Sweater Weather: Style Tips for Fall Layering

Above: Amazing sweater by Farm Rio

Here in our neck of the woods, the trees have gone fully technicolor, with so many leaves on the ground you hear nothing but crunching when you walk outside. Temperatures have dropped, too, and though I’m not a fan of the cold I am, ironically, a huge fan of sweaters. Give me a shaggy sleeve, a complicated fisherman’s cable knit, or a brightly colored yarn any day.

I also still insist on going full jewelry in the colder, months and have found that with a slight strategy shift, you can keep wearing jewelry along with those extra layers. Here are my top tips for transitioning into fall:

1.

Wear sweaters with necklaces that have extender chains — thicker knits tend to make necklaces sit higher than normal, so wear your necklaces on their longest settings to make up for it. Most of my necklaces have extenders already, but you can also purchase extenders that can be attached to any necklace.

Wear this Halcott Necklace with…

…over this Sezane sweater.

2.

Show off an intricately patterned sweater with clean, all metal earrings — a necklace would get in the way of that great pattern, while earrings will compliment it.

Pair this gloriously 80s-style Farm Rio sweater…

…with these brass Halo Hoops.

3.

Pair larger scale necklaces with really chunky, solid-colored sweaters. The chunkiness and texture already make a statement, and need jewelry that can keep up.

Wear this Cosmos Necklace…

…with this Line & Dot cable knit sweater.

4.

Slip a cuff or bangle over your sweater sleeve, with the sleeve helping keep it in place.

Get cozy in this Madewell sweater…

…and this silver Asp Bangle.

5.

Try your rings on different fingers — lower temps mean rings will fit a little more loosely, so move them around to find a better fit.

Some wider rings, like this Hathor Ring, will fit differently if you switch their direction on your finger, too.

A wide, chunky Hathor Ring.

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Happy layering!

Queen of the Nile

Finding inspiration for a new collection never seems to be straightforward. Instead, my brain quietly logs away bits of information it comes across — a beautiful photograph, an unusual color combination, a scene from a movie that I can’t stop thinking about — until some of those seemingly random bits find each other and click together, suddenly forming a clear idea for a new jewelry.

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Top to bottom, left to right: Beauty editorial from Harper’s Bazaar; Cleopatra’s cartouche (her name spelled in an enclosed oval shape) carved in a temple wall, photo by Trevor Lowe; Wall painting with the goddess Hathor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Fashion editorial from Harper’s Bazaar shot by Txema Yeste; “Egypt painted and described” by Robert Talbot Kelly, 1902; Necklace of pendants and beads from 1330 B.C., British Museum; Finger Ring depicting King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Last January a few of those moments my brain had been storing away came together: a recent trip to The Met’s Temple of Dendur; thumbing through an issue of Harper’s Bazaar and seeing an image of woman in a long, flowing dress flanked by the columns of temple ruins; the saturated blues and greens of a new stone I’d just discovered; a passage in “Stoned” by Aja Raden about Egypt’s emerald mines. They all melded together into the idea of Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, and how she would adorn herself.

“Queen of the Nile” imagines Cleopatra having escaped to her desert palace where she can forget about her royal responsibilities for a moment. There she doesn’t need ceremonial necklaces or over-the-top headdresses, but more casual jewelry that’s artfully crafted from luxurious materials.

Left (the inspiration): Ancient Egyptian glass and electrum necklace, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Ancient Roman ring from 1-200 A.D. in gold, pearl, and emerald, Bibliothèque nationale de France; Lapis scarab carving, source unknown; Right (the new designs): Hathor Ring; Aten Necklace with pearls; Khepri Scarab Necklace in brass

With that idea in my head, I wanted to feature stones found in Cleopatra’s Egypt, like peridot, emerald, and carnelian, and wanted to use pearls which were incredibly rare during her time. There’s an apocryphal story I love about Cleopatra showing off her power and wealth to Marc Anthony by dissolving a pearl in a glass of wine, as if to say, “I could get a dozen more of these if I felt like it.”

I was inspired by the Egyptian jewelry found at The Met, featuring golden amulets strung between beautiful stone beads. I wanted to blend Egyptian motifs like the scarab, symbolizing renewal and rebirth, with Roman elements like metal beading. And carving these new pieces in wax gave everything a hand-wrought feel, like it was just discovered after centuries buried in the sand.

Left (the inspiration): Shell and carnelian necklace from 1802–1640 B.C., The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Etruscan finger ring from 525 - 330 B.C., Thorvaldsens Museum; Right (the new designs): Selene Studs in spiny oyster with copper; Selene Bracelet with pearls and carnelian

My hope is that this collection is a new, wearable take on a rich and ancient past. But most importantly, I hope you fall in love with it like I have, and that it brings you a little bit of joy every time you wear one of these pieces.

Hidden Gems in Beacon, NY

While working the maker’s market circuit all over New York state these past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some really wonderful people doing the same. One of them is Aimée de Simone of Berte, who’s so warm and friendly, has great taste, and is ALSO a champion of handmade makers. Her booths at markets were always brimming with the most beautiful, covet-able things from squishy throw pillows, to burn-all-the-time incense, to handmade ceramics that you just want to show off.

The lovely Aimée, photo by Jennifer Young Studios

And last October she made a major upgrade, opening a real live shop in Beacon! It’s full of even more treasures now (I didn’t know I needed cashmere socks in my life until I picked up this pair) and I’m lucky enough to have a few of my own pieces there. There’s even an occasional cameo from her corgi, Bowie.

Since Aimée has been a long-time Beacon fan I wanted to ask her more about her chosen home town and some of the places she considers its hidden gems. Read on for why she chose Beacon, and her insider recommendations for your next trip:

WHAT ORIGINALLY ATTRACTED YOU TO BEACON?

The post hike brewski. My husband and I used to go to Beacon after hiking Fishkill Ridge. We'd grab a beer and a burger at the local gastropub (which was then called The Hop, but now it's Melzingah's Tap House). I also just loved strolling along Main Street, it just seemed to go on and on and on. Fun fact - I worked in TV for 10 years and filmed B-roll of countless Main Streets in this country. I have to say....I think Beacon's Main Street is the best there is ;)

IS THERE A PLACE YOU THINK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

Artisan Wine Shop - they have the most amazing selection of natural wines. The staff is super knowledgeable and so very nice. Also I'd be remiss not to mention a new spot (that's close to Berte!) - Miss Tea - they have the BEST tea selection EVER.

BEST CUP OF COFFEE? WHAT’S YOUR DRINK OF CHOICE?

I love the ambiance and the beans at Kitchen & Coffee (it's all about the beans). Big Mouth and TRAX are tied for a very close second IMHO. Beacon has a lot of coffee shops...it's honestly tough to choose! My drink of choice varies - I usually drink black coffee at home, but if I'm feeling fancy I'll get an oat milk latte...or a matcha latte with oat milk. I like oat milk.

FAVORITE SNACK SPOT? WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO GET?

Hummus and pita from Ziatun's. I've been trying to find out where they source the olive oil that they drizzle all over their yummy hummus, but they won't tell me (wahhhh!!!). Also - a cheddar and scallion corn muffin from Kitchen & Coffee is *chef's kiss*

WHEN YOU WANT TO DISAPPEAR INTO NATURE, WHERE DO YOU GO?

Fahnestock Park. It's massive and there are SO MANY trails. I also love going to Bowdoin Park when it's just my dog, Bowie, and I.

YOUR PERFECT WEEKEND?

Well my perfect weekend these days involves (wo)manning the shop and chatting with all of my lovely customers ;) But before I opened the storefront (and before the pandemic), the perfect weekend usually involved a hike, visiting a nearby Hudson Valley town, a delicious meal (I miss eating out!), plenty of natural wine, friends, and a fire pit.

THE RESTAURANT YOU’RE GOING BACK TO ONCE THE PANDEMIC IS OVER? WHAT CAN’T YOU WAIT TO ORDER FROM THEM?

Brava in Lenox, MA. All of their Italian tapas and pizzas. Literally all of them.

WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING AT YOUR OWN STORE, WHAT’S ANOTHER SHOP YOU LIKE TO POP IN TO?

Flora Good Times, King + Curated, Afton Road, Hyperbole, Reservoir, Colorant, Solstad House. And yes, I mostly go to these shops because I'm friends with the owners, but I also love what they sell!