Jewellery Accessorising for the Petite Girl

I have long been a fan of jewellery. I can remember the days of playing dress up with my mom’s rings and bangles, having to keep my hands up in certain positions so that nothing slid off. Fast forward to now and most of the time I still have to hold my hands in certain positions because as you can probably guess from the title of the post, being petite can pose quite a struggle in finding jewellery that actually fits! Believe it or not, I’ve even gone as far as putting double-sided tape on the inside of some of my rings, just so that they would stay put! In the last few months though I have fallen more in love with jewellery than ever before. And it was only very recently that I discovered rings that actually hug my fingers. So, with my newly-discovered jewels and my ever-growing obsession with statement pieces, I though I’d put together a little guide for accessorising when you’re petite. In no way is this irrelevant for anyone else, but it’s something that I’m always interested in, as a lot of the time I have to stay away from big, over-bearing pieces that may look sillier on a petite frame than it would on a curvier frame. You get me…

The thing with jewellery, like anything in fashion or beauty, is that whatever you feel comfortable and confident in, then THAT’s what’s best for you. There’s no wrong or right way to wear anything, but if you’re anything like me then you’ll understand my reasoning behind a lot of my tips.

My biggest tip for jewellery is that simplicity is the biggest statement. Now I don’t mean that chunky necklaces or big rings are a no – that would just be cruel. But I always like to plan my jewellery around a statement piece so that I don’t have so many things clashing at once. If I want to wear a chunky necklace with lots of beads, then I plan to keep the simplicity in making sure that the necklace is the main focus, while the rest of my accessories gently complement it. Though because I’m also quite small, I don’t like to have too many big pieces hanging on me since it usually drowns me out.

Starting off with the ring that finally, properly fit my finger is this stunning rose gold band. I bought it from H&M, and I am not joking when I say it was the first time I had seen a ring marked with the size ‘extra small/small’. The amount of times I’ve been told that a medium-sized ring will fit me is too many to count, but it’s even sadder the amount of times I’ve fallen for it! Anyway, I knew I wanted some beautiful rings that would suit my fingers, and this one does just that. I feel like it’s really stylish, but because of the cutouts it’s extremely elegant too. It came in a pack of three, and the other two are slightly different in size but identical in style. They’re delicate enough that if you want to wear them all at the same time, they won’t be over-bearing, but will also look beautiful alone.

My rose gold necklace is my next item. This is one of the best pieces I have ever bought. I got it at a market in Joburg from a cute independent brand. It’s so delicate and simple but can really make any outfit look effortlessly glam. One of my favourite parts of a woman’s body is the collarbones. They can be such an elegant feature and can add so much to a desired look. This delicate necklace falls so perfectly on my collarbones. It is gentle enough that it complements the elegance of collarbones, but it’s striking enough to grab the attention. I love it so much and I wear it with pretty much everything. It’s so versatile.

Earrings are a huge love of mine, and often when I walk past Lovisa I have to pull myself away. You know they always have those ‘5 for R200’ or ‘3 for R150’ deals? Well, most of the earrings I own have come from those golden bargains. The pair I’m wearing here are no exception. I love the detail of the cutouts again, and the shape is really flattering. Don’t laugh – but because I’ve got a small head (it’s in proportion to my body okay!), I often prefer to stick to uncomplicated earrings that I can be assured won’t look silly on me. Not that I don’t go for bold earrings at all, but I’m very careful and particular about what style and shape I buy, and also what I pair them with. For example, I have a pair of gorgeous, long, bold, pink tasseled earrings and they are SO gorgeous. When I wear them however, I make sure that they are the main focus and I generally won’t wear a necklace, or maybe a very delicate one like this rose gold chain. See what I mean? But again, it’s all about your personal preference!

The last item I’m wearing here is this beautiful, distinct turquoise bracelet. It has the symbol of the evil eye, which is an ancient Greek belief, if I’m not mistaken. The story behind it is basically that the evil eye is meant to be a protector against evil. I got the bracelet as a gift, but I absolutely love it. Whether you believe in things like that or not, the evil eye is still a beautiful image, and it is always done so nicely on the jewellery I’ve seen. I have always been a big fan of the colour turquoise, and the beads on this piece are small and simple, which I absolutely adore. All in all, it’s a stunning bracelet and so easy to wear. I throw it on often when I feel like my arms are a bit naked!

With the help of friends, I have managed to source these rings and bracelets that actually do fit me, which is, in my mind, the biggest victory of all! No more weird arm positions to keep my jewellery on me! What are your favourite pieces to wear? Please do let me know if you’re petite or struggle with the same (possibly silly) jewellery issues that I do!