“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel
Here at 7 Charming Sisters, there are a number of things we believe in. One of those things is that French fashion designer Coco Chanel was the original goddess of style.
Sure, in the 18th century, Marie Antoinette’s extravagant gowns and wigs turned heads… until she lost hers. Ever since her début in the 1970s punk scene, Vivienne Westwood’s designs have been nothing short of amazing—but they’re definitely not for everyone. And no matter how stunning Kim Kardashian looks in her own designs, the truth is that it’s a heck of a lot more difficult to achieve that look on a limited budget and without your own round-the-clock makeup artist.
Don’t Be Predictable and Boring!
Back to Mademoiselle Chanel; the first woman to truly create designs intended to make women look good and feel good; the inventor of the little black dress; and the driving force behind the timeless perfume Chanel No. 5. She dedicated her life to the beautification of women—real women, not some corseted, demure fashion dolls. And she recognized the potential of women, regardless of their social status or wealth. As a self-made woman in the early 20th century, she was the ultimate role model for every woman who wanted to shrug of the shackles of traditional female roles and instead, choose a life and a career of her own making.
So when Mademoiselle Chanel advises us to be different in order to be irreplaceable, we perk up our ears and listen. Now, in our line of business, we know our fabulous fans are irreplaceable. That's why we’re always thinking of ways we can help you guys be different—without breaking the bank. And here’s the thing: being different doesn’t mean that you have to wear a completely new ensemble every day. But it does mean you have to appear different every day. Think about it: how many women do you know who cycle through the same five ensembles for every day of the workweek? Most of them don’t even know they’re doing it! But especially when you only have 10 minutes to get dressed and put on your makeup each morning, it’s oh so easy to always combine that baroque, ruffled blouse with that black pencil skirt or the silk business suit with a clingy silky top.
And then you become predictable… and that’s just one step away from boring. Yikes!
We’ve Got Your Back!
Of course, we totally get that Mademoiselle Chanel had clients who were wealthy enough to buy all sorts of clothes and accessories. And the reality is that most of us don’t have walk-in closets the size of a small house filled to the brim with designer clothes and shoes.
But don’t worry: we’ve got your back!
That’s right. We’re going to let you in on a little secret: when we add new pieces to our collections, we don’t just assess them for esthetics, quality and durability. We also spend a lot of time evaluating how versatile they are. What we mean by this is that we get together and brainstorm all sorts of different outfit and accessory pairings for each new piece.
For example, let’s say we’re thinking of adding a pair of dangly earrings like these pinot grigio earrings with a two-inch drop. For a romantic date, they’d look great paired with a tight top with a deep décolleté, right? You could pair them with a simple, silk blouse with a rounded collar for work. And they’d also look awesome with a tight, plain black turtleneck sweater for anything from work to teacher-parent night at your kid’s school.
Jewelry styling Versatility 101 See where we’re going with this?
Now, we’re going to take you through a tutorial that’ll really open your eyes up to the variety of possibilities with our pieces. Buckle up, because you’re going to love this!
The Accessory: 7 Charming Sisters’ white hot necklace: a striking gold-plated antique necklace with a crystal floral statement.
The Challenge: Create five different looks: formal, business casual, cocktail party, ladies that lunch, weekend casual.
The Team: All seven Charming Sisters, of course!
Ensemble 1, Formal: For your anniversary, your hubby surprised you with a long weekend in the Big Apple and tickets to the musical you’ve been dying to see: An American in Paris! Since he shelled out big bucks for the weekend, you know jewelry isn’t part of your anniversary gift this year. And that’s totally fine, because you’ve got just the outfit in mind: a black, knee-long pencil skirt with a sky-blue, V-neck blouse, modest, 2-inch, open-toe black pumps (not too high because you’ll have to do some walking!), and a bright red purse to add a pop of color. Your favorite white hotnecklace sits beautifully above the neckline of the blouse, with the deep blue bringing out the blue sheen in the crystals. Add our conference call ring andsparkle, sparkle bracelet, and you’re ready to hit the town!
Ensemble 2, Business Casual: Remember what we said above about always wearing the same outfits to work? Well, here’s how to avoid that. Take five basic elements of an outfit: a simple yet stylish dress, a jacket, pumps, a purse and a necklace. Assuming you have more than one of each, you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Here, we chose a mustard-yellow wrap dress combined with a hip-length blazer with a blue and white nautical stripe that pulls the ensemble out of the formal range and into business casual. A classy, strapless portfolio-style purse in brown leather complements the dress and adds to the businesslike look. Finally, the white hotnecklace adds a beautiful note of femininity to an otherwise stern look.
Ensemble 3, Cocktail Party: Who doesn’t love a good cocktail party (and a good cocktail)? It’s always an opportunity to get dressed up and look your very best so you’re ready for a flirtation with your significant other or that handsome stranger who keeps casting longing glances at you. And with all due respect to Mademoiselle Chanel’s timeless little black dress, some of us want something a bit brighter. So how about a super-sexy, slinky, sleeveless wrap dress in a light lavender? You can combine it with beige, 3-inch heels to make your legs look even longer, and a gold purse to add to the glam look. To lift the entire look to higher heights, pair the white hot necklace with your sparkle, sparkle bracelet and always dance earrings… and you’ll be the belle of the ball!
Ensemble 4, Ladies That Lunch: We all need romance in our lives, but we also need our girlfriends! Who else can you discuss the events of last night’s cocktail party with? Choosing an ensemble for lunch with your BFFs involves striking the right balance between elegance and comfort. So how about dark brown skinny jeans and a lavender top with a round neckline? Pair it with a dark brown tote bag and Uggs (because the 3-inch heels you wore last night looked awesome, but your feet feel like they spent the evening on a bed of nails). A pair of dark crystal conversation starter earrings and your white hot necklace add a touch of pizazz to the ensemble. Simple yet stylish—and ultimately comfortable!
Ensemble 5, Weekend Casual: Whether you’re the soccer mom, the gardening enthusiast or the amateur antiques collector, weekends call for a practical yet stylish look, one that allows you to both cheer your kid on and walk into a classy antiques store with confidence. So how about blue jeans with a plaid shirt and knee-high brown riding boots? Your white hot necklace fits nicely under the collar of the shirt and lends a touch of chic to an otherwise casual look. Select a simple yet elegant ring like our pearl relations or natural charm ring, and finish the ensemble with an apple green bag for eye-catching contrast. Voilà! You’re ready for the weekend!
Send us your looks!
If you’re thinking, “Yeah, right, there are seven of you and only one of me. How am I supposed to come up with a bunch of different ensembles?” then don’t worry. The main thing to do is have fun! Start with the clothes and accessories you like, then change it up a little by combining pieces you usually don’t wear together. Treat it like an adventure—one that will help you recognize the full potential of your wardrobe and help you find more looks for yourself!
Now, we just know you totally get this. And we’re super excited to see all the different looks you create with your accessories! So post your photos on Twitter and Instagram, and use #7charmingsisters. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!