Over the weekend, i got the opportunity to have ultimate girl time with my best ladies. Talking love and what’s the latest in our lives, some of my friends confessed their virgin arm party status. ‘Where do we even start!?’ They asked. [Crap!] ..the thought hadn’t even occurred to me. I’ve been rocking copious amounts of arm candy since my mom bought me ‘The Scholastic Book Club’ book on how to make friendship bracelets. So i’ll do my best to put together a starter kit of sorts, for arm parties!

1. First things first, the basic beginning of all jewelry is the metal, Silver or Gold. Do you love mixed metals or do you solely favor one or the other? Gold and Silver look more favorable on certain skin tones. Personally, i’m a gold girl. I love all gold – everything. Golden blonde highlights, the golden rays from the sun, gold necklaces, bracelets, gold leaf etc. The warmth that gold gives off goes with my skin tone best. If you are undecided what metal looks best on you, here is a simple test:

Looking at the inside of your wrist, hold a white piece of paper to your wrist and compare the white of the paper with your veins. Your veins will either have a blueish or green-ish tint.

Blue-ish Tint = Cool Skin Tone (white golds, silvers, platinum  etc.)

Green-ish Tint = Warm Skin Tone (golds, coppers, rose golds etc.)

2. So, whether you want a silver, a gold or a mixed metal arm party, i like to follow a few guidelines, having a blend of:

• texture (chain, spike, pyramid, charms etc.)
• width (dainty chain, thin bangle, medium, thick cuff, chunky etc.)
• sparkle (rhinestones, pave, sequins, glitter etc.)
• solely metals (silver, gold, rose gold, gunmetal, black etc.)
• non-metals (fabric, stones, beads, thread etc.)
• color (neons, jewel tones, monochromatic etc.)

3. Next, let’s add a watch. Not that you are ever more than 5ft from your phone, it’s a nice addition to any Arm Party. I never used to wear watches, hated them. But when i was graduating, I was told to wear a watch to interviews, as a way to show potential employers that you can be punctual without relying on your cellphone. And, because you never know who you are going to meet daily, that principal just stuck with me and i’ve worn a watch everyday ever since.

4. Et Voilá! You have a good start to make a stellar Arm Party!

With all that said, let’s be honest. Parties with rules are NO fun. That’s why in high school, the best parties were when the parents were gone & everyone was free to do whatever they wanted. So, when it comes to Arm Parties, there are no rules, do YOU. Whatever you like, wear it with confidence and it will be a fabulous Arm Party :).

xo, emily