Trends

Platinum wedding band trends for 2011

 in General Fashion / Jewelry / Trends / Weddings  tagged carrie underwood / celebrity style / fine jewelry / platinum / spring 2011 / wedding bands / wedding trends by

Platinum is back. The last few years the recession halted many consumers from buying high end platinum setting for their wedding rings. Instead, many consumers went for less expensive 18K or 14K gold settings. Over the last year, many consumers have recognized that jewelry is an investment that appears to be more stable than the stock market, that being said, platinum settings are more popular than ever.

More than ever, celebrities have influenced platinum wedding sets in 2010, which means the ring settings that graced the ring fingers of Hollywood starlets will be front and center for 2011. Celebrity stylist and jewelry expert Michael O’Connor has pointed out the top six wedding setting styles from 201 that are sure to be the most requested styles as we move into the 2011 wedding season.

  1. Colored Center Stone: Gone are the days when American women feel the need to have the largest and clearest diamond on Earth. Colored stones are all the rage; as they have been in Europe for centuries. With Kate Middleston and Penelope Cruz wearing blue sapphires, Carrie Underwood in a yellow diamond and Kristina Bell in a colored diamond, the non-clear center stone is all the rage.
  2. Vintage or vintage inspired: Platinum rings with filigree or engraving work are increasingly popular. As seen on Megan Fox, Miranda Lambert and Christina Applegate.
  3. Ultra-Modern diamond cuts and bands: Asscher cuts with trapezoids and cushion cuts with split shanks; mixing and matching less common cuts is hotter than hot. Vanessa Minnillo and Maria Sharapova have both opted for unique mixes of cuts.
  4. Eternity bands: Emily Blunt, Megan Fox and Carrie Underwood have chosen eternity bands with their settings. The eternity band is a sparkling edition to any engagement ring.
  5. Pave and micro-pave: Nicole Richie and Zoe Saldana opted for pave settings to enhance their enter stones. Pave is an understated way to add sparkle without telling the world, “Here comes my hand!”
  6. Classic band: a return to the simple times. Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Dave Annable have opted for simple, platinum wedding bands which are shiny or brushed. The classic platinum band is the ultimate wedding band when it comes to understated elegance.

Platinum is classic. In the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s platinum wedding sets were extremely common. In the 1950’s through to the 1980’s, the cost of platinum and ever-changing tastes in fashion made yellow gold wedding sets all the rage. In the 1990’s the platinum setting returned to the center stage and is still going strong today despite a slight drop during the recession.

If you would like to get the celebrity look, check out www.preciousplatinum.com/designgallery?celebrityengagements

SOURCE Platinum Guild International-USA

CarrieUnderwood

Carrie Underwood’s durable platinum engagement ring www.preciousplatinum.com. (PRNewsFoto/Platinum Guild International-USA)

Pantone declares Pink or Honeysuckle to be the IT color for 2011

 in Color Trends / General Fashion / Trends  tagged color of the year / fall 2011 / pantone / pink / spring 2011 / summer 2011 by

Pantone LLC, who describes themselves as the “global authority on color,” has declared that Honeysuckle, a medium shade of pink, is the “IT” color for 2011. The exact color is 18-2120 Honeysuckle if you happen to be shopping for the dye.

From Pantone:

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

As we saw, candy pink was one of the dominant colors designers showed for cruise and resort 2011. The spring 2011 colors were softer, more neutral and not as candy colored as they were for resort/cruise. That is not to say some designers did not show medium pink, or Honeysuckle. There were many designers who featured candy pink on the runways for spring, but not in the mass quantities as for resort.

Now that Pantone as declared Honeysuckle, or medium pink, as the color for 2011, will retailers push out pink for their spring collections? What are your thoughts on Honeysuckle (medium pink) as the hot new color for 2011?

reddishpinkallures pantonehoneysuckle

Ray-Ban Wayfarers make a comeback in bold colors and designs

 in Eyewear / General Fashion / Trends  tagged 1980s / 1990s / ray bans / spring 2011 / sunglasses / vintage styles by

Ray-Ban Wayfarers were one of the hottest styles of sunglasses in the 1980’s here in the Bay Area. Anywhere you turned, Fashionistas and non-Fashionistas were either wearing Vuarnet’s or Wayfarers. While Vuarnet fans opted for classic colors such as black and brown, Ray-Ban fans wore their Wayfarers in white, red or any color that suited their outfit of the day.

Ray-Ban Wayfarers, originally introduced to the market in 1952, have cycled in and out of fashion over the last sixty plus years. Over the past five years, Ray-Ban Wayfarers have been creeping back onto city streets with celebrities such as Drew Barymoore launching them back into the spotlight. For the upcoming resort and spring season, Ray-Ban has released several new colors and prints for the Wayfarer style, many of which are sold exclusively at Nordstrom.

Bold colors, mixed textures and unlikely color combinations were dominant on the spring 2011 runways in New York, Paris and Milan. The Ray-Ban Wayfarer colors and design palette mirrors the visual vibe designers put forth for the upcoming spring season.

Ray-Ban Wayfarers are being shown in classic Wayfarer colors such as white, black and red for the spring season. The bright and bold colors, that Ray-Ban is showing for spring on their Wayfarer style sunglasses, is capturing the attention of Fashionistas everywhere. With a move towards mixing bold together, the thought of pairing a fabulous pair of turquoise Ray-Ban Wayfarers with a candy pink top, orange pencil skirt and pale beige handbag on a yellow Christian Louboutin foundation, has fashion savvy shoppers flocking to Nordstrom for a pair.

Ray-Ban Wayfarers are being shown in turquoise, candy pink, sunny yellow, hot pink/black, mellow orange/tortoise, medium blue/white, leopard print as well as many other prints and color combinations. Ray-Ban Wayfarers can also have the lenses changed by an optometrist for Fashionistas who need prescription sunglasses.

Ray-Ban Wayfarer’s come in two styles, classic and “new small” which is a slightly slimmer version of the original, now dubbed classic. The new collection of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses can be found at Nordstrom Stores and online atNordstrom.com . Happy Shopping and stay fabulous 

Wayfarer