Current Fashion Trends in

Costume Jewelry and Accessories

 by:

Michael Gietl

Color Trends in Costume Jewelry

The fall fashion trends are ushering in another excellent season for

costume jewelry and accessories. Rich colors and bold looks dominate the

trend. Teal, amber and amethyst are the important colors with olivine and

green used as neutrals. Topaz and peacock are also important and all

indications are that rich color will continue into the spring season.

Metals are seeing a return to gold, but silver is still stronger.

Bold Designs Dominate Fashion Jewelry

Fashion jewelry thrives when bold designs are in vogue and that is very

much the case this season. The high fashion look is popular in necklaces,

earrings, and bracelets with natural components contributing to the

designs. Wood is continuing its second season of popularity with shell

important even in the fall line. But the rising star in natural materials

is gemstone, which provides the beauty of natural semiprecious stones to

the costume jewelry designs. This will definitely continue and accelerate

in the spring line. Also popular in neckwear are 48 inch and 60 inch ropes

that are worn extended or doubled. Jet is strong in holiday jewelry and

estate looks (antique designs) are becoming fashionable in bridal jewelry.

Traditional Costume Jewelry and Accessories

While costume jewelry in bold designs and rich colors forge the way for

leading fashion, there is a larger market that shouldn't be ignored in

more traditional and classic looks. Theme jewelry in pendants, earrings,

and charm bracelets has an appeal that goes beyond fashion alone because

it identifies with what the wearer cares about. In addition, traditional

rhinestone, bridal jewelry, evening bags, and formal gloves have a classic

look with timeless appeal. There is a major market for these items that

will always be present even as fashion changes.

Accessory Trends

Sequins and buttons are very big in all accessories, especially in

handbags and evening bags. Beyond these, the looks of the larger bags

introduced by leading designers are the trendy styles of the season. These

are the bags the stars are carrying, which goes a long ways towards

popularizing the styles. In evening bags, large sequins and buttons are

very much in vogue, but traditional looks seem to be carrying the day.

Sunglasses are definitely big and bold with aviators the runaway

favorite. Retro looks are also excellent and colored frames with matching

lenses are very popular.

Hats and Headwear

In millinery, dress hats are an important part of the market, with

ladies hats the dominant player. The looks are very traditional with a new

element of pre-made bands allowing for the versatility of custom designs.

Casual hats, however, account for the major share of the market and no

design in 2005 is more important than the rollup cowboy hat. While the

design is not popular in every region of the country, the sheer number of

sales makes it the number one hat of the year. This rugged look that is

typically American has risen to such popularity that it becomes an

important fashion statement. After cowboy hats, the three most fashionable

designs are wide brim floppy hats, ladies fedoras, and newsboys. The

entertainment field has played a major roll in popularizing these designs

and the fashion looks continue into the fall season with felt, leather,

wool, and leatherette used as the material for the fall versions.