green earrings, i remember the rings of rare design

Earrings are kind of my thing. I love them - I honestly can't get enough studs, chandeliers, hoops, cuffs, or shoulder-dusters. It's probably no surprise when I tell you that the bigger, the gaudier, the more over-the-top, the heavier, the better. I am obsessed with the idea of wearing giant earrings with everything. I want to be Edie Sedgwick, running around the city in leotards, tights and giant earrings. I really think that Edie started the whole shoulder-duster trend, and once everyone saw how killer it looked they all followed suit. Of course, Edie would have had to purchase her earrings from somewhere, so of course the trend didn't originate with her entirely, but I do believe she is to credit with the rise of the insane earring as an essential part of a gal's accessory collection. 

These are some of my favorite girls in some of the grooviest earrings that I have ever seen:

One of the fiercest models in the history of fashion, Donyale Luna, rocks some serious ear candy

What would a post on statement earrings be without the queen of shoulder-dusters, Edie Sedgwick? Seriously, the girl's collection of chandelier earrings, beaded butterflies, plastic spheres and ethnic hardware is unrivaled by anyone

Lauren Hutton tries her hand - er, ears - at the trend 

Only Vogue would have thought to match one's earrings to their ponytail - what a novel idea

Never one to shy away from daring, statement-making fashions, Marisa Berenson is shown sporting an array of earrings styles on the covers of various fashion mags

Peggy Moffitt tended towards brighter and wilder styles for her accessories

Though primarily known for her earthy hippie child look, Sharon Tate still glammed it up from time to time, wearing giant chandelier earrings like these

 Susan 'Internation Velvet' Bottomly's endless array of statement-making earrings made her the perfect successor to Edie Sedgwick for the position as Andy Warhol's confidante debutante

The 'It' Girl of the sixties Twiggy was always on the forefront of fashion trends, seen rocking earrings that were anywhere as wild as disco balls to mismatched pieces that look like children's toys 

Veruschka knew how to show off her wild accessories to their best advantage - subtly pulling her hair away from her face so that every girl could envy her earrings

Known for her timeless French fashion sense, Catherine Deneuve occasionally tried her hand at wild trends of the sixties 

Jean Shrimpton knows how to rock a pair of killer shoulder-dusters on the cover of Vogue

Title: from "Green Earrings" (Steely Dan)

put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty

Is it strange that one of my favorite things to do is put on makeup? There is something so calming, so spiritual, so superficially life-affirming about the process that I quite enjoy. It's lovely to see dolly girls that I love who enjoy the process of primping themselves in front of a mirror as well

These two models admire their own reflections with fab updos and great cat eyes (I'm digging the white cat eye on the left!)

Known for her gamine gorgeousness, Audrey Hepburn had the best eye makeup in the history of all of Hollywood (at least, according to me)

The fabulous makeover scene in Vertigo takes Kim Novak from dowdy brunette to blonde bombshell

Brigitte Bardot knows what to do to perfect her sex kitten look

A Playboy Bunny from the '60s knows the perfect compliment to bunny ears is heavily lined eyelids

Catherine James, muse extraordinaire, paints her eyes (also, can you spot those Edie-inspired shoulder dusters that she's wearing? Must be during her Factory days)

Donyale Luna gets some assistance from a fellow model

America's original sweetheart Doris Day always kept her makeup sweet and simple

Edie Sedgwick was known for her obsession with makeup - taking hours every day to contour her cheeks and define her doe eyes

Elizabeth Taylor adjusts what looks to be some pretty killer glitter eye makeup

Natalia Vodianova for Guerlain's Fall campaign last year

Here the 1944 Rockettes are caught primping in front of their mirrors

Jane Birkin fixing her appearance both offscreen and on (in Wonderwall)

The fabulous Miss Faithfull on the set of The Girl on a Motorcycle, in a magazine spread, and backstage at Saturday Night Live

The ultimate bombshell Marilyn Monroe appreciated the beauty and femininity of cosmetics, oftentimes being photographed applying them

Natalie Wood enhances her already amazingly wide eyes with coats of mascara

Mischa Barton pencils her eyelid as Rachel Bilson looks on in The O.C.

Pattie Boyd several times did spread for magazines documenting her famous dolly look

The Shrimpton girls always looked camera ready 

Sue Lyon on the set of The Night of the Iguana 

Sylvie Vartan admires her own appearance

Here all of the Polly Maggoos ready their looks in the famous film 

It's easy to see why Sophia Loren attracted the likes of Cary Grant and Carlo Ponti

The women of The Women primp themselves

I love everything about this look - from the perfect cat eye to that dark red lip

A young pre-Marilyn Norma Jeane smiles as she puts on her 'stick

Modern day dolly Drew Barrymore puckers up

Title: from "Atlantic City" (Bruce Springsteen)

once upon a time you dressed so fine

"I'll have to put more earrings on. I bet that someone could analyze me and tell my condition by my earrings." 

I am a student of the Edie Sedgwick school of accessories - or, more appropriately, excessories. Maybe it's the Texan in me, but when it comes to jewelry, the bigger the better and the more the better. One of my style trademarks is my penchant for wearing large chandelier earrings, but to be honest my my love for big ole earrings doesn't even come close to the shoulder-dusters that Edie rocked. It is because of Edie that big dangly earrings because trendy in the Sixties and have stayed a style mainstay for half a century. The loud, large earrings are the perfect juxtaposition against Edie's otherwise minimalist style - imagine back in the day when you could see the real live whiplash girl-child bobbing down the streets of New York City in a black leotard, opaque black tights and swinging silver pieces hanging off her ears, shown off to perfection due to her cropped peroxide hair.
Due to the grace of the retro fashion gods, owning earrings like Edie's infamous shoulder-dusters is possible. Glittery chandelier earrings are everywhere - from Neimans to Forever 21, you can find a pair to channel that Sedgwick style. I own several pairs of earrings designed by Steve Sasco, the jewelry designer for the Edie biopic Factory Girl. He recreated many of the styles that Edie wore for Sienna Miller to rock in the film, offering on his site an entire Factory Girl Collection. I own the 'Famous Butterfly Earring' in silver, as well as the 'Life Magazine Earring' with jet finish. I definitely recommend that you check out this collection - I have been a fan of it for years. It's been my little secret for dressing a little more like Edie.

Title: from "Like a Rolling Stone" (Bob Dylan)

somebody help me, my neck hurt, my chain heavy

Partially inspired by Melanie Griffith in Something Wild, featured in my recent Louise Brooks post, but mostly inspired by my insane love affair with accessories, I celebrate the 'statement necklace' - the loud, large, heavy pieces that dominate any look. The louder, larger and heavier, the better. 

I love anything turquoise, but I adore Raquel Welch's Native American-inspired stone necklace

Even while on the run, Faye Dunaway's Bonnie never abandons style with this gold coin necklace

Anita Pallenberg has a fabulous array of baubles

Not to be outdone by anyone, Kanye West rocks a few awesome chains

Carmen Miranda never says no to strands of beads

Twiggy incorporates her dress into a necklace into watches into magical-ness

Edie Sedgwick is never less than the ultimate It-Girl with her signature style of gamine clothes and a heavy beaded necklace

Elizabeth Taylor, the queen of jewels, has some amazing pieces on display 

Judy Collins shows how strands of small beads can be made into a statement-making look

My style hero Iris Apfel

Keith Richards rocks the pirate-rocker-hot god thing really well

La pièce de résistance - Maria Felix's crocodile necklace

Title: from "Heavy" (Gucci Mane)