It’s all in the wrist. Actually, this spring, it’s all on the wrist. Skinny bracelets and subtle strands of bling are being replaced chunky looks with boldness and color, often worn in multiples. Last year, everything was thin; now, ‘big’ is everywhere,” said Toni Miller Dunleavy, owner of Etc. Gifts and Accessories in Bexley. Big and brash wrist frosting takes its newest form with Wonder Woman-esque cuffs that direct attention to the forearm with glitz and glam. Most, at 2 to 3 inches wide, are made of gold- or silver-toned metal. Some are inset with semiprecious stones or crafted into lace or floral patterns. The designs range from vintageinspired filigree to ultra-sleek and contemporary offerings.
Other popular choices include wide, flexible “liquid metal” (a la chain mail) and oversize bangles strung with colored beads or seashells — or even bottle caps or typewriter keys.
Bracelets containing exotic elements — such as leather, faux ivory, carved wooden beads tiffany and co and other natural or natural-looking materials — are among the most dominant and easiest to wear with warm-weather fashions, said AnneMarie Blaire, spokeswoman for Jule, an accessories boutique at Polaris Fashion Place.
“It’s very much a ‘world story’ in all accessories,” she said, “with a lot of ethnic influences.”
Wrist adornment offers an inexpensive way to welcome spring: Plastic and wooden varieties are easily found for a few dollars.
Metallic, stone-encrusted styles and intricate designs can be had for $40 or $50.
Fine jewelry-quality pieces, of course, run into the hundreds.
Meanwhile, those slim bangles from years past shouldn’t be tossed: A piling of eight, 10 or more easily makes the wearer a member of the bigger-is-better bracelet brigade.
mhood@dispatch.com