LJ Brainiacs - Help!

[ladysprite]

This isn't my usual sort of help request, and I don't know if anyone here will have a decent answer, but I figured I might as well at least put the question out here for any fashionistas or etiquette mavens who might read this.

I'm going to a fancy-dress party this weekend, and I have a truly faboo fancy dress to wear to it. The dress has a very highly decorated neckline, bodice, and straps - it's all over tiny copper and smoke and gold seed beads, and embroidery, and shimmery fabric, and I've always been told that with highly-embellished dresses, one shouldn't wear a necklace in order to avoid being too over-decorated.

However, the dress is also fairly low-cut, leaving me with a vast expanse of bare white neck and chest that looks pretty plain and nekkid without something else there.

So - necklace, or no necklace? Do I take the risk of gilding the lily and blinding people with sparklies, or do I try to be understated and maybe wind up too much so?

(And let me also take this moment to state that, while I love my job, I had thought of better accessories to my dress than the collection of scratches, abrasions, and lacerations currently covering my hands, forearms, and stomach. Luckily, the latter will be covered by the dress, and I think I have a pair of gloves that can hide the rest of my damaged flesh......)

Comments

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I'm with melissagrey -- a simple pendant, not too large, in a color that coordinates with the dress, on a lightweight gold chain. Look for a chain that's either 18" or 20" long.

Also, I'd advise going easy with the dangly earrings. 1/2" of dangle is probably enough; longer, and your earrings end up fighting with both the chain and the dress.

As a general rule of thumb: if the outfit you're wearing is plain in the neckline area, think of your jewelry as a fanfare. If the dress is already fancy around your face, think of your jewelry as a skillfully-placed rest.