Costume jewellery and accessories by theme: leopard, dates and occasions

How the themes work, and which one you actually need

Start from the reason you are buying. For your own wardrobe, the print matters more than the date, and leopard carries over from one winter to the next. For a present, the date does the work and narrows the choice in seconds.

One thing worth knowing before you order: dated pieces have a short window, so they earn their place only when the wearer enjoys dressing for the occasion.

Pieces you will find under each theme

Buying for a date rather than for a look

February leans on the heart motif. It turns up as a pendant, a bracelet charm or a magnetic brooch, mostly in gold-tone or silver-tone steel. The pieces gathered in the edit made for couples stay wearable well after the fourteenth, and that is the fairest test before you wrap anything.

Spring shifts the emphasis to the message. Next to the heart jewellery, the pages put together for mothers add canvas pouches and bags carrying a printed line on the front. That is a present with an opinion, so it suits some households and not others.

December, and the multipack question

The last month allows what the rest of the year does not. Reindeer, trees, snowmen, nutcrackers and gingerbread all turn up in the festive costume jewellery pages, in coloured resin or in gold-tone metal set with rhinestones. Several designs arrive as multipacks of pairs, which helps if you want a different pair each week of December or several small gifts in one order.

Leopard print without overdoing it

Spots work on contrast. Against a plain outfit, one leopard piece is enough to pull the eye. Add a second and the two start competing. Keep it to one place and let the rest stay quiet.

The print runs across hair, face, neck and bag in the section built around the animal print, moving from a scrunchie to a purse depending on how much of it you want on show. Warm bronze and taupe shades sit well with camel and cream, while the grey and black versions hold up better against a dark wardrobe.

Materials, and what to check on the product page

Compositions are not uniform from one theme to the next, and that follows from the use. Stainless steel dominates the heart jewellery, resin carries most of the December figures, fabric and gold-tone metal share the leopard pieces. Resin stays light, which matters on a drop of several centimetres.

Lengths, clasps and exact compositions differ by model and are listed on each product page. One practical note: order before the end of November if the piece has to be worn over the holidays.