{Editor’s Note: I’m thrilled to introduce the first of a few new faces you’ll be seeing here over the summer! You’ve met Kate (of the fantastic blog Anonymous Chic) before, but now she’s here to stay with a weekly column showing off her favorite accessory du jour and how to make it work in your closet. Also, she’s Canadian, so she gets to do lovely things like spell “color” with a U. Give her a warm welcome, won’t you?}

Hi, I’m Kate! Like many of the readers of Shopping’s My Cardio, I’m a bit of an accessories junkie. Handbags, shoes, jewelry – my outfits more often than not revolve around the details as opposed to the actual fashion. But incorporating a new piece into your routine can throw any of us for a loop. So, every week I’ll be here to give you the how-to on making those little details the star of the show. I hope to leave you with plenty of inspiration!

In a summer full of stacked bracelets, rocking a wrist full of bling has become common practice. It’s a trend that I’m glad has become all the rage – as someone who’s been stacking bracelets since her mid-teens, the vast selection that’s now readily available adds a little extra glee to my shopping excursions. Which is why I was surprised to be drawn to this classic enamel bangle from Henri Bendel – it makes such a statement, the rest of the arm party is almost unnecessary!

Henri Bendel Rivet Enamel Hinge Bangle, $88

With its basic white enamel and gold patterned printing, its size makes it the kind of piece that can handle being a statement all on its own. It’s also an excellent multi-purpose piece that would be equally at home with a classic button down and slacks for work, or worn casually with a white tee and jeans for the weekends, when you need something to give that errand outfit a little extra oomph. The white and gold combination means that while still being relatively subtle, it transcends fundamental colour palettes and will work well with matching or mixed-metal jewellery. And darlings, it’s also hinged – which makes it a winner as you’re not required to dislocate the bones in your hands trying to slide it onto your wrist (especially if you’re like me and suffer from a disproportionate palm-to-wrist size ratio).

Now while it’s easy to pair with those aforementioned basics, where this bangle would really make an impact is with a trend that every store from Target to Neiman’s has picked up: brightly coloured pants. Whether it’s red denim or dusty yellow chinos, coloured pants can often prove to be the focal point in an outfit – which is why the details can often be a little tricky to balance. That’s where this bangle from Bendel’s does just the trick: enough of an accessory statement to stand up to bold bottoms, but not too busy to be distracting.

For the foundations of this outfit genre I’d go with great poppy-red cropped jeans (or whichever colour you’ve chosen to rock), a black or navy t-shirt, and a washed-out denim jacket.

Denim Jacket, Eddie Bauer, $80 / Piper denim in Flame, Talbots, $80 / Navy tee, Old Navy, $9

For the rest of the details? Counter the sweet bangle with a chunky gold watch, and a long pendant or a fine embellished chain-link necklace. Hair up? Go with some basic gold studs. Hair down? Some small to mid-sized gold hoops. Add a simple dark toned bag (coordinate with your tee) and nude-toned flats so as not to distract from the pants…

Fairytale Hoops, Gorjana, $40 / Forget Me Knot Earrings, Juliet & Co, $25 /
Pyramid Pendant, House of Harlow $65 / Layton Watch, Michael Kors, $250

Whether sporting a bold style trend or just adding a little oomph to classic staples, I always stick to the philosophy that with any outfit it’s all in the details. Looking forward to spending some time with you! ~ Kate

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