enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

Minimalaccessories

I was asked a few weeks ago on a capsule wardrobe post to share my go-to accessories. That would be easy and fun to share, I thought. My accessory collection is much more minimal than my clothing (you're pretty much looking at it in the photo above). I've never been a big statement piece person and because of that I don't have a lot of different stuff.

On a normal day I wear my wedding and engagement ring on my left hand and a thin gold ring that Paul and Ellerie gave me for Mother's Day on my right index finger. I never take out my cubic zirconia studs (until I lose one and then I pick up a new pair on sale at Macy's). Most days I will also wear my Odette New York arrow cuff.

And obviously, there's always the fitbit on my left wrist. I recently realized that I could upgrade my fitbit band. I don't know if these band options have always been there or if they recently came to the market but there are so many colors now. I wanted a gray band but the individual one was sold out so I bought this neutral pack and split it with my mom. The gray is about 400% better than the black for my wardrobe.

About twice a week I'll wear the watch I've had for almost five years. I can't type properly with it on so usually it just gets worn if I'm headed out.

For the rare occasion when I need to be fancy, I have two pairs of earrings that I wear. This pair (in a rose gold) from Dogeared is my favorite and the second fake diamond pair (very similar) was what I wore for our rehearsal dinner. Both are fairly neutral and really go with anything. The shapes are simple enough that they never feel on or off-trend.

I have two cocktail rings – one in a neutral (similar, similar) and one in a fun color (sort of similar) – that I wear to weddings. And I have built quite a bangle collection (I love the kate spade idiom bangle line) and so one or two of those are sometimes added when I go to dinner or something.

And that about sums it up. I've realized I am not a necklace person. Every once in awhile I'll stick with something simple and gold for a few months (this was the most recent one) but for the most part when I look in the mirror the necklace looks odd with my neckline and/or face so I end up removing it.

Funny (semi-related) story : when shopping for my wedding dress, I went to two traditional shops before deciding that the J.Crew dress I had in a box at my house (seriously. It came in a small box like a pair of jeans.) was the way to go. The lady at the second shop had almost sold me on a white, poofy, strapless wedding gown. And then for reasons I'll never understand, she put a pearl necklace around my neck to "complete the look." I saw myself in the mirror and had a Carrie Bradshaw-like wedding dress meltdown. I looked like a wedding cake topper and felt totally unlike myself. I turned red and started to get hot and we quickly left the store. Totally bizarre, right? But yeah, necklaces are apparently not my thing.

What about you guys? Tons of options fans? Minimal fans? A little bit of both? I am always impressed with the folks who can wear bold and awesome jewelry so well.

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26 responses to “making it work with minimal accessories.”

  1. robyn Avatar

    I wear three things daily – my wedding band, a bracelet on my right wrist, and one necklace. All three are always on, from shower to sleep to everything else.
    I don’t even wear my engagement ring, because when Owen was super tiny I scratched him with it (no idea how!) and so took it off, and haven’t put it back on since. Maybe when my kids are older and I’m not carrying them around?
    I’d love to get back to wearing earrings, and am on the hunt for a pair of small hoops (barely bigger than my lobes) that don’t have posts on the back so they don’t stab me in my sleep.

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  2. Leah Avatar

    I wear this ring: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/29938519/mountain-range-ring?ref=pr_shop and this one: https://www.etsy.com/transaction/207675011
    I’m minimal too. I like necklaces but keep them pretty simple. And a bangle or two is all I can handle on my wrists.

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  3. jessica o'brien | jessohbee Avatar

    i would never consider myself a big accessories person, but i guess i am, at least in my work wardrobe! i prefer one, big bold item to stacked or layered accessories, especially for work when i’m typing or moving around a lot.
    earrings: i have two go-tos and they are small studs. one is tiny pyramid studs with dark and light silvery rhinestones. the other are gold balls with rhinestones. i feel they add a pop of brightness near my face and make me look polished at work. like you, i get my studs at macy’s, ideally when they’re on sale.
    bracelets: at work, i feel i need a bracelet daily, but on the weekends i never wear them! so funny how different i am. my go-to is a thick metallic cuff or a gold and rhinestone link bracelet. my wishlist piece right now is a tiffany & co. bone cuff (though i’m not big on tiffany or fine jewelry) in silver that is nearly 4″ long. it’s very 70s, very wonder woman-esque.
    rings: i am the girl who didn’t get a wedding band because i preferred to spend the money on shoes. or home decor. or espresso. who knows… but i do love a cocktail ring because they seem unexpected and effortless. i keep a tortoiseshell one from banana republic on high rotation.
    necklaces: i love long necklaces from the 70s (think rachel zoe), but the truth is, they don’t do much for me. i have a long torso i’m always trying to visually “shorten” with high-waisted cuts and somehow those necklaces just accentuate it. etsy searches for “vintage 70s necklace gold” are still my weakness though.
    fun to see your collection! makes me want to go review mine and see it more as a capsule collection now too!

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  4. Catherine Daly Avatar
    Catherine Daly

    Pre-baby it was a matter of go big, or go home.
    Post-baby it is a matter of go minimal, or get it broken!
    For the record, I love the new minimal – I have decluttered the collection many a times since Charlotte arrived; although some pieces I am saving in case my daughter one day grows up to think, ‘Hey, Mummy, this is really cool, please can I wear it’! #jogon

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  5. Brianna Avatar
    Brianna

    I only wear studs when it comes to earrings. I worked with kids for a lot of years and studs were the way to go. I have two rings I never take off – a tanzanite ring my parents gave me for my 21st birthday on my right ring finger; on my left ring finger I have a thin silver infinity ring that was a 30th birthday gift to myself. I rarely wear necklaces, except for the one that has my words from 2008 and 2009 on it. I need to add 2015’s word to it.

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  6. lisa valinsky Avatar

    I go super simple when it comes to jewelry. When I was a teacher, I’d change out a few accessories, mostly bracelets and rings, but now that I run farmers’ markets and am either outside or lifting equipment, I like to keep it simple.
    I wear my wedding band and engagement ring, a necklace my husband got me for my 35th birthday, and a pair of cubic zirconia studs. I am actually thinking of selling a bunch of my jewelry on Ebay or through a flash Instagram sale, since I don’t foresee myself wearing it again.

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  7. Heather Mason Avatar

    I’m all about minimal accessories. Anything that I have to take off and put back on again after working out is probably not going to make the cut. Unless it is very easy to slide off and on and is large enough that I will not lose it.
    Those earrings are super pretty! I like the fitbit but it started giving me a rash 😦

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  8. Carrie Avatar

    This may surprise you, but I’m actually pretty darn minimal with jewelry too. Less is more in this case, in my opinion.

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  9. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    LOL, so true. the few times I have worn a necklace since e was born it’s be yanked on!

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  10. Kristina Avatar

    I was the one that asked for you to share your go-to accessories on your capsule wardrobe update post… 🙂
    I love that your blog is so YOU. Bizarre compliment… given that this is YOUR blog. But it’s so authentic. And I love that because of it, this post was exactly what I had expected.
    I was never really a necklace person until I found my go-to “K” initial necklace from Indigo. Obsessed ever since 🙂

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  11. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    My husband, God love him, tries so hard, and for 3 of the 7 Christmases we’ve been married, he’s bought me not one, but two, new necklaces. Last year, he took our then-3-year-old and they both picked out one. I’m drowning in them and, honestly, my go-tos are my two Origami Owl necklaces, a necklace my mom gave me for my wedding (and which I only wear when dressed up) and a few Lia Sophia pieces I picked up when I was teaching that I just cannot get rid of. This year, I’ve told him explicitly…NO NECKLACES. I only have ONE neck after all(!), and I’m not a layer-er.
    Mind you, necklaces are the only jewelry I wear that I change out. My daily wear? My engagement and wedding rings and my watch. The end. 🙂

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  12. Rachel Pierce Avatar

    I’m pretty minimal. I have two pairs of earrings (one gold and one silver), three or four necklaces, three watches I switch between, and my fitbit. For the most part I just stick with whatever I’m wearing until it glaringly doesn’t match and then I’ll switch it out for something that does.
    My watches are my favorite. One sports/digital watch, one nice silver watch, and one blue one with the Captain America shield on the face. The only thing I’m missing is a dressier gold toned watch, which I’ve requested as a Christmas present.

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  13. Rachel Pierce Avatar

    Wait, do you make/buy necklaces that have your word for the year on them to wear as a reminder? I LOVE THAT IDEA! Totally stealing it for next year.

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  14. Kristina Avatar

    Okay… I admit I already commented above. BUT I was thinking (since I loved this post) that you should also share your go-to bags. I take you as more of a foldover clutch person, but what about when you have more to carry (for Ellerie!)? It would also be fun if you did a “what’s in your bag post” sometime 🙂 … I feel like you MAY have done this before but I love when you share your go-to products.

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  15. Adrienne Avatar

    Hi Elise! I am new to your blog but have really enjoyed reading it!
    When it comes to jewelry I always think I can wear the big chunky styles, but before I even get out of the house I usually end up switching to something simple and minimal as well.
    I’ve slowly been getting into dangle earrings but baby steps, right?
    I also have two rings that I were hand me downs (which I love) – one from my grandma and one from my aunt – but I’m so afraid that I’ll lose them because I’m the type that loses things easily. So, for the most part I keep them safely tucked away in my nightstand. I should get them out more often.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  16. JC Avatar

    I have an absolute ton of jewelry, but that’s because I enjoy making it. Other than 3 rings that I wear every single day and a bracelet on my right wrist. I always think I am going to start wearing it more and then never do. I actually just started attending craft fairs to try and sell some of the jewelry.

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  17. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Earrings are much more my thing – but since I had my little girl who likes to yank – I’ve pretty much worn my cubic zirconia “1 carat” studs, my tahitian pearl studs (a dark gray pearl), and my flat circle monogrammed silver earrings almost interchangeably. I almost prefer them to my “collection,” now. 🙂

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  18. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Also, I feel the same way about tall boots that you do about necklaces, I think. I really WANT to like skinny jeans with tall boots, but I can’t seem to make them work for me. They tend to make me look short. And I must not be cool enough to make ankle booties work, because I can’t seem to find ones that don’t make me look like I’m trying too hard. I guess I need a stylist, LOL. I love the way boots look in magazines, but I seem to be challenged by them.
    So, I’ve embraced the fact that I am a “ballet flats with skinny jeans” person since it seems to work better for me!

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  19. mel Avatar
    mel

    wow I wear the same watch and ear rings as you, I am not a neck lace person either, I just love all your posts on your wardrobe. I am keen to check out your other jewellery pieces 🙂

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  20. Katrina Amstutz Avatar

    My cousin, who just got married a couple months ago, also got her wedding dress at JCrew!

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  21. Joelle Avatar

    Ugh! I need to clean out my jewelry collection. There’s so much stuff that I don’t wear. I always have my wedding rings on, and then a small silver ring my parents got me when I was 12 (yeah, it still fits). Then about half the time I wear a simple silver chain with a single black pearl. It’s short and it falls perfectly on my neckline and goes with everything. If I’m feeling fancy I like to pair it with these super simple thin wire hoops that have a single bead that look like black pearls but aren’t on each hoop. I also have a set of thin wire bangles that have shells and colorful beads on the ends. Those get worn a lot but they’re really easy for my kids to take them off. I can’t pull off chunky (obviously). I love small jewelry that looks like it’s floating.

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  22. Carrie Avatar

    I’m mostly a minimalist when it comes to jewelry because I have a lot of metal allergies so I have to stick to fine jewelry and the cost prohibits a large collection. But that collection is slowly growing as I don’t usually buy fine jewelry for myself so it’s one of the few things my husband can get me as gifts that I don’t already have. I’m wild about rose gold right now.

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  23. Sarah Milligan Avatar

    I used to love jewelry (especially interesting costume pieces, my faves having been thrifted or pilfered from the stashes of my grandmother and my husband’s granny). I am very picky about my pieces but once I find the perfect one I will wear it with everything. I love vintage because of the unique factor. Mostly necklaces and rings.
    However… since having kids, I am now decidedly minimal in my choices. It’s just not on my radar these days and I value my favourites too much to risk them being broken. I do wear them on a rare occasion, but mostly I can be seen sporting my daughter’s latest beaded creations. One day I’ll go back to wearing my vintage lovelies again. 🙂

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  24. Marcia at Organising Queen Avatar

    Rachel, yes, I do the same too. I order a necklace as soon as I know my word. I have little silver tags with dream, courage, create, trust, shine on it. It’s awesome – you look at it nearly daily and it’s a great reminder.

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  25. Marcia at Organising Queen Avatar

    I wear pearl studs… now and again when I feel like a change, I’ll wear my cubic zirconia studs….
    I wear my wedding ring on the left and a sterling silver band with a cubic zirconia on the right hand. I do change the rings about once every 2 weeks or so for a day or two. I have a couple of silver ones – with a turquoise stone, with a pearl, one thin silver band, etc.
    My necklaces are as I mentioned above – with my word of the year on it.
    I do wear other necklaces over t-shirts on Fridays (Casual Day at work).
    PS I’d also love to see your handbag capsule!

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  26. Jamie Avatar

    I’m in the Way Too Much Jewelry group, with a lot of Large and Obnoxious Earrings that I love and often wear. That said, my current fave accessories are a simple silver chain with a small silver and pearl pendant and hoop earrings. And the wedding and engagement rings, silver band on right middle and silver band on left thumb, of course. = )

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