My Jewelry Edit for At Present
I walk you all through a few pieces from my array and how I would style them!
This Wednesday edition of Consider Yourself Cultured is brought to you by At Present, a jewelry marketplace that celebrates the present moment and embraces the now—the moments in life that are big and small, and everywhere in between.
To me, jewelry feels like a second skin. When I think of clothes, I consider the mechanics of them equally in terms of putting them on and taking them off. Yes, for durability reasons, you are supposed to take off your jewelry, but do you have to? I usually sleep and shower with both my earrings and a necklace on. I do take off my rings when I wash my hands, but I am also known to simply wash my hands with all my rings in place. I exercise in my jewelry, I take ice plunges in my jewelry, I take out the trash in jewelry; needless to say, I truly live in my jewelry!
Of course, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love clothes. Longtime readers will know that for the most part, the way I cover fashion is usually through the vehicle of clothing. However, I have noticed as of recent that when it comes to shopping, I am more inclined to flip through pages upon pages of rings and pendants rather than ready-to-wear. Perhaps it's a sign of adulthood? More so, I have a feeling that jewelry is having a BIG moment right now.
So when At Present approached me to work on an edit for them, needless to say, it felt kismet. This is a two-part partnership, with the first part going live today and the second part going live in June, so stay tuned! Before I launch into my collection, a little bit about At Present. As I mentioned earlier, they are a jewelry marketplace that champions celebrating their customers at all moments of their lives. They have assembled a curation of brands that you may know and ones that you should know from across the world.
For the first part of our partnership, I carefully curated a selection of 32 unique pieces from their entire site—items that truly resonated with me and that I believe will resonate with others as well. The team at At Present generously provided a special offer for subscribers to Consider Yourself Cultured: 15% off my curated collection with the discount code CYC15 (valid for one week only). Additionally, I am offering free private styling sessions to guide you through the collection. You can sign up for a session here.
You can view and shop the full array here.
To celebrate the launch not only is this Wednesday’s letter a freebie, but also below you will see how I styled out some of the pieces in the collection!
Look 1
(Left hand) Keane Thin Ring (they come in multiply colors)/ Lizzie Fortunato Pescado Ring (there are only a few left!)/ James Banks Design Diamond Needle Bracelet.
(Right hand) Keane / Talon Jewelry Zodiac Signet Ring/ James Banks Design Code Bracelet/ Lionheart Ariana Knot Link Chain with James Banks Design Mini Padlock Pendants.
Christopher John Rogers Car Coat (there is also this one from Tory Burch that is on sale!)/ Attersee Beach Tee (James Perse makes a similar tee there is also this Banana Republic tee which I wore to the Liana X Plum talk.)/Alex Mill Washed Nylon Shorts (I am wearing a small)/ Manolo Blahnik PVC Mules (I would also look at these from Doen.)/Lauren Manoogian bucket hat.
For this look, I wanted to play with the colors in the CJR coat, which I’ve dubbed my technicolor dream coat. It wasn’t too hard to match every color in the coat with the help of the Keane rings, which come in an array of colors (and you'll see them pop up throughout this letter). The blue in the Lizzie Fortunato Pescado ring also pairs nicely with the iridescent paillettes on the coat. There’s even a matching pair of earrings that would complement this look beautifully.
I adore every piece in my collection, but a few hold a special place in my heart. One of those pieces being the James Banks Design leather code bracelet. I love it for its double strap design, and the charming idea that to unlock it, you have to crack the code using dials inset with diamonds and emeralds. It’s a piece I imagine Elizabeth Taylor’s character in Boom! would adore! Several pieces from James Banks Design are featured in my selection, including the Diamond Needle Bracelet and the Mini Padlock pendants that I’m also wearing with this look. What I love about their pieces is the artisanal quality. Designers Heidi Nahser Fink and Adam Shulman use a distinctive hand-burring technique to achieve a rich, handcrafted finish that is simply divine!
Look 2
(Right Hand) Talon Jewelry Zodiac Signet Ring/ Anita Berisha Celestial Bracelet/ James Banks Design Diamond Needle Bracelet
(Left Hand) Lionheart Ariana Knot Link Chain with James Banks Design Mini Padlock Pendants/ Ariana Boussard-Reifel Laran Cuff Bracelet
Anita Berisha Earrings/ Lizzie Fortunato Cabana Necklace
Madewell denim shirt/ VTG Levi’s (if you want a newer style I really like these from Agolde and I hope this doesn’t come off too snobbish but I actually really love Loewe denim, and for something a bit more pocketbook friendly there’s this pair from Alex Mill)/ Tomas Maier hush puppies (there is of course this version from The Row)
Denim is my ultimate go-to, whether it's for running errands or those moments when I'm at a loss for what to wear—it's like my equivalent of comfy sweatpants. But that doesn't mean I don't dress it up! What could be more glamorous than the combination of denim and diamonds?
For this particular look, I didn’t necessarily opt for an abundance of diamonds. Instead, I chose pieces with whimsical charm. Take, for instance, the Lizzie Fortunato Cabana necklace and the freshwater pearl pieces from Anita Berisha, these pieces are so darling and made for your next vacation. Then there's the timeless elegance of the sculpted cuff from Ariana Boussard-Feifel and the bracelet from Lionheart, which I turned into a charm bracelet with the help of a few pendants from James Banks Design (lately, I've been fixated on the idea of a charm bracelet). As for the pendants, I selected a mother of pearl padlock charm to represent my birthstone (I make it a point to wear pearls every day) and an opal for its connotations of clarity and healing, and similar to the leather code bracelet these pendants utilize the same code-breaking technique.
Look 3
James Banks Design Diamond Needle Bracelet
Bleecker & Prince Blue Snow Globe Pendant
Partow Blazer (here it is in white) /Sunspel t-shirt / Raey (Rip) cargo shorts (you can find vintage options on Etsy like these) /Xero rope sandals
This look takes its cue from Charon Cooijmans of
, whose look effortlessly nailed the perfect balance between and office-ready look and laid-back summer attire. And what better way to elevate a breezy summer ensemble than with carefully chosen jewelry pieces?For this outfit, I opted to keep the focus on a select few items, including the James Banks Design bracelet we've discussed and this stunning Bleecker & Prince pendant. Alongside the code bracelet, a piece from Bleecker & Prince has been at the top of my wish list. I'm absolutely enamored with the Enchanted Donut ring—it's as delightful as its name suggests, adorned with scattered diamonds that will make you drool. The pendant has a similar design to the ring; however, instead of diamonds, it features five sapphires delicately set in this handcrafted lapis piece. For the past few weeks, I've been captivated by the versatility of pendants. I firmly believe that when building your jewelry collection, just like your wardrobe, versatility is paramount. This pendant, for example, can be styled as showcased here, worn as a bracelet, and I even see it as a cute bag charm. Its adaptability means you can effortlessly incorporate it into any part of your day or any event.
Look 4
Encirkled Jewelry Lavender Fields Opal Necklace
Keane rings/ Lizzie Fortunato Cabana Necklace (worn as a bracelet)
Leandra Medine Cohen x Souer polo / Celine (Phoebe Philo era RIP) culottes (these from Cos are the most similar, but I must say I really do love this pair from Marni) /Doen heels
For my final look, I found myself drawn to vibrant colors once again. Opting for a light touch with accessories, I transformed the Lizzie Fortunato Cabana necklace into a bracelet, reintroduced the playful multi-colored Keane rings, and added a necklace from Encirkled Jewelry to complete the ensemble. This exclusive colorway is available only at At Present, and it features Peruvian opals delicately hand-knitted onto a lavender silk cord—truly exquisite! Encirkled Jewelry emerged during the Covid era, as a creative outlet for founder Kate Freeman, a former corporate lawyer turned entrepreneur and mother. Her pieces evoke a delightful sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of the charming bracelets we traded with elementary school friends. They also bring to mind those whimsical chalk candy necklaces, which I always wished I could wear without the temptation to eat them!
There are so many other pieces in the array that I did not have a chance to showcase in the letter, such as the Joie DiGiovanni Turquoise Lariat, which I believe would not only make a stunning necklace but could also double as a chic belt. Then there's the Coil Ring from Selin Kent, which has a remarkable weight and undeniable presence. And how could I not mention the Reversible Pinky Ring from Monbouquette? It feels like a sophisticated fidget device for adults! The collection offers so much more, waiting to be discovered. Explore the full array here!
Next Sunday will be an AMA, so submit all your styling questions here!
See you all soon!
XX
JJ
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Shop my Dora Maar closet here!
Gorgeous. All of it!! I just wonder though how you find the comfort of the beaded chokers - I definitely wore them in my youth (late 90s/early noughties when chokers were very of the moment!) but find they quite literally choke the life out of me now! Recommendations for ones that are a little bit more generous in their sizing, sitting on the clavicle instead of so close to the throat?
That jacket is everything.