All That Sparkles Gives Gold by Krizia Eleni Patrocinio

We met Kim during a two-day bazaar at the Asian Institute of Management, December of last year.  The very first items she bought from us were gifts for her cousins. Afterwards, she began purchasing our embellished necklaces, which she stylishly pair with her outfits! 

When you have no more time (or money) to shop, on a budget, with a wardrobe consisting of mostly blacks, greys and browns, and you suddenly find yourself receiving an invitation to attend a very special occasion with only 3 weeks to prepare, what do you do? You rely on your creativity, originality and pizzazz of course! 

" Everyone noticed my necklace and told me they liked it. No one even noticed that I repeated my outfit! It was a great and unforgettable fashion moment.  "

This happened to me in December, while in the thick of preparations for an office Christmas party, a family reunion, a block dinner, etc. I received a message from my high school friend informing everyone that she was getting married in three weeks! Because I already spent most of my money on gifts and I had no energy, or time, to go to the mall (or online) to look for the perfect wedding guest outfit, I resolved to recycle one of my dresses and wear it for her big day. Heck, if Kate (otherwise known as the Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge) can be photographed wearing the same dress twice, I can too!

Since wearing black was my personal faux pas when attending weddings, I decided to wear my beige dress. I was worried that it looked too plain, but I was running out of options. I figured that I can look for accessories at home that I can pair it with so I that I would look more interesting. Serendipitously, PJ of PalamutiStorytelling Jewels was at an AIM bazaar that week, selling her one-of-a-kind accessories! It was the perfect solution to my predicament! I immediately fell in love with her embellished necklaces, but I bought the clip-on earrings and the cocktail rings because I needed to give my cousins Christmas gifts. 

With 2 more weeks to go, I was getting more anxious. I didn’t want to spend more than PhP2,000 for a dress I will rarely wear, but I did not want to look plain at the wedding. As if fate was calling out to me, I saw a photo of Precious Lara Quigaman wearing an Amatullah necklace with her nude dress, on my Facebook news feed. It was Palamuti Storytelling Jewels posting her photo! It was exactly the look I was aiming for: classic yet sophisticated, subdued yet trendy, stand-out but conforming. The perfect look for a wedding guest. I took it as a sign and called PJ to ask for the availability of the embellished necklace. Thankfully, she can have one made in time for the wedding!

The rest, as they say, is history. I made my Amatullah embellished necklace the focal point of my entire ensemble. Everyone noticed my necklace and told me they liked it. No one even noticed that I repeated my outfit! It was a great and unforgettable fashion moment.

In the time of Facebook and Instagram, when photos are everywhere, and discerning people can tell if you repeated outfits or not, it is more practical to invest in accessories that redefine and recreate totally different looks. More than adding a bit more sparkle in a regular outfit, an embellished necklace provides added glamour and a lasting impression on the taste and style of its wearer.