This is a photo of myself with the respected jewellery designer Catherine D'Arcy of Corazon Latino, her handmade jewellery collection. We had a great chat at Rockefeller Center early this month. This article is on her blog and it is based on Jewellery for the Petite's and Plus sizes. I think you will like it!
Jewellery for the not so “average”
The world tends to be designed around someone’s idea of an “average” person. Be that size 7 shoes or size 8 clothes or the family station-wagon designed for mum, dad & 2.4 children. However how many of us actually are average? I certainly hope I’m not! And how many retailers cater for both ends of the spectrum as well as the middle?
When I created the Corazon Latino range, I was fortunate enough to be working with my sister who rather handily is at the Petite end of the scale at a lithe size 2-4, whilst I, at the time, was at the plus end of the scale at a size 12. This allowed us to make a number of interesting discoveries.
Firstly, dress size has no bearing whatsoever on wrist or neck size until you get to the very far ends of the spectrum and even then, only marginally. My sister and I despite being 3-4 dress sizes apart have wrists and necks only 1 inch different in circumference. However we have friends who are in between us in dress size with wrists up to 2 inches bigger. So if you are buying jewellery for yourself or for someone else, find out what size their wrist or neck is before making your choice. If you can, measure it. If they won’t stand still long enough, measure something they already own as a reference.
Secondly, scale is far more important than size. Bangles and chokers can always be squeezed slightly to fit (although only do this once of you risk fracturing the metal), many necklaces are adjustable and most bracelets and necklaces have a degree of flexibility in them in terms of a tight or loose fit still looking good. Scale on the other hand can not be changed and is far more important in getting a piece that suits an individual person.
To that end, we created a range that has specific pieces ideally suited for the Petite frame, and those that look best on a bigger build. Now nothing is set in stone, if you are tiny but love big bold jewellery, good for you. Personal style is what Corazon is all about, and we made sure every piece is flexible enough to look good on anyone. However, if you want some hints as to what might work best, here are our Top 10 pieces for each build:
Top 10 Petite Pieces
1.Cressida Silver Bangle – A simple silver bangle with a twist at the centre. Plain, understated and elegant.
2.Helene Silver Bracelet – A dainty, elasticated bracelet. Only 0.6” wide. Designed to fit wrist from 6 to 8” around.
3.Larissa Crystal Leaf – A dainty Swarovski crystal leaf with a single silver bead on black suede.
4.Phoebe Silver Bangle – A heavyweight piece but with a small diameter that works best on wrists under 6.5”. Dainty enough to look good on the most petite figure.
5.Mercury Silver Necklace – A silver droplet on a simple black suede cord. Dainty enough not to overpower, but big enough to make an impact.
6.Catharina Silver Necklace – A very contemporary design. Spiky and eye catching, but fine enough not to swamp a smaller figure. Matching necklace and earrings also available. Fits wrists 6-7.5”
7.Delphinus Silver Bracelet – This row of little silver fishes is a charming bracelet. Ideal for teenagers, or more petite wrists.
8.Naiad Silver Earrings – If dangly earrings don’t work for you, then these pretty studs are ideal.
9.Alexandra Silver Bracelet – This is a dainty, silver sweetie bracelet. Pretty silver beads and textured rings on a strong elastic wire. Designed to fit wrists from 5.5 to 7.5” around.
10.Dorado Amber Pendant – If you like our amazing handmade amber pendants, but find the other a little too busy for your small build, then the Dorado is perfect for you. Available in 3 lovely colours (honey, milky and pale green) and only 1.6x2.4”.
Top 10 Plus Pieces
1.Jupiter Silver Necklace– A big bold beaten silver disc on black leather with unusual oval shaped beads.
2.Pandora Silver Bangle – A big silver cuff with a twisting almost organic shape. This works for wrists from 6 to 8” around, and is big enough to look good on bigger boned frames.
3.Himalia Elasticated Silver Bracelet – Ideal for all wrists sizes with its strong elasticated base. The Himalia will stretch to fit wrists from 6 to 8” around. If you want a really big impact wear 2 together to create a 2” wide cuff
4.Galatea Silver Choker & Bracelet- The choker is big enough to sit on the collarbones of the petite, but form a lovely choker on bigger frames. The bracelet has been specifically designed for a bigger wrist, looking best on 6.5 – 8.5” wrists.
5.Thalassa Silver Bracelet – Big bold retro squares. Designed to make a real statement. This works on 6 to 8” wrists.
6.Caliban Amber Pendant – This stunning handmade pendant is made from natural Baltic amber, hand wrapped in a beautiful silver cage. Each one is slightly different, but they tend be around 2x3” in total, guaranteeing a big impact.
7.Cybele Amber Pendant – Another of our exclusive amber pendants. Like the Caliban each one is unique and comes in 3 stunning natural colours. Over 3” long, it is a stunning piece.
8.Cassiopeia Silver Necklace – A beautiful necklace with clusters of silver beads strung along a handmade silver chain. Big and bold, for maximum sparkle. BUT beware. It is only 16.3” long, so if your physique comes with a wider neck, this may be too tight.
9.Antares Silver Bracelet – A sparkling silver bracelet made of 3 interlocking rows of textured rings. A little bigger than our standard bracelet size. This fits wrists between 6 and 8” around.
10.Massalia Silver earrings – At nearly 4.5” long from the top of the loop to the end of this string of dainty silver leaves, this is the perfect set of earrings for the taller woman.
These are just some suggestions based on my own experience. Just because you’re petite, you don’t have to only wear small jewellery. If you like big and bold, go for it!
We have over 80 different bracelets, bangles, necklaces, pendants and earrings, so whatever your size, there is sure to be something that works for you.
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I hope you found this articles insightful and helpful, I did! And to see Catherine's handmade silver jewellery at Corazon Latino visit: www.corazonlatino.com
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