Accessories in general are hot this season. Shoes and handbags are funkier and more ornate. Belts are big, whether Western-style, beaded or made of colorful ribbon. Bangles and cuffs should be big, big, big -- and piled on.
But if you can afford just one accessory this spring, the necklace is it.
All over runways, fashion magazines, hip department stores and cool "It" girls, the necklace has made a major statement.
"For spring, it's just necklaces galore," said Jodi L. Brodie, co-owner of Treasure House in Owings Mills, Md. "The big thing about necklaces right now is layering. Layering pearl with gold, or silver with gold or wooden beads or turquoise beads with gold or silver necklaces."
Turquoise is the season's signature material, and the bigger the bold, blue beads, or the more you have on, the more in style you'll be.
"Turquoise and coral and wood beads this spring is a must-have," said Kelley Pillman, creator of KEP designs, a New York-based jewelry company (www.kepdesigns.com). "People are liking the longer and more tousled look, the messier look. Something that's a little bit more mixed together than your classic strand of pearls."