My favorite pieces from the holiday collection are soft sequins pieces that are affordable and come in a variety of colors so you can pair them with every outfit!  They are great with your dressy holiday attire or your casual jeans and tee.

Curations Night Cap $29.90

I love this sequins beret!  I need one asap!  It’s such a cute and stylish look for winter and completely affordable.  It comes in seven different colors, but the gray with silver sequins is my favorite.  What a perfect winter accessory!

Curations Sequin Wrap $89

I’m pretty tired of the standard black pashmina that I am always throwing over my LBD as I walk out the door.  I’m excited about this sequins wrap because it is a great piece to wear over bare shoulders for a holiday party.  This could also look great with just jeans and a tee for daytime.

Curations Night Scarf $59.90

A long sequins scarf is a great accessory to play with to add sparkle to any outfit.

The Curations items usually sell out super fast, so check out the live show on HSN to find out more.  You can also order online at Curations with Stefani Greenfield.

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Beautiful Sequins Accessories for Holiday

I posted two weeks ago about the snood as the absolute must-have accessory Fall, and since then I have been obsessed with finding similar items that have dual functions.  I just found this fabulous convertible scarf and vest piece with buttons on both sides and wide pockets along the bottom edge to create amazing versatility.  The Tarnish Convertible Scarf Vest is made of a super soft ribbed alpaca that can be completely opened up to be worn as a wide scarf.  I love scarves with pockets…so practical for keeping your hands warm!

Not only can this piece be worn as a scarf and a vest, but you can also experiment to find other options that involve wrapping and buttoning to create interesting looks.

Can you even believe that these are all the same piece of clothing?  So genius!  It’s so amazing that it can be worn in so many different ways.

The Tarnish Convertible Scarf Vest is available at Nordstrom for $68 in black, chocolate, rouge, blue, and medium heather gray.

Image: Nordstrom

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Convertible Scarf Transforms Into a Vest

After writing about the snood last week, I have been obsessed with finding other designers who are exploring this idea.  Susanne Guldager is a Danish designer who creates beautiful conceptual pieces with a dark and funky vibe.  Her designs are daring avant garde pieces in dark fabrics with dramatic silhouettes.

Image: Pixie Market

Susanne Guldager Knot Hood Scarf $198

This Susanne Guldager piece is absolutely gorgeous!!  I love everything about it:  the styling options, the color, the knotted pattern, and the details in the lining and trim.  Fabulous!  Here are some images of other ways that it can be worn…I can’t decide which is my favorite:

Image: Pixie Market

Which is your favorite way to wear this piece?  Susanne Guldager pieces are available online at Pixie Market, which has one of the most amazing collections of independent designers that I have ever seen.  I hope that more of her designs are available online in the U.S. soon!

Image: Pixie Market

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Susanne Guldager Hood Scarf Combination

Lurex Fingerless Gloves

These long fingerless gloves are exactly the design that will be in style this Fall.  The design is practical with the open fingers allowing for you to have use of your hands and not have to remove your gloves all the time…which is always a pain!  The elbow-length design not only looks super fashionable, but also allows you to carry your shorter sleeved styles into the cooler weather months.

Lurex Headband

This wide stretchy headband with a rosette is also right on target for Fall fashion.  The stylish headband looks adorable and is a great option for keeping warm when you want to incorporate a great hairstyle into your cold weather look.

Lurex Scarf

The third piece in this stylish cold weather set is a matching soft scarf with a scalloped edge.  I absolutely love the idea of using this soft fun fabric to create fabulous pieces that can be worn together or mixed and matched with other accessories.

Curations is hosting this amazing Giveaway for one Splendicity reader to receive a set that includes a Lurex pair of fingerless gloves, a Lurex headband, and a Lurex scarf in a color of your choosing.  These pieces are not available to the general public until the Curations show debuts the entire Fall 2009 collection on HSN on September 15, so you are getting a sneak peek at their newest products!

To enter the contest you must leave a comment on this post by Sunday, September 13 at 11:59pm answering the question:  Which color would you choose if you won the Lurex winter set? The color options are all pictured above and include Purple, Navy, Grey, Black, Ivory and Brown.  One winner will be randomly selected and will be notified on Monday, September 14.

Good luck!

UPDATE:  The winner for this Giveaway is Happi Shopr, who will be receiving a grey set of the Lurex scarf, fingerless gloves, and headband.  Thank you to all of you who entered!  If you would like to purchase the Lurex set, it is available online at Curations with Stefani Greenfield on HSN.  The Knit Headband and Scarf Set is currently on sale for $39.

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Giveaway: Scarf Fingerless Gloves Headband

Image: Net-A-Porter

Missoni Rib-Knit Wool-Blend Snood $205

What is a snood? Traditionally, dating back to the 1860’s, a snood was a hairpiece that wrapped around the top of the head and under the hair to the nape of the neck.  This circular wrap contained a netted or cloth sack that held the hair.  The shape of the piece was similar to the nets that are worn in the food service industry for sanitary purposes.  Today the modern snood is a tube-shaped thick piece, oftentimes made of wool, that is worn scrunched up around the neck like a gator or pulled over the head like a hood.

Image: flickr - michal hadassah

I have seen snoods worn by models on the runway, but this is the first time that I think the style will make it to the general public.  Net-A-Porter currently has a collection of gorgeous wool and cashmere snoods by Burberry and Missoni.  If these two trend-setting fashion houses are designing snood styles for Fall 2009, then I predict that many other designers will soon follow.

Image: Net-A-Porter

Burberry Giant Check Snood $295

I love the snood because of its versatility and style.  It looks fabulous and elegant as a bunched up looped scarf or a loose-hanging hood.  When worn as a hood it provides warmth for the neck, ears and top of the head and protection from rain or snow.  I get really excited about new fashion terminology so the snood is definitely going to my obsession this Fall and Winter!

Image: Net-A-Porter

Burberry Wool and Cashmere Blend Snood $225

I have only been able to find luxury designer snoods, but I will be posting all season about different variations as they pop up from other designers.  I also think I might take a stab at knitting one for myself…

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Snood Is The Must-Have Accessory for Fall

Absolutely!

The trick is to balance your accessories.  You can still wear a great pair of chandelier earrings, just keep the rest of your accessories low-key and you can pull it off beautifully.

A scarf is a great addition to a casual outfit.  You can loop it on over a t-shirt, or go fancy with an exotic tie (this is a great site for learning different ways to wear a scarf)

image: Nordstrom

I just treated myself to a “Harmony” scarf from Raj Imports.  It’s made of lightweight, printed cotton gauze.  It’s available in several bright, cheerful colors – perfect for making the transition from summer to fall.

The same rules apply to handbags – you can carry a statement bag, but keep the rest of your accessories toned down.  However, if you’re looking for a simple, classic bag that can coordinate with almost any outfit – check this one out:

image: Neiman Marcus

It’s the “Everything” bag from Eileen Fisher.  The made-in-the-USA bag is a warm caramel toned leather, with fabric lining.  It’s simple, classic and will last you for many years.

I always say that you can’t go wrong with a simple pair of diamond studs, or gold (or silver) hoop earrings.  Again, they’re simple, classic and complement you and your outfit without going overboard.

image: Bluefly

These hammered gold hoop earrings are from Argento Vivo.  At 1 – 3/8″ across, they’re a nice size – and they’re also on sale for 43% off!

Don’t be afraid to add the colors of the season to your outfit – why not try a smaller version of the big cuff bracelet?

image: Bergdorf Goodman

I’d personally recommend just wearing one of these enamel bracelets from Matthew Campbell Laurenza at a time – just choose your favorite color and you’re set.

Just remember, don’t be afraid to choose an accent piece and have fun with your accessories

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Add Some Style to a Casual Outfit

It’s called the Necklush, a name so cheesy it seems as seen on tv, in the best possible way. And it looks pretty good, too. You can loop it once for a necklace-y look, and twice for this scarf-y style. 100% cotton and not available in stores, my friends, so it should be at least a month before all your friends jump on the bandwagon. Get yours hot and fresh from Necklush.

Photo Credit: Necklush

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The Necklush Scarf Alternative

With 20% off most of their stock, you can find some amazing goodies.  They carry everything from boutique jewelry to lamps, but I of course go for the accessories section

So what kind of goodies can you find?

How about the sleek and elegant aqua-colored calfskin bag from thirtyfour?

This bright and cheerful bracelet by Ronni Kappos is made using pre-WWII vintage glass shapes, on a gold-filled chain.

How about a lovely turquoise paisley scarf, made by Epice?

Just enter the code “SUMMERSALE09″ at the checkout to redeem your discount.

images: Auto

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Summer Sale at Auto

Pair it with a sleek and slinky cocktail dress and you instantly become the most elegant sex bomb in the room. Top off your skinny black jeans and spiked heels with this little gem and you’ve just created the an out-of-the-box rocker look.

Sheela Goh

The embroidered lace cravat is made with reinforced Dupioni Italian silk, rhinestones, turquoise, satin and rhodocrosite and is adjustable.

If 70s vests can make a comeback, not to mention granny dresses, 80s electric colors and Roaring Twenties’ feathers, then surely lace cravats can secure a tiny place in the line-up. Just be sure to grab one before tweens across America catch on and realize how these just scream “Edward Cullen.”

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Steampunk princess cravat

When searching for ways to wrap headscarves, I discovered Tasaram scarves.  Tasaram has a wonderful collection of silk scarves with designs inspired by the traditional patterns of Korea, Bhutan, India, Japan, and China.  There is a flowing description for each country about the inspirations for the scarf designs that come from the colors and designs of architecture, ceramics, and sculpture from that country.  I love reading about the history behind creating each beautiful scarf.  Here are some of my favorites:

Tasaram Koryo Scarf in Celadon $49

This scarf is inspired by the delicate paintings in a distinct celadon color on the pottery produced in Korea during the Koryo dynasty.  The white and celadon pattern is simple with the cranes and stylized clouds.

Tasaram Himalaya Scarf in Magenta $49

In contrast to the Koryo scarf is this Himalaya Scarf with brilliant colors and patterns inspired by the distinct painted houses of the Bhutan region.  The flower and abstract patterns in the design come from the Buddhist decorations that adorn the houses.

All of Tasaram’s scarves are available to order online and have a complete description of each scarf’s unique cultural history.

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Beautiful Silk Headscarves from Tasaram