Diva-fy

I am completely anti-over-consumption - but sometimes you just wanna accessorize to an extreme. Music vids are the new catwalk and I have been drooling over the bling in Beyonce's Diva video and Lady Gaga's Paparazzi. I want B's sunglasses and Lady G's Dior rings. To the studio at once!

Top 5: Jewellery Stores in Montreal

Here are my top 5 favourite jewellery stores in Montreal.

Technically they aren't all jewellery-only stores and sure, my line is carried at some - but they are still my favourite places to go for a kick ass piece of bling.

Totheme, 68 Fairmount West

Specialty: Custom orders, dirty-dirt cheap accessories, lots of it made by local artists.

Budget: Like I said....dirty-dirt cheap.


General 54, 54 St Viateur West


Specialty: Urban armour. Accessories for the discerning hipster.

Budget: Affordable to Pricey, but reasonably so.


Freitag, 3762 Boulevard St Laurent


Specialty: Variety of edgy sterling silver creations, lots of local stuff.

Budget: Affordable to Pricey, but reasonably so.


Argent Tonic, 138 Laurier West.

Specialty: BIG BLING. Amazing ring selection. Exclusivity.

Budget: On the higher end but not out of the budget.


Noel Guyomarc'h, 137 Laurier West

Specialty: This is the real deal. Noel carries only "Art Jewellery", meaning incredible wearable works of art.

Budget: Save up for a real special piece.

Happy New Year

So, in the debaucherous chaos of having three weeks off work, travelling, catching up on sleep, etc, I took a major break from Things that go Bling. But now I’m back! Welcome to 2008. I have a good feeling about this year. My resolution is to watch my finances, so I will have lots of frugal-minded accessorizing tips!

Accessorizing Tip of the Year: One Chunky Bracelet.

Something everyone needs in their accessory bowl (well, yours probably isn’t a bowl but mine is so let’s go with my frame of reference) is a big bracelet. I’m talking about a wide chunky bangle made of ceramic or wood or plastic, that slips easily over your wrist. Let me tell you why it’s the ultimate versatily accessory:

1. It can be worn year round and looks just as good over a long sleeved knit as it does on a bare wrist.

2. It can be worn around your wrist bone, just barely held on your arm by the width of your hand, or pushed up close to the elbow.

3. It dresses up any outfit. If you dislike wearing jewellery, a chunky bracelet is easy to wear and eye catching enough to allow you to bypass the traditional earrings/necklace/ring sets.

4. They can also be your most affordable and conscientious accessory purchase: second hand stores are practically littered with them, and usually in the 0.99$ bowl at that.

Recommendations: I think the classiest way to go is wood. it’s a harder thing to find, but the treasure hunt will be well worth it. For added drama, offset the large chunky bracelet on one hand with smaller similar colored ones on the other.

Downfall: Annoying if you work at a computer all day and the bracelet hits the edge over and over, driving you closer and closer to the edge of sanity. And in regards to wood = I have hypersensitive skin so maybe this is just me but I seem to be allergic to the dark waxy woods that wooden jewellery tends to be made from. I have to wear my wooden bangles over the sleeves of my shirts, which is totally fine in this season but not very summer-conducive.

BIG BELTS

I have always been a big Big Belt fan, since way back. My love for them earned me the nickname “Champion” due to the similarities my belts shared with those of the Wrestling Championship variety.

I have these fabulously oversized vintage belts from the eighties - in the beginning of the millenium, I would pierce extra holes in them and wear them low-slung on my hips. Now that the cinched high waist is back, I can wear them as they were meant to be worn: at the waist over a sweater, long shirt or dress.

As much as I love my vintage belts, I have indulged in a couple of the new ones:

1) A long green leather sash-like one that goes twice around the waist and can be tied in a bow and
2) a rigid purple leather one that just barely overlaps and does up with two miniature belt buckles.

There are a couple of things I have found while experimenting with them.

1) Wear them now, while it’s cold. In the summer, I would end up with a wide sweaty unbreathable band around my mid-section. I do not subscribe to the pain = beauty philosophy, so No, it’s not worth the all-day under-boob moisture overload. Maybe if you had a light fabric one, such as silk, though I have found that if this type isn’t fortified and backed with a stronger fabric, they end up scrunching up and looking like a dinky sized belt anyway.

2) Don’t wear them on top of your high-waisted pants. It’s overkill. I felt like I was wearing a corset all night. And really - it’s redundant. If you want to wear a belt over your high-waisted pants or skirt, make it a dramatic skinny one.

3)I have noticed a new trend in wide belts: using them to cinch a pouffy down-filled winter coat. Aesthetically, I approve of this look but will not be sporting it for the impracticality feature - zippers are plenty good enough and you have to keep your jacket unzipped to achieve the full effect, letting in the cold winter air.