If you’ve ever stood in front of your closet thinking, “I have nothing to wear,” while staring at a sea of neutrals, same. The truth is, it’s almost never the clothes. It’s the jewelry. I live in white tees, denim, black dresses, cozy sweaters, all the easy everyday pieces, and then I let my jewelry bring the personality. That’s honestly how I get dressed. A bold necklace, a good stack, a fun pop of color, and suddenly the outfit feels styled, intentional, and like me. If you asked anyone who knows me what my go to outfit is, it would hands down be a Canadian tuxedo with a bold necklace. Let’s be real, probably the Iris in a necklace stack. Around here, we believe your accessories should do the heavy lifting, because real life is busy and getting dressed should feel fun, not complicated.
Almost every day I start with a base of neutrals and let my accessories do the talking depending on my mood. If you peeked inside my closet, you’d see a whole lot of denim, black, navy, and white. That’s my foundation. When I have no idea what to wear, I’ll throw on a monochromatic look in one of those shades and build from there. I love color, but I bring it in through jackets, scarves, and especially jewelry. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at home in navy leggings and a denim shirt with a big stack of hot pink Frannies on, and honestly, that stack is what makes me feel pulled together instead of blah. Whenever I’m feeling uninspired, I put on a bright color and let it do its magic. Color always shifts my mood.
I used to think neutrals were boring and didn’t show personality at all, but the older I get, the more I realize neutrals are the best base for letting color really pop. I am not a head to toe neutral dresser and I’m definitely not the clean girl aesthetic. I love color. I just love it as the pop, not the whole story. That balance, neutral base with bold accessories, is what works for me. It’s also how we design. We always look at our pieces against a white background first so we can really see how the beads and shapes stand out. That’s basically how I treat my wardrobe. Neutrals let me wear bold color and shape without feeling overdone, and my clothes stay classic while my accessories change with my mood.
When I’m wearing a bold piece, I treat it like the main character and build everything else around it. If I put on a big necklace, I’ll literally change my top to something with a cleaner neckline so it has space to shine. Some pieces deserve their moment, and I’ve learned not to compete with them. I always ask myself, “What’s the hero today, necklace, earrings, or my stack?” and then I let that be the focus. Anytime I try to do too much, I end up taking one thing off and liking the outfit way more.
For example, if I’m wearing a bold necklace stack like McClain, I’ll pair it with a super simple neutral top, a v neck, a crewneck tee, something clean so the necklace really pops. If I want to feel extra elevated, I’ll throw on a little black dress and then add a statement necklace like Iris, Frannie, or McClain, and it is a moment. I wore this exact combo to a charity event with my mom last year and the number of people who stopped me was unreal. Everyone was asking about the beads. That’s exactly how we design our pieces to be worn, as the focal point, not an afterthought.
My bracelet stack honestly changes more than my clothes do. I can wear the same neutral sweater and jeans all week, but if I switch my stack, the whole vibe feels different. Stacks are where personality really comes through. It’s like telling your style story without saying a word. Some days I lean more gold and classic, other days I want color or texture, but every bracelet in my stack usually has a reason I love it.
On rushed mornings when I’m just in leggings and a sweatshirt, I’ll throw on bangles, especially our animal bangles, because they add instant personality and I don’t have to think about it. If I’m doing a jeans and tee look and skipping a big necklace, I’ll go bold on my wrist with a colorful stack, usually with specialty Frannies mixed in and some gold bangles for texture. For date night, I usually keep my wrist simpler with gold bangles and let my necklace stack be dramatic. I typically build my necklace stack with one bold piece, one gold piece, and always a charm to anchor it.
My stacks totally depend on my mood. If I’m feeling loud and fun, I might do a monochromatic pink stack. If I want to feel softer, I’ll do more chains with a little blue mixed in. That’s why we design everything to mix, layer, and live in. These pieces are meant to be worn together, styled your way, and part of your real life.
I love adding color to any stack, but I always want it balanced, chunky with delicate, shiny with matte, bold shapes with classic chains. The key is that my outfit is calm. The simpler my clothes are, the more fun I have playing with color, texture, and shape in my jewelry. A neutral base gives you freedom to layer without looking busy. If my clothes are loud, my jewelry feels overwhelming. If my clothes are simple, all those layers feel intentional and elevated. And if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I love a beaded moment. I love layering multiple beaded necklaces together to create a statement.
When you need something easy to fall back on, these are the outfit formulas I come back to over and over.
White tee and jeans with a statement necklace is my actual uniform. When I don’t know what to wear, this never fails me. Throw on a McClain with jeans and a t shirt and you are instantly elevated.
A black dress with a gold bangle stack and then a monochromatic necklace stack in a bold color is just so chic. I’ve worn it to dinners, events, everything. Gold on black just hits every time.
A cream sweater with a colorful stack is my cozy meets bold moment. Jeans, Birkenstocks, a cream sweater, and a stack of specialty bracelets mixed in. That’s my comfort zone. Soft outfit, strong accessories.
Jewelry is such a low risk way to experiment. Buying a wild printed pant feels like a big commitment. Throwing on a bright necklace, you can take it off. It’s fun to try on a different vibe for a day. Some of my favorite pieces were ones I almost didn’t try. We hear this all the time. People think color isn’t for them, then they put it on and feel totally different.
When Franny first came in, I thought it was way too bright. I didn’t think it fit my personal style at all. But I layered Franny with a Kira and a simple chain with jeans and a t shirt and I loved it. I loved the pop of brightness. I loved the sass it brought. It made me feel fun. And that’s the power of color. It changes how you feel.
There’s just something about putting on a bold piece that shifts my whole energy. Jewelry is my little daily confidence boost. I feel more like myself when I have my stack on, like the finished version of me. Some pieces just make you stand taller without you even realizing it. That’s really the heart of all of this. It’s not about having more clothes. It’s about wearing the pieces that make you feel good in what you already have.
Start simple. Add one bold piece. See how it feels. Your neutral outfits are just waiting for better jewelry. Wear the piece. Don’t save it. Jewelry is meant to live life in.
--Bess