“This may well be remembered as the year of the Whopping Big Jewels,” Vogue announced in 1938. “Once, you might honestly ‘not have cared for jewels.’ But this year, you’d as soon think of walking out gloveless or (almost) shoeless as without some barrage of jewelled ornament.” The pages that followed heaved with sapphires, emeralds, and aquamarines in all kinds of combinations, beguiling even in black and white.
Time has done little to weaken the impact of daytime jewelry, and in the spirit of that dazzling editorial, we are once again going all in on all that glitters. But more than diamonds or rubies, what we’re really after now is diamanté. Refashioned as fringe or sprinkled generously over a bomber, crystal accents have a way of lending late-summer staples a flash of brilliance. Off to the beach? Give an embellished one-piece from Leslie Amon a go, if not Oseree’s subtly sparkly bikini. For those still stuck tramping around the city, a flashy Les Petits Joueurs sandal or Dolce & Gabbana bootie will add some shimmer to your step.
Shop our picks below, and see if you don’t feel the difference: When the days are long and the sun is strong, a bit of razzle can go a long way.
