Sunday, June 3, 2007

I Got Cuffed in New York City

I'm a big fan of the cuff. As I've mentioned before, I tend to go for big, statement-y pieces of jewelry, and a cuff can definitely be that. My wrists are pretty much the only small, semi-dainty part of my body these days, so as much as I like the look of bangles, I often find them uncomfortable. They, well... they bang around on my wrist. (Hence the name, I guess.) I talk with my hands a lot, so this is a consideration. The whack-clank-bonk gets a little tiresome after a while. A cuff usually fits closely enough to my wrist that this isn't a problem, and I like that. A couple of years ago in Paris I was in a Cecile et Jeanne boutique (Check out the website. I've said it before & I'll say it again, the French do costume jewelry best.) and found a really gorgeous cuff there that my heart cried out for. My wallet cried, too, at the idea of the thing, because as I recall it was pretty spendy, and I didn't get it. I can't quite conjure it up in detail anymore, but I remember that it was an enormous (probably about 4" wide) gold filigreed thing. The idea of it has stayed with me all this time, I just loved it. When I was in NYC last month, Grand Central Station was having this very charming little Spring Fair in one of the hallways. It was just like a little street fair, with lots of artisans and crafty types hawking their wares. There were a lot of the same old embellished t-shirts and tote bags made of upholstery scraps, but there was also some really good stuff, like a jewelry designer named Selen, who sold me this:


It's not actually a cuff, it's a linked bracelet


but I still loved it. Plus, it was terribly reasonable -- 35 bucks. Selen was so charming and her things were so beautiful and well-priced that I also bought this


Isn't that fantastic? Selen's jewelry is made of pewter, in my case gold-plated (I don't wear silver). You should really check out
her website, she has some gorgeous things and again -- very, very reasonably priced. For best results on the website, click the "Catalogue" link on the bottom left corner. That gives you the most complete view of her wares. I don't think she's set up for e-commerce yet, but there's a contact button & I'm sure she'd be happy to sell you things via phone or e-mail. I've been seeing a lot of great cuffs lately, here's a few I really like. Click photos for links.



Ooooh, beautiful. Expensive, but bee-yoo-tee-ful.
Kenneth Jay Lane, maker of much good stuff.



A lower-commitment version of the KJL

Great googly-moogly, how gorgeous is that? Ohhhh, with a white strappy sundress and a tan -- divine!
Similar idea, with hinged closure & unbeatable price.




Insanely spendy, but a gal can dream, can't she?



And as usual, pretty much anything on this page would be an appropriate gift for the Style Spy, just in case you're wondering. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...

Photos: Style Spy, NeimanMarcus.com, Nordstrom.com, Avenue.com, FrancescasCollections.com

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2 comments:

WinterWheat said...

I'm a cuff nut too. Love your taste. I think you and I share much in the way of fashion sense (funky shoes, cuff bracelets, arty items, statement pieces, etc.). I've never even met you but already I'm betting you're the best-dressed woman in Austin. :-)

Anonymous said...

I only know that when I was born I received more than one gold /silver cuff. So like a girly , girl , I layered .Sigh * Then when my mother was married for the first time all the "gals" in the office gave her a silver bangle or cuff. I took them off her hands ,as soon as I could keep them on my tiny wrists. A funny story (she thinks) about the 12 bracelet's is what shows up but a badly plated cheap one. Of course everyone knew gave it to her, sinful non? Meow much.. Enjoy k