Bib Necklaces: Gaudy or Glamorous?

My latest accessory craving is big, flashy, and just the thing to shake up my neutral wardrobe.

By Heather Summerville

I'm a bit of a wallflower--it's a trait that's followed me since middle school. Yet I recently realized that my fear of attention has reared its ugly head in my closet, where there's not a beaded-sequined-shiny anything to be found. Where'd all the fun go? So out of worry that I'm letting my wardrobe turn into a drab nightmare, I've decided to step out of my comfort zone--way out of my comfort zone--and add a big statement necklace to my repertoire.

I found the inspiration for my new, flashier self at Burberry. When I first spotted this gorgeous (and sadly way out of my price range) geometric necklace, I was definitely a little scared at just how large it was. But the brilliance of this style is that as soon as you put it on, it looks less like a necklace and more like a decorative collar, which for some reason makes me feel a lot more at ease. This is exactly what I envisioned wearing with a basic white tee and cropped trousers come fall.

Again, there was just no way for me to justify dropping that kind of money on a necklace. So my search for similar options began immediately, and happily there were a whole lot out there. Here, I've narrowed down my choices to seven of my favorites--from Indian-inspired coins to organic amber tiers--but just can't make the final call. Which would you pick?














Heather Summerville is the senior editor at