Today we are going to talk about fashion and more particularly accessories. If you have followed the fashion tab of the blog, you know that it is often oriented towards a rather responsible and sustainable consumption with the purchasing consciousness. With the accessories, I went through the same path. So, I’m going to share my advice on how to choose your costume jewelry for a responsible and sustainable style.
Costume jewelry
When I was a teenager, “costume jewelry” was often associated with the notion of “trinket”. It wasn’t something that was at home. The only jewelry that I had been jewelry from jewelers like small earrings, sleepers, a ring or two as a teenager … In short, something quite sober and limited.
I “had the right” to my first costume jewelry when I was a teenager. I used to go to summer camps and so, in order to avoid losing the gold buckles I had, we agreed to purchase a set of fancy nails from a franchise well known to young audiences. Generally, these jewels lasted the season but rarely more.
How to choose your costume jewelry
Nowadays, between social medias and the “classic” press, there are many brands of jewelry, both fancy and classic and even luxury jewelry brands can start to make custom made jewelry to meet a demand or reach a wider audience.
So how do you find your way around all these brands ? How to make an informed choice ?
The cost
As with clothes, shoes, etc., costume jewelry can be produced by the fast fashion circuit versus “classic” circuits and even now sustainable. Depending on the channel through which you buy, the jewel will have a more or less expensive (financial) cost. So, yes, there is the school of “custome doesn’t have to cost a lot because it’s custome” but can we think of the product as anything other than just a consumable kleenex ? Beyond the cost in euros, dollars, whatever your currency, any object produced has an ecological and human cost.
The whole question is “to whom do I want to give my money ?”, “How do I perceive my way of consumption ?”, “Am I in the ephemeral and immediate pleasure ?” or “is this accessory an investment (like a pair of shoes made in Europe, for example) ?”
Obviously, the answer to these questions requires a personal journey. By the time I lost weight, that I started to find my style, I was more into the ephemeral purchase, to finally be able to enjoy shopping. So I had a plethora of fairly quite mediocre quality costume jewelry, bought in brands such as H&M, New Look, Primark, Camaïeu, etc. But in the way I used them, I was disappointed : disappointed with the quality, disappointed that I had to throw them away when the oxidation was too important, disappointed that I somehow paid to throw.
Style
Costume jewelry can be real jewelry – and not just a bauble. Creators do a real job to offer a sharp choice to customers. To be able to find your style of jewelry, you must already know your wardrobe style, the types of materials (gold or silver) that suits us and we like the most, the type of jewelry (rather necklace ? Earrings ? Bracelets ?) , gemstone or not, minimalist or rather showy, etc.
Style has the right to evolve too ! At first, I was not used to and dared not wear long earrings – now I can’t do without them !
Sustainability
For me, sustainability is to be compared with the investment cost : who will benefit from this purchase ? Who will he pay and above all, will he be solid over time ?
It is also the cost/value parallel. Some luxury brands are fancy and some products are criticized because they do not last over time. Why pay so much for (ultimately) trinkets made from fake pearls, alloys of questionable metals, etc. ?
Timelessness
This question also has to do with the investment cost : how long would I want to wear this jewel ? Is it a seasonal item or is it really a piece that will make a difference in my jewelry collection, my wardrobe, etc. ? As with my clothes, I want to take full advantage of each of my pieces. That even if it is a slightly more “exceptional” costume jewel, I want to enjoy it in the same way as another which seems simpler.
Suddenly, in addition to having a crush, the purchase requires a little thought so that I make sure of its versatility, timelessness so that I invest.
Why do I buy costume jewelry from OGGI Paris ?
Today, for the purchase of my costume jewelry, I prefer to move towards a higher range, which certainly costs more money wise, but which behind me assures a quality of the products, an originality, etc. I’m going to share with you the OGGI Paris brand that I often talk about – and not only, because I’m working with them.
OGGI has been an independent brand for over 30 years. She offers a vision of jewelry that is completely different from other brands : the creation process is continuous and the jewelry is understood as a part of us, of our personality, identity and embodying our energies. Everything is made in Paris by a team of enthusiasts. Short circuit level, we could not ask for better.
As for the pieces : the brand offers very different styles that we cannot find elsewhere. And the ultimate bonus is that each piece is unique. There are some collections with pieces that look alike but none are made identically. Personally, I find that this is where the luxury lies : owning a unique piece. This is why each piece created in the OGGI workshops is like a piece of art : there is no assembly line work and it is the know-how that is valued and put forward.
If you do not know the store and you are in Paris, I invite you to go and discover this exceptional Ali Baba cave :
OGGI
10 rue du Chevalier Saint Georges
75001 Paris
Other sustainable fashion posts :
