Loving Lucite for Fall & Winter

I don’t know if you feel the same, but I adore costume jewelry.  The craftsmanship is divine and it’s something I can afford.  Lucite has been making the rounds since the early 20th century without much down time.  This post is about Lucite and why you want to scoop it up now.

Lucite is the  chic choice this Summer with every major retailer from Macy’s to Henri Bendel displaying some version of this 1920’s jewelry phenomenon.  Last spring’s fashion magazines had lots of choices from chunky, geometric necklaces to gorgeous stilettos and everything in between.  Don’t’ pack up your Lucite once summer is over because trend spotters say it’s hotter than ever, especially for the Fall and Winter season.  And just when we thought Lucite may start to wane , our favorite out-on-the town girls of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda wore these clear gems in Sex and the City 2, stoking the Lucite flame once again.

Cynthia Nixon

Why Lucite and why for Fall and Winter?.

• Reason #1: It can be worn with anything in your closet, with any color and is perfect for casual or dressy.
• Reason #2:  Lucite can be layered with strands of pearls, chunky gold or silver chains to create texture and add a new dimension to your look.
• Reason #3:  Lucite is affordable to the average pocketbook with pieces available at discounters such as Forever 21 and even Target.
• Reason #4:  Your kid can throw it down and stomp on it, Lucite was used to make the early telephones and it isn’t breaking in this lifetime.  Pretty compelling, huh?

Lucite has been described as a “great palate cleanser”  by Gary Rose of Robert Rose, a private label design house—we totally agree.

I’ve always loved Bakelite, a close cousin to Lucite, but Bakelite is much more one dimensional than Lucite.  After a quick search on the web and at stores around town, I found a treasure troth of Lucite.

My first find is from StyleBlueprint’s favorite vintage jewelry diva, Betsy Hindman of Plum Vintage Jewelry.   I saw this necklace right after she bought it and vowed to “borrow” it for a summer party.  Don’t you think it would look great with a white linen tunic and jeans?

Fabu had more Lucite than they even realized! These bangles look so fab with a classic black dress.

I popped by UAL on West End Avenue today to check out their sale.  Ladies, tons and tons of things are on sale for 50% off.  You heard me correctly–50% off.  I bought a fabulous lime green Michael Kors cocktail dress for $150 dollars.  While on the way out, I spied this great Lucite combo.  (if you love big chunky rings, they have a new shipment in as of this week.)

available at Marti and Liz for less than $40

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