How to Wear Jewellery with Patterened Clothing

Who doesn't love a good pattern? With summer here, many of us have cracked out the florals, polk-a-dots, stripes, you name it! But with all the busy outfits of the season, you may be left wondering how you can include jewellery in your look. We at Artina's have put together some tips and looks to help you incorporate rings, bracelets, pendants and more into your patterns.

As summer approaches, I find myself wanting to wear my florals, but also keep wearing my jewellery. Of course, there isn't really a "right" or "wrong" way to wear jewellery. Below are just some looks that flowed nicely and may work as a starting point for those like me, who want to wear it all but don't really know where to start. So, pop out the wild patterns and grab your jewellery box, here we go!

Monochrome Jewellery for Busy Outfits

Sticking to jewellery of one colour is a great way to give your patterns room to breathe. In the look above, the Honica earrings and necklace that Lera is wearing are anything but plain. However, the set does not compete with her outfit to catch your eye. Instead, they merge effortlessly, the bold jewellery suits the bold dress. By choosing monochromatic pieces, Lera's ensured her look isn't too busy. Try playing around with different looks in the mirror. Depending on what you are wearing, a bold red set may go with your clothes, or they may be better suited to earth tones like in the image above.

Bracelets for Short Sleeves

In the wintertime, we need to layer up, so it's no surprise you see a lot of monochrome sweaters and simple jackets. During summer, there are a lot more T-shirts, dresses and tank tops with colourful patterns, probably because you won't be wearing much else that could clash. This can work to your advantage; a bracelet has plenty of room to breathe when it isn't peeking out of a sleeve. Lera is wearing a bright, floral dress in these photos. With the thick sterling silver Tree of Life Bracelet, her look becomes bold and dramatic. If you want to go more casual, try wearing one or more thin, plain bangles with a short-sleeved button-up shirt.

Jewellery Sets to Stay Uniform

A jewellery set is a great way to wear a lot of your jewellery with a busy outfit. In the photo above, Lera is wearing Karley Smith's smoky quartz set. The brown in the set matches the brown in her dress and the dress has warm undertones, perfect for gold. Most importantly, the whole look is uniform. With the earrings, bracelet and necklace matching, Lera can easily wear all three pieces. Jewellery sets aren't just for one specific occasion either, they can be worn casually, semi-formally and formally. We have many sets at Artina's, created by both Indigenous and contemporary artists.

If you're interested in building your own jewellery sets, but don't know where to begin, check out the blog below:

How to Put Together your Own Jewellery Sets

Short Necklaces with Low-Cut Tops

By wearing your necklace high up with a low-cut top, it will have more space to shine. Try a bulky, monochrome statement necklace like the one above. Both the necklace and outfit are bold, but they mind their own business. For a more casual look, try wearing a low-cut shirt with a short, beaded necklace that is monochrome or has like colours to the top. Delicate chain pendant necklaces are nice, but they may disappear against all that skin. Something so small will also get overwhelmed by your patterns. If you're worried about wearing jewellery directly on your skin in the hot sun, many of our blogs cover the care of different gemstones.

The two blogs below are especially helpful for those concerned with maintaining their jewellery:

How Sweat Affects your Jewellery

How to Clean your Jewellery at Home

Choose a Theme and Style

If you want to wear jewellery and clothing that both have patterns or designs, keep to a theme. This can mean sticking to polk-a-dots, flowers, cats, you name it! Choosing a theme and style will bring the outfit together nicely and help prevent clashing. In the image above, Lera is wearing a matching tree of life pendant and bracelet by Brett Borrie. If you look closely, you can also see that these pieces have lots of curved lines and the bracelet has swirls. So not only does the theme match her dress, but the style does too. Choosing a theme is a great way to express yourself as well, Lera's look says: I love the Earth!

As you can see, there are many ways to wear jewellery with patterned clothes. But it can still be intimidating to start sporting a bolder look. If you'd like to try out some jewellery with a loud outfit before making a purchase, pop over to our Vancouver or Victoria location. Our stores are equipped with many mirrors and our friendly staff are more than happy to help you find and try on pieces.