Stacking Splendidly—How to Rock Lots of Bracelets
By Katherine Hahn for GalTime.com
My romance with stacked bracelets has been a tumultuous one, but it's been well over a year since I first got acquainted with this lively look.
True love? I like to think so.
Stacking definitely isn't a fad, because it's been around practically forever. It's more like a personal touch. To me, there's just something so cheerful and feminine about wearing a wrist full of bracelets-- and the brighter, the better.
Over the months, I've switched bracelets like a crazy woman. Sometimes I get compliments; sometimes I get quizzical brows. My favorites come and go, but the look itself has stayed with me.
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I'm still not sure what it is about wearing lots of bracelets that stole my heart, because this look definitely isn't for everyone. But for those of you craving a little fun, let's talk about how to stack splendidly.
1. Get creative. Play around with different arrangements until you find something that's pleasing to the eye. Consider colors and shapes; for example, don't stack all the thick bracelets together and all the thin ones together. That looks and feels a tad awkward.
2. Only one wrist, for goodness sake! I'll stack bracelets up to my elbow on my left wrist (relax, I exaggerate), but my right wrist is always bare. I've seen people stack on both wrists, but I personally feel it looks better with just one. This style is already overdone by nature, so there's no need to push things over the edge!
3. This may sound a little kindergarten-esque… but get crafty. That girlish, handmade look can work magic.
4. Go ethnic. My favorite bracelets are from Colombia and Mexico-- all absolutely gorgeous, handcrafted and colorful pieces. Many are woven, which means light and easy to wear. If you're traveling to a Latin American country any time soon, send me some of these!
5. Switch things up a little. Add some, take some off-- whatever looks best.
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6. Mix distinctive styles. As I'm typing this, I'm wearing two rhinestone bracelets from Banana Republic, two woven bands from Latin America, and a bracelet I made myself (with faux pearls and colorful beads). Do they match? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But they totally go.
7. Don't get too attached. Although you can rock this look when you're going casual, you might want to reconsider when you dress up. If you're at wedding or even just an upscale holiday party, colorful woven threads and chunky beads will stick out like an unzipped fly. A set of metallic bangles is a suave replacement.
8. Know when to quit. There's no rule of thumb for how many bracelets "too much." It all depends on how thick they are. If you're desperate for numbers, I'd have to say about four to four and a half inches is quite enough. I usually wear about three inches, maybe a little more when the mood strikes me.
9. Bracelet tan?! Sadly, I don't tan. I just burn, so I wouldn't know much about this (not that I'm at all bitter or anything…). But I assume taking your bracelets off prior to climbing in the tanning bed would be a wise idea.
10. Don't take yourself too seriously. Pretty self-explanatory-- this is about fun. Save the seriousness for another day.
I hope these tips helped. If you have anything to say about this look, whether you can't stand it or can't get enough, I want to know. Leave your comments below! Or email me, of course.
Will my affair with the stacked bracelet stand the test of time? We'll see what happens, but for now-- I'm smitten.
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