Wear What Makes You Happy
I was at Henri Bendel for a trunk show this past weekend, where I got to meet a lot of new customers and hear feedback about Suzanna Dai. Many of the women I met were visiting New York from places like Seattle or Florida. They seemed to fall in love with the jewelry but expressed a hesitation to wear it. I heard so many reasons why they couldn’t wear it, based on insecurities and fear of what others would think. Yet they kept coming back to admire it. After hearing all of this, I decided it’s important to address these concerns and give reasons why these fears are unfounded.
Concern #1 -
One of the things I heard went something like this: “It’s so beautiful, but I’m from such-and-such a city, and no one wears things like this there. People would think I’m crazy if I wore this, or they’d say, ‘who does she think she is?’”
Refutation of Concern #1 -
It doesn’t matter what other people think! If you like something, that’s all that matters. You should hold your head up high knowing that you look amazing wearing something you love. Do you think people that got anywhere significant in life, or bothered to chase their dreams, spent so much time worrying about what other people thought? NO. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. Also, because they were too busy trying to make their dreams a reality. The only thing you should focus on is what will make you happy. Life is hard enough without having to worry about other people. Chances are they’re more worried about what you will think of them. If everyone stopped worrying so much about what everyone else thought, there’d be a lot more happy people in the world. So forget about other people and do what makes you happy, even if it means wearing your Suzanna Dai to run laps around the track (just to clarify, this is not a suggestion).
Concern #2 -
I also heard this from a few people: “oh, it’s so beautiful, but it’s too fancy. I’d have to have an event to wear it to, with a ball gown and everything…”
Refutation of Concern #2 -
Ok, first of all, where have you been the past 10 years?? There’s been a revolution in fashion, and the new rules are, there are no rules! You don’t have to wear a fancy dress with a fancy piece of jewelry - that’s the old way. The new way is to mix high with low, fancy with casual - add a twist of the unexpected. Make your own rules, and then break them, but only if you feel like it. I often wear my Suzanna Dai with jeans and a t-shirt or tank top, and a jacket. It’s a way to transform a casual outfit into something less casual, without going totally over the top. I also sometimes wear it with a simple black sheath dress. Think Breakfast At Tiffany’s - classic, with a modern twist. Suzanna Dai doesn’t have to be held for a special occasion - if it makes you feel special, that is occasion enough!
Concern #3 -
Another thing I heard was: “This jewelry would draw too much attention to me. I don’t want people to look at me that much, and I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”
Refutation of Concern #3 -
I think this fear stems more from a confusion about drawing negative attention versus positive attention to yourself. Usually if you wear something beautiful, you will draw positive attention to yourself and get lots of compliments - and who doesn’t like compliments? This is a good thing! Drawing negative attention to yourself, on the other hand, might result from mixing lime green and yellow polka dot pants with a pastel floral blouse. If this makes you happy, by all means, do it, but I think you catch my drift… The only way you could draw negative attention to yourself by wearing Suzanna Dai is if you wore too much of it. That’s easy to remedy - remember to keep it simple. If you’re going to wear a big necklace, go light on the other accessories by pairing it with small stud earrings, and keeping everything else clean. You can pair a big cuff with some big earrings, but don’t mix in a big necklace too - it becomes overwhelming and starts to look cluttered. If you still don’t want any attention, even if it’s positive, try a pair of button earrings, such as the Windsor, Copenhagen, or Prussia styles, or a more subdued and muted necklace, like the Saint Petersburg. I can’t promise you won’t get any compliments, though.
