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Don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that bling
Go for the glitter if you want to look money
BY NINA SCHWARTZ

IN the ENDLESS parade of fashion trends, there is one accessory that never goes out of style. You guessed it: money. And it’s more en vogue now than ever before. Money is the new black — it looks good on everyone. It’s slimming, it coordinates with everything in your wardrobe, it even brings out the color of your eyes. No matter how much you have, it’s never too much. And here’s the best part of all — it’s everywhere! It’s like the darn stuff grows on trees.

Well, no, not exactly, but the fact remains that people nowadays aren’t quite as subtle about their income as they once were. Cars and fine Italian suits are still excellent status symbols, but they’re not enough. And here we come to bling, or rather bling bling, as it’s listed in the Oxford English Dictionary. The phrase was coined by BG and the Cash Money Millionaires, but the concept has since grown much larger: it has been swept up by the fashion gods and reinterpreted so that you, average citizen, may partake in the glory that is bling without having to release a rap album. And here’s how you do it.

The material most closely associated with bling is ice — that’s diamonds to all you greenhorns out there. In this case, size matters. You don’t have to be dripping in jewels, but whatever you’ve got should be a big honkin’ rock. So Good, a new jewelry store on Newbury Street, is your faux-bling headquarters. It’s got everything you could want at excellent prices, from fake engagement rings in XXL to necklaces with martini- and cosmopolitan-glass rhinestone pendants ($12). Cibeline in Davis Square has extremely sparkly and large cocktail rings ($12) in every color of the rainbow, and Claire’s, once a mecca for fans of Lucite rings and hair scrunchies, now carries a mouthwatering array of blingin’ brooches and earrings (usually $7.50 or less).

Now we’re sufficiently iced. What’s next? Gold — yellow — and plenty of it. Urban Outfitters is showing a line of gilded jewelry this season, including necklaces with gigantic golden sailboat, butterfly, and flower pendants ($16/$18), and a variety of shoulder-length gold earrings to give a swing to your bling. H&M is also on the blingwagon, offering gold elastic headbands, belts, and some crazy shiny earrings and rings ($1.50 and up).

Bling certainly is not limited to jewelry. Thom Brown has a fabulous metallic handbag dotted with oversize, multicolor plastic gems ($49.99), available in black, silver, and gold. It also sells Jeffrey Campbell’s Nancy sequin flats ($59.99) in multicolor and gold. Jasmine Sola has a canvas belt in black or pink adorned with a giant rhinestone martini glass ($38), and every store from Gap to Ann Taylor to Filene’s has a version of the ever-popular enormous and sparkly brooch, best worn in clusters and with something more subdued. You know, for effect.

Which brings us to the final and most important point. As with everything, moderation is key; beware the temptation to all but paint yourself gold. And remember: bling is always gaudy, but gaudy is not always bling. As cool as my Aunt Frieda’s cubic-zirconia clip-on earrings are, the look should be Brooklyn, not Boca.

Where to find it:

• Ann Taylor, various locations; www.anntaylor.com

• Cibeline, 85 Holland Street, Somerville, (617) 625-2229; www.cibelinesariano.com

• Claire’s, 322 Washington Street, Boston, (617) 423-3880; CambridgeSide Galleria, Cambridge, (617) 577-8028; www.claires.com

• Filene’s, various locations; www.filenes.com

• Gap, various locations; www.gap.com

• H&M, 350 Washington Street, Boston, (617) 482-7001; CambridgeSide Galleria, Cambridge, (617) 225-0895; www.hm.com

• Jasmine Sola, 37A Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 354-6043; 344 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 867-4636; www.jasminesola.com

• So Good, 349 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 259-1053.

• Thom Brown, 331 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 266-8722; CambridgeSide Galleria, Cambridge, (617) 374-9894; www.thombrown.com

• Urban Outfitters, various locations; www.urbanoutfitters.com


Issue Date: October 1 - 7, 2004
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