With a full-time job teaching high school and two children advancing through elementary school at an alarming rate — particularly a daughter whose behavior has led me to believe Eight is the new Thirteen — I think a lot about peer pressure and what’s happening to our kids socially. (That’s a topic for an entire blog, and I’m not about to attempt it in a single Fashion Friday post.) One thing that I try to do, to help the kids in my life see it’s good not to follow the herd all the time, is to be as individual as I can be in my appearance on a regular basis.
But I also know how important it is not to seem weird — especially when you’re a kid, but also when you’re an adult.
One small unusual thing I do sometimes, and which never fails to earn compliments, is to wear really long strands of beads in unexpected ways. I don’t mean an extra long necklace (although I do that, too, sometimes), but rather just really long strands of beads. Like five-feet-long threads of seed beads clustered together into one slightly noisy scarf.
This look works best, I’ve found, when I pair it with something otherwise nondescript, like this simple pencil skirt and neutral top, or even interesting clothes (think soft tunic and long circle skirt or wide-leg linen pants) in muted, solid colors.
You can also wear the beads as a headband by wrapping them around your head and then looping a clasp or hair elastic around them high up on the nape to keep them together. This is much less bulky than tying the strands in a knot and makes for less wear and tear on the beads — and the thread they’ve been strung on.
This style works well especially if the rest of your hair is piled up in a messy-chic bun.
An added bonus of this accessory is that it eliminates the need for most other jewelry. A bracelet or a watch would be fine, but necklace and earrings might really clutter the look.
What unusual things do you do to your appearance to separate yourself from the herd? Share your cute and offbeat ideas here!
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Sappho's Torque 
I love the picture of you with the messy bun!
Sometimes I make my hair look like a bunch of birds are building a nest in it. If I’m lucky, I have a fake bird to top it off!
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Oh, I LOVE that! And thanks, by the way. 🙂 I should try doing the messy bun at school some time. Usually it’s just severe, and I always mean to relax it once I get to campus, but I get so busy I just forget.
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If you have a pair of jeans or any other garment with belt loops that actually fits you well without a belt, then (as long as the garment is plain enough), thread the beads through the belt loops. Leave them dangling, or tie them in a very loose half-hitch.
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That’s a great idea, too! For a short while here several years back — when I was first making jewelry, in fact — there was a fad called “jean jewelry” which consisted of a short chain of colorful glass beads that hooked onto two consecutive belt loops over one hip. I’m not sure I’m describing it correctly. I’ll make it a FF post soon.
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