you can wear certain necklaces with. And today’s video is actually sponsored by my favorite jewelry company in the whole wide world, which is Ana Luisa. They are an ethical and sustainable jewelry company based in Brooklyn, New York, here in the United States. And what I really love about them is that they are 100% ethical and sustainable. They use all recycled noble metals, which are silver and gold. Plus, their diamonds are conflict-free.

I really appreciate how much variety they have on their website. And honestly, how classic yet trendy their pieces are. Plus, if you’re like me and you like shopping affordably and sustainably, you’ll love Ana Luisa because their pieces start at $39 and they go up from there.

You can use my code ‘BriannaLamberson10’ to get 10% off your entire order.

Focus on the quality of the jewelry

The first thing that you need to think about is the quality of the jewelry that you’re buying. You want to stick to pieces that are 100% Sterling silver, or 100% gold, or pieces that are silver with gold plating.

Let’s say you’re shopping secondhand for jewelry on Instagram or at the thrift store, then be sure to look out for the stamps or hallmarks like .925 and 14k, 24k gold, and so on and so forth.

Sentimenal over trendy

I think the next really important thing to consider about adding jewelry to your collection is styling jewelry is that feels the most sentimental to you.

Rather than being trendy, French women tend to have some elements in their wardrobe and even their jewelry collection that are very sentimental. You will often see me wearing my mom’s necklaces, which she got in the seventies. These are things that for me, are the most classic. They’re never going to go out of style! And there’s nothing more classic than a simple gold chain or something that was passed down to you.

PRO TIP: If you don’t have anything that has been passed down to you, try to think about these pieces, you’re buying for yourself as the beginning of something sentimental. Gift yourself something for a milestone birthday, for a big project that you saw through to the end, or for the birth of a child. And every time you wear that particular piece, you’ll be reminded of what’s most special to you.

And that can be the start of a sentimental heirloom piece.

Stacking and wearing rings

You might have wondered how many rings a woman should wear or can wear. I think that really depends on you, and on the occasion. It also depends on the style of the ring. A general rule is to wear two rings on one hand and one on the other. Or you could wear three on one hand, and two on the other hand.

It doesn’t matter really if the rings are next to each other on your fingers. Just wear what feels comfortable to you.

If you’re feeling like you need to have a more powerful look, you could definitely add more rings to your fingers. I know sometimes they can start to look a little bit much. So listen to the advice of Coco Chanel and just take one thing off before you leave the house.

How to layer necklaces

My next tip is about how to layer necklaces. Again, I think this is a personal preference. This always comes down to what feels best to you.

Your style needs to be accurate to who you are. For me, I like things to look a little bit punk rock, just a little bit unpolished if you know what I mean. I like this kind of balanced/imbalanced look and wearing something that’s slightly more casual with a dress or an outfit that’s really done up.

Also, you want to focus on the neckline. So when you have a V neck, you can wear more layers and you can layer down piece by piece and even go into a really long pendant.

But let’s say you’re wearing a mock neck sweater or a high neck blouse. You definitely want to avoid the choker length necklace, and stick to pendant length.

And I would suggest maybe just doing one long chain with a pendant on it, and you’ll be so amazed how beautiful that ends up looking with a high neck or a mock neck blouse or sweater. That’s where you can really play with your earrings and your rings.

Another really great example of when to layer your necklaces or go all out with your jewelry is to wear a blazer as a blouse. Especially as we move into fall, I think that’s such a fun look to wear a double-breasted blazer and layer up your necklaces. You’re going to look so chic. I think it’s one of the easiest ways to look put together. All you’re doing is putting on a pair of jeans, a blazer as a blouse, and then using the jewelry that makes that look really elevated.

You can also have a huge impact on your outfit if your outfit is casual and your jewelry is a little more done up.

So let’s say you’re wearing a t-shirt that’s where you can really play and have fun. I think all bets are off when you’re wearing a t-shirt, you can just break all the rules and wear whatever amount of necklaces you want to. You could wear pearl necklaces mixed with beaded necklaces, mixed with gold jewelry, and mixed with silver jewelry, which leads me to my next point.

Jewelry essentials

As with any capsule wardrobe, I think capsule jewelry collections are also highly individual and there’s no right or wrong number of pieces that you need to have. But if you’re looking for jewelry essentials, I would definitely say you need a dainty pair of earrings, a hoop pair of earrings. You need a dainty necklace, a statement necklace. If you like bracelets, then I would highly recommend a bangle bracelet and a dainty bracelet. And then with necklaces again, you want that one long necklace with a pendant and maybe a choker length simple gold chain.

Think about your watches and how they work as jewelry. Think about your rings as well. You want a statement ring, a silver ring, a ring with a gemstone, or maybe a signet ring.

There are so many different ways that you could take this, but really my biggest piece of advice is to mix and match your jewelry. Sometimes it can get a little too same, same. And I know for me, that’s definitely a risk that I’m running right now. But I also think that the more classic I make my jewelry collection, the less I have to worry about trends coming in and tripping me up. But I do find that some of these more trendy looks are really neat and something I’m interested in exploring. And I do think that French girls can pull off that high/low, casual/chic combination super well.

Mixing gold and silver is definitely a go

Don’t worry about it. I think it’s a really cool look. I think it works in any scenario, whether you’re doing it in your earrings or your bracelets, or your belt and your bag, it doesn’t really matter. I think it’s somewhat irrelevant nowadays. I think people are pretty much just accepting that we all have gold and silver in our wardrobes.

So do you. Make it happen! Even rose gold. Throw that in there too.

In conclusion, wear it for pleasure

I really believe that jewelry is one of those things that when styled correctly and worn out of pleasure, you’ll really be able to feel a little bit chicer in your everyday life.

I used to never wear jewelry, but I feel a lot more confident and a lot more feminine and chic and put together when I’m just wearing a beautiful necklace or a beautiful pair of earrings.

And if you’re looking for affordable and sustainable jewelry, then obviously Ana Luisa is a great place to start. I also love shopping secondhand, but I personally like doing a mixture of both because Ana Luisa has things that are a lot more trendy and “of the moment” while still being classic. Whereas, when you go to the thrift store, it’s kind of hit or miss, but you can still find some really neat treasures.

I would love to know what you guys do with your jewelry. So let me hear what some of your best jewelry styling tips are in the comments section below. And that way we can all learn from each other. And again, don’t forget that you can use my code ‘Briannalamberson10’ to get 10% off your entire order.

XO,

Brianna