Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

Making A Statement

Now you're not going to fall off your chair in surprise when I say that if I'm not wearing a scarf I'm generally wearing a statement necklace.  Okay I can hear the sarcastic cries from here but for me whether it be a necklace or a scarf, either really helps bring an outfit to life and the thing I love most about a necklace (apart from the bling of course!) is the fact that it can really transform a simple plain outfit into something that little bit more styled & special.

For me I think my love of all things sparkly & shiny is down to hours spent dressing up in my Grandma's front room with her hats (she'd never step outside the front door without putting on a hat & some lippy) & trying on all her jewellery.....goodness knows what age I started this obsession but I've got pictures from the age of three/four where I'm draped in some of her lovely accessories - so Grandma I'm blaming you!!! In fact thinking about it my Grandma is also to blame for my love of leopard print as she had a couple of lovely pieces, which she wore often, although I will admit to having taken her obsession up a notch or two!!!  With her collection of jewellery I can remember on sleepovers lying in bed looking at the gorgeous coloured glass bowls & dishes she kept all her jewellery in on her dressing table & thinking to myself I'd love to just get it all out & play & wondering if I'd wake her up if I did just that.

Of course like shoes, bags & clothes in general a girl can never have too many pieces of jewellery & in my opinion necklaces are no exception, different styles are required for different occasions & outfits.....no?!!  And of course until you see a new style necklace you sometimes don't realise it's missing from your life.

Over the last couple of years statement necklaces have become more part of our daily wardrobes (well mine at least), so seeing as we are now well into our autumn wardrobes (although thankfully not the thermals just yet) I've taken a peak at what's currently out there.

Starting with a full on bling-tastic necklace.  Now who wouldn't love to be dripping in diamonds??  But unless last night saw the big blue finger pointing over your head (& of course the prize money has increased so you never know 'it could be you') then we need to be realistic about the bling & thankfully these days there is some great bling on the market in the form of costume jewellery.

One of my favourite ways of currently wearing a bling necklace that I'd originally thought of teaming with a classic LBD is to dress it down with some distressed boyfriend jeans, a simple shirt & classic blazer & this first necklace from Zara is perfect for this.   






As soon as I spied this beauty online I instantly fell in love.  Yes it's blingy but it's also a real classic piece.  Stunning for evening wear but equally a fab piece for daytime too & I have to say it looks a lot more expensive than it really is so a real win, win.  Plus this style of necklace, which I would call collarbone length is just perfect for teaming underneath a shirt, as it sits perfectly due to the style & weight.  The only downside is when wearing it the other day for work (see outfit three on my last post) & when talking on the phone & multi tasking (as us ladies are able to do) I soon developed a sore jawline due to my head being tipped to the one side.  Luckily after a particularly lengthy phone call I was relieved to discover that my face hadn't been imprinted with the stones as it may have taken some time to disappear let alone some explaining on my part when meeting a client!

Moving on & another great style of necklace that is also great for dressing up or down is what I would call a chunky dropper necklace (not the best name I know but I can't think of a better way to describe it at present....although I know as soon as I hit publish a better name will come to mind!!).  This type of necklace is great for wearing at various lengths as it will fit perfectly under a shirt & also can equally be lengthened that little bit when wearing tops that have more plunge.

I really love this one from Topshop & whilst I haven't seen it in the flesh, I love the colours of the stones in the main pendant.  I can see this teamed with a fab denim shirt & maybe some black cigarette slim fit pants.






Moving onto more classic necklaces & another 'useful' addition to any necklace collection is a classic gold necklace, something elegant & simple in design but chunky enough not to get lost & get attention.  Gold seems over the last few years to have made a real comeback in jewellery & with a classic gold linked necklace you can never go wrong as it will always bring a real element of sophistication to the simplest of outfits - I'm thinking classic white shirt, skinny jeans, ballet pumps & a gold linked collarbone necklace teamed with a few bangles - simple yet stunning & this one from Dorothy Perkins fits the bill perfectly & won't break the bank either!






Of course there are days where even I don't want to be too blingy (not many I know but still there are the odd few) & for more casual days you can't go wrong with a simple longer chained necklace with an elegant pendant.  Not only can it be layered with different length necklaces but it will also bring a simple outfit such as shorts & t-shirt to life not to mention look fab when teamed with combats & a denim jacket.  

This one from Mango looks perfect, it's available in either a green/grey or cream stone.  Personally I think the cream one would be more usefully as it's literally going to go with everything in your wardrobe but either look stunning.








Going back to bling (well you know me ;-) ) whilst looking for necklaces for this post I stumbled across this gorgeous one from Banana Republic & have fallen head over heels.  More expensive than the other necklaces featured but a real investment wow piece of jewellery.  Having been lucky enough to have got the J Crew Pave Link bracelet I know how gorgeous & elegant this type of jewellery looks not to mention 'useful' so easily justifiable from a cost per wear point of view.  The fact this necklace comes in navy just makes it even more special in my eyes as it would not only look stunning but it would also be something a little bit different to the silver & gold pave link pieces of jewellery that are out there.






Of course having said I love the navy I must also admit to loving the silver version too, but for me the navy just has the edge as it's that little bit different.




Of course no jewellery box should be without pearls & I must admit to owning the odd pearl or two.  Some classic simple necklaces & others either made from large chunky pearls or coloured pearls or maybe both.  The Zara chunky pearl necklace which I brought at the start of this year has been a great addition to my collection & whilst it's no longer available I really like this one from Next, which for those of you who have a huge aversion to pearls as you just think 'granny brigade' or WI the fact that the pearls are mixed with the metal beads & is of a more modern design will ease you in gently.






Finally how about this black rhinestone necklace from Zara.  A great style for covering up your decollete should you feel too exposed with a low cut number & another piece that would be so easy to dress up or down plus being black will go with everything in your wardrobe & whilst I haven't yet hit the button on this one I'm SERIOUSLY tempted!!!






Finishing with my outfits from the last few days & of course my necklace collection too!


Outfit One




Scarf - Zara
Jacket - Zara
Sweatshirt - Topshop 
Leather Cuffs - Massimo Dutti
Boyfriend Jeans - Zara
Boots - Zara


Outfit Two




Necklace - Zara
Jumper - Primark
Jacket - Zara
Jeans - H&M
Boots - Oasis


Outfit Three




Tweed Jacket - H&M
Necklace - Zara
Blouse - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Snake Print Belt - Massimo Dutti
Boots - Oasis


Outfit Four




Waterfall Cardigan - ASOS
Studded Belt - New Look
Vest T-Shirt - H&M
Necklace - Handmade
Combats - Zara
Studded Ballet Pumps - Zara


So there you have my edit of the statement necklaces that are currently making me drool & are crying out to be added to my collection.  What do you think?  Are you a jewellery junkie like myself & love a bit of bling?  If so can you remember if you had an early attraction to all things shiny?  Perhaps you've recently brought a new addition for your jewellery box & want to share.  As always I'd love to hear.

Have a great Sunday, I'm in serious need of some major chillaxing time today....hectic week with more of the same next week plus the start of our son's newspaper round today so an early one for us all!  Today is definitely a case of trying to re-charge the batteries with a healthy mix of alcohol, Sunday roast & of course choccies :-)


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14 comments

  1. Loving the Next pearl one, Jane. You do have some fab statement necklaces and they always look great with your outfits xx

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    1. Thanks Lynne. I think the Next pearl one looks gorgeous & I'd have definitely been investigating it further if it didn't have my Zara Pearl one....for which hubby is breathing a sigh of relief! x

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  2. Thanks for the heads up on the Banana Republic ones, they look just like the J Crew pave bracelet I can't afford lol x

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    1. They look stunning don't they Sharron....I'm just waiting for a code to come through as I'm totally in love with the navy one. If you investigate further let me know what you think x

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  3. I'm really getting into the statement necklace style now....all thanks to you Jane.
    I love the Mango pendant as I think it would be a great alternative to the New Look tusk necklace we have x

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    1. I thought of the New Look tusk one as soon as I saw the Mango necklace Michelle & knowing how much I've worn that I know the Mango one would be a great addition to the wardrobe x

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  4. I adore outfit 3 and I adore your' necklace collection. These ideas are great, Jane, great blogging as always. xx

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    1. Aww thanks Helen, glad you're still enjoying the blog xx

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  5. Some lovely pieces .., and let's face it, you can never have too much bling!! Loving the Banana Republic pieces. And as always, you're looking very stylish indeed :)

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    1. Helen I couldn't agree more....I think I must have been a magpie in a previous life due to my love of all things sparkly! x

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  6. I'm in serious need of some new bling! The Top Shop one is amazing! I love your handmade leaf one too....its so very pretty! Did you make it?! Ax

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    1. Thanks Andrea & yes I did make the gold leaf necklace....used to make & sell loads of jewellery when I was younger & dabble a bit on & off now too x

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  7. The dresses and the jeweleries are lovely and attractive. I like your sharing. Instead of this if you are interested on fashion jewellery may visit http://www.tresorparis.ca

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