Often the highlight or attention to an overall look is the garment, whether it is a top, dress, or trousers, with jewellery items doing what they are meant to – accessorise. However, we can sometimes switch things up and keep the garment simple, and go bold or fashionable with pieces of jewellery.

This week we used looks from local fine jewellery designer Kristina Broderick and complemented the pieces with simple looks.

When you go with bold pieces of jewellery, work with solid fabric colours that complement the material or a particular stone. So a necklace with multiple stones may be worn with a garment with just one of the colours, or a colour that is its complement. Similarly, a colour that serves as a canvas to the jewellery works just as well.

When making a bold statement we must always remember to never overdo it; sometimes just one or two pieces will be sufficient.

Steps (long dress):

1. Cut:

a. the skirt portion of the dress in desired length.

b. Two rectangular pieces about 10″ wide and measuring in length the measurement from under bust to similar empire position in the back.

c. 1/2″ elastic (empire measurement less 3″)

2. Join at the seam of the skirt.

3. Make a pocket at the top about 1/2″ (leaving about 1″ for inserting the elastic)

4. Attach top pieces to skirt just on the seam line of elastic pocket.

5. Insert elastic through the pocket created then close ends.

6. Finish seams.

7. Hem.