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Effortless Layering for Fall with Ronnie M

Veronica Salazar

What isn’t to love about Fall? And no, I am not talking about wearing UGGS, sipping your PSL from Starbucks, wearing leggings and an oversized sweater. Although, that may be my very look right now as I sit here and write this blog, lol. But no, really. What isn’t to love about Fall? Anywhere you live, whether it be Southern California, North Dakota, New York, London or Puerto Rico, when the Fall season hits, it has a warm effect on all of our hearts. A sudden change in “sweater weather” and suddenly even if it’s 68 degrees in Southern California, which is my neck of the woods, it suddenly becomes time to break out the chunky sweaters, cranberry cowl scarves and get layered for Fall! Excited now? Great me too!

But let’s cover some background about me, and why I am sitting here writing this blog for all of you to enjoy reading. I have worked in the retail industry collectively, for about 14 years of my life, and nothing would excite me more than opening the new collections of lipstick, or cold weather cardigans or boots...or cozy warm knit blankets...because after all, I have done every avenue of retail there is (Insert big eyed surprised emoji here). Fashion has always been such a huge part of my heart. As a matter of fact, I began my education at Cal Poly Pomona back in 2000 in the Fashion Retail Merchandising and Textile program. I later transferred to Cal State San Bernardino and obtained a Marketing Degree instead. I know...BORING! But no matter what degree I graduated with, fashion has always been my passion. One of my favorite parts of the retail industry was helping women decide what to wear for their special occasion. Women of all ages and ethnicities would come and build a relationship with me and trust me to help them out with their outfit needs and wants. It was always so much fun and most of all perhaps one of the best feelings was seeing their faces light up like Christmas lights when they finally would find ‘the one’ outfit that screamed their name!

This Fall, it was imperative for me to share with you that passion for fashion! I wanted to make sure that you understood the message of the Ronnie M Fall Line which drove me to publish the theme for November as Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed. When I mention Fall Layering, I am not just talking wearing a tank top, under a shirt, wearing a scarf, a jacket and then wearing a poncho over the jacket.  That my friends, would be BUNDLED UP.

 

What I mean is, effortlessly layering and being able to walk out of the house feeling the essence of the season and having a jaw-dropping effect on the world when you walk into that Holiday Party or even Target for that matter! Yes, girl. Target. My haven. But that is another blog post on its own!


Layering can be intimidating to many women, even men who love to accessorize, but the truth of the matter is, it shouldn't be. Now I know what you are probably thinking, ‘that’s easy for you to say, you're a designer!’ But that is not the case with everyday layering. Remember, accessorizing is your way to communicate your style and to show your idea of what matters most to you. Accessorizing in layers can either be a fashion statement or something that holds a deeper meaning. My best friend and ride or die chick, Shannon Stracener from This Inspired Life said it best, “Jewelry can be a symbol for something greater, It has the meaning we assign to it. So, a bracelet given to me by a loved one holds the intention and love with which it was given.”

Every Ronnie M piece that I design and hand make is created is with intention and meaning. In essence of the season and theme, Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed, it made sense to me to expose as many women and even men on how to wear more jewelry of purpose and meaning.  Therefore you not only get the benefit of looking stylish but also add meaning to your everyday life.

Some of the easiest ways to layer are to choose what fits you and your style best. A wrap bracelet is the quickest and easiest way for you to layer and head out the door to that hot date, PTA meeting or even your weekly Costco visit. I wouldn't recommend layering at the gym but hey girl, get at it! One bracelet that I honor and love is the Blessed Bracelet that is featured in the shop.  I just love the colors and the meaning of the Blessed Bracelet and the warm brown and mauve tones with a pop of caramel and burnt umber. I love the feeling of enough bling with the faceted stones as well as the earthiness of gunmetal and sterling silver. As shown, being worn by Kristin Taylor who by which, this season, I had the ultimate pleasure of working with! Kristin is a Beauty and Fashion Blogger, and her blog Dressed for Time is just ah-mazing! Yes I know, I am so lucky to be working with this blonde bombshell who is taking over the Inland Empire by being one of the first plus size bloggers and models in the area. She is so inspiring and she absolutely loves Fashion...maybe a little more than I do.
I was able to steal some of her time during a candid interview to ask a couple of questions about fashion and Fall Layering.

I wanted to share our fun and witty interview with all of you:

Ronnie M: “Kristin, I love your lip stain BTW!” With my BIG eyes and jaw dropped.
Kristin: Smiling, “Why, thank you, it’s E.L.F. Moisturizing Lipstick in Bordeaux Beauty.”
Ronnie M: “Well, it's Gorg!”
Kristin: “It’s Target!” Laughing a little…
Ronnie M: “Girl, don’t even get me started on my happy place! Okay but seriously...back to the interview! First off, I wanted to know, what does layering mean to you?”
Kristin: “I think layering means finding pieces that are not too complicated, that are versatile, and that play well with others. A sweater can be a great layering piece if it's form-fitting. An oversized one means you can't throw a jacket over it, and layering anything underneath will be lost. The same kind of goes for jewelry when layering. Pieces need to mesh well when stacking, or the look will be disjointed or clunky. Layering is particularly essential in fall when stepping from inside a heated office to waiting outside for a cab can be a temperature drop of 40 degrees, or more! It also allows for a moment of opulence. Summer was about light, minimalist pieces, while fall allows you to not feel guilty (or uncomfortable) piling it on.”
Ronnie M: “And being in Southern Cali it’s practically unpredictable!”
Kristin: Smiles, “yes it sure is!”
Ronnie M: “So, as a woman and I am sure you hear this often, many women and even some men are definitely intimidated by layering and don’t know where to begin.” My eyebrows were raised high at this time like I was asking her about her bra size, yes, that serious. “How can you suggest ways to layer effortlessly this Fall?”
Kristin: “Layering can definitely be intimidating, just like print-mixing! Some of the rules for print-mixing definitely translate to layering. Keeping pieces in the same color family is the first tip I can offer. In terms of layering jewelry, I would say to start with a piece that features a color you wear all the time, or a color you're looking to focus on for fall. My favorites for the season are rust, burgundy, navy, camel, and dark gray. To build off of that, find another piece or two that contains both your shade of choice and another color. Now the different pieces in your wardrobe that may not have made as much sense together before, have a reason to be worn together (say a navy blouse and rust skirt). Another tip when layering jewelry is to keep things on the same scale. Wear a delicate chain bracelet with a thick bangle and the chain will get lost, but wear several bracelets of the same size, and they won't be sliding around on your wrist and hiding underneath one another. A chunky statement necklace worn with a tiny pendant makes the pieces compete with one another, but two (or three) minimal chain necklaces are a gorgeous statement on their own. Lastly, don't be afraid to experiment. No harm ever came to someone who tried out 3 rings on the same hand, except maybe to their wallet! Play around with texture, materials, and color. And when in doubt, throw on something metallic.”
Ronnie M: “Like a Ronnie M Bracelet!?” With a huge smile!
Kristin: “YES!” Smiling and gently laughing, “Ronnie M would be Perfect for Fall!”
Ronnie M: “So why Ronnie M for Fall?”
Kristin: “I love Ronnie M pieces, because they really are seasonless, but the colorways for your fall collection are so on-trend, it's impossible not to want it all. The wrap bracelets are some of my favorites, because of all of the burgundy and warmer tones that you use, but I also love the stone stackable bracelets for layering. Dressing for fall also means focusing more on the details, and I love that the natural stones you use all have slight little variations to them, making them one-of-a-kind. I love having something unique that seamlessly blends into my own collection.”

Speaking of Metallic and throwing in a pop of Gold or Silver for Fall, I wanted to create a stack for you that is under $100 and you could easily work within your wardrobe. As shown, here are the NEWEST bracelets released to the shop, the reversible stack bracelets. They stand out alone or worn together and valued at $48.00 each the stack comes with two and together retails for $85.00! What a steal and total savings of $11 under retail cost. You can either wear them reversed because there are two designs in one bracelet or worn alone with your favorite MK watch. One side has three of the golden glitter beads and the other, one. So as you can see you can switch them out or flip them around and still stack the same but with a different look. The gold chain detailing is the newest look to create a ‘tassel’ effect and a little bit edgier feel. So you have your Golden Happiness reversible stack for Fall and Blessed Wrap bracelet for Fall, now you need a chunky scarf! Well, we have you covered there too sister!

Lastly, chunky scarfs whether they are infinity, shawl, poncho or fringe are the seasons go to FAV for me! Scarves can add an instant amount of color to your outfit and this season...it's all about the Cranberry and Burgundy!
During the Interview with Kristin, I also asked her:
Ronnie M: “Okay so we both equally love Fall…”
Kristin: “I think that is pretty safe to say!”
Ronnie M: “What colors come to your mind when you think of Fall?”
Kristin: “Burgundy! I may be biased because I think I've purchased every type of clothing and accessory in this color recently, but I'm quite obsessed with it. It's so saturated and rich-looking. I generally hate corduroy pants, but I was just sent a pair in burgundy and fell in love with them! It's definitely my standout color of the season.”  Remembering that adding that extra POP of color is okay to do, and do not feel overdone, or out of place by adding that one off color that isn’t entirely in your outfit color scheme BUT within the same family of colors that you are mixing together.

Last but not least, I asked Kristin to describe Fall in 5 adjectives or less and her response was, “warm, thoughtful, comfy, luxe, textured.”

So with what we have covered, you are ready to go out and get layered for Fall! And with Ronnie M might I add, insert winking emoji here! I wanted to end this post with something that my Best Friend, Shannon, mentioned earlier in the post and what she has to say about jewelry and its purpose. Shannon said, “I have many Ronnie M bracelets that I cherish because they were soulfully and passionately created. Those gifted to me I hold even dearer. Jewelry has the power to create a timeline of our life.’ ‘Jewelry tells the story of our lives.”

This is a super uber silly picture of my best friend Shannon and I but, I wanted to share this because well...she makes me feel Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed this season!  I love you Shannon...





 

 

 


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1 comment

  • Such a fun blog post! A little bit of everything-fashion, inspiration, an interview, and a peak inside the mind of the light-filled talent behind Ronnie M, Veronica Salazar. Seriously, it’s like sitting and having a conversation with you. I love it and you.

    Shannon Stracener

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