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Thanks to personalized accessories, the latest trend to hit jewelry counters, name dropping is no longer tacky. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, from inexpensive costume baubles to the more pricey fine jewelry pieces, proudly sparkle with their owner's initials and names.
Initial charms and nameplate necklaces have been a staple of jewelry retailers for years, but today the style is hotter than ever. Robert Elva, owner of the Personalized Boutique in Pembroke Pines, Fla., which specializes in name jewelry, attributes the sudden fad to Hollywood influences.
For example, in the popular HBO show 'Sex in the City,' Sarah Jessica Parker's character often sports a gold nameplate necklace.
'The name necklaces have always been popular down here, but in the last few years they've definitely gotten more so,' said Elva, who has been selling the name jewelry for 21 years. 'A lot of customers will mention 'Sex in the City' and ask for a necklace like Carrie's.'
In addition to the nameplate necklaces, the Personalized Boutique also sells rings, bracelets, anklets and hoop earrings which spell out names in cursive letters. All are available in 14 karat white or yellow gold, and some of the necklaces are crafted with diamonds. But it's the simple gold necklaces, which range in price from $85-$125, which remain the best sellers.
For those willing to pay more money for more flash, Elva sells the diamond-encrusted nameplates for up to $600. The necklaces, along with Personalized Boutique's other merchandise, can be purchased online at www.personalizedboutique.com.
Jewelry lovers who want to broadcast their identity with a bang, but don't want to spend the bucks, are in luck: designers such as Liz Claiborne and Nine West have come out with costume pieces that sell for a fraction of the price of fine jewelry.
Available at department stores such as Lazarus and Kaufmann's, the Liz Claiborne Identity Collection consists of sterling silver necklaces, anklets, earrings and double-strand bracelets, all featuring initials studded with Pave crystals and priced at an affordable $15 each. Nine West's sterling silver initial necklaces, earrings and rings sell for $10 a piece. The Sterling Silver Collection, a line of initial jewelry sold at Lazarus, includes a toe ring for $30, an anklet for $20 and a chain link bracelet with a heart charm for $12.
Initial pins both small and large are also hot now, especially when encrusted with Pave stones, said Joanne Pagnanelli, vice president and director of fashion merchandising for Kaufmann's.
'It's glitzy and flashy, and it calls attention to yourself,' Pagnanelli said. 'That makes it lots of fun.'
While Elva's creations are done all in gold, silver is the dominant look this fall, said Heather Hannan, regional manager of public relations for Lazarus.
'We saw so much gold during the fall of 2000,' Hannan said. 'Designers are looking for a change, for something new and fresh.'
Pagnanelli agreed with Elva's speculation that celebrity exposure has set the trend in motion.
'It's been seen on a lot of rock stars; Madonna wore a necklace spelling out her name about a year ago,' she said. 'We've seen a lot of celebrity and designer use of the trend.'
Nationwide accessories retailer Claire's Boutique has also jumped on the personalization bandwagon, with its selection of initial pendants fashioned out of rhinestones and silver- and gold-tone metals.
Along the same lines, Claire's also sells necklaces and other jewelry pieces that spell out the names of Zodiac signs, said Lisa Paparella, assistant director of marketing for Claire's.
Pagnanelli added that necklaces and bracelets sparkling with birthstones and Zodiac symbols are popular now as well.
While personalized jewelry has been selling well since early this year, the trend shows no sign of fizzling out any time soon. A recent trip to New York to view upcoming holiday lines indicated that the baubles will remain a jewelry box must-have right through the Christmas shopping season, Pagnanelli said.
Other personalized accessories, such as belts with initial buckles, are also forthcoming, she said.
Hannan noted that even clothes designers such as Guess and Tommy Hilfiger have embraced initials. While names splashed across the front of T-shirts and the back pockets of jeans have always been a large part of fashion design, designers are now incorporating just their initials into their creations.
Guess' fall accessories line, for example, includes a Western-inspired belt shimmering with rhinestones and a G-shaped buckle. Tommy Hilfiger has come out with T-shirts bearing just the letters 'TGJ,' for Tommy Girl Jeans, Hannan said.
